Heart of the City Festival
Wednesday October 24 – Sunday November 4, 2007
More than 55 events at over 25 locations throughout the DTES
Dynamic talent beats at the heart of the city… The Heart of the City Festival reminds Vancouver that for every negative aspect of life at our core, proof of a dynamic community working hard to deal with its problems is also very much in evidence.
Peter Birnie, The Vancouver Sun
Since its founding in 2004 the annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival has become a flagship for the hot bed of the arts simmering in the heart of our city.
With a focus on rich and diverse communities of the DTES, the 4th Annual Heart of the City Festival celebrates the creative and committed artists and activists who thrive in the heart of Vancouver. This year’s festival features an extraordinary breadth of arts with more than 200 artists, with a spotlight on Asian Canadian artists.
One of Vancouver’s premier blues singers and DTES resident Dalannah Gail Bowen jumpstarts the festival at the Festival Launch (Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Street, Wednesday October 24, 2:30 pm). This event kicks off twelve exciting days of music, theatre, film, hip hop, drumming, comedy, readings, poetry, radio, food, cultural celebrations, forums, workshops, discussions, gallery exhibits, art talks, history talks and history walks.
• Join Ya-wen V. Wang as she leads more than a dozen local artists in a cabaret that celebrates one of our most precious terrestrial substances – water! Inspired by the stunning water crystal work of Japanese writer and researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto, the Water Cabaret is a free flow of poetry, spoken word, songs and music from a variety of cultures and styles. Accompanied by water image projections by award-winning photographer Eydis S. Einarsdottir, the evening features Ya-wen V. Wang (piano), Russell Sholberg (bass), Joel Lower (percussion/drums), along with Colin MacDonald (sax), DTES residents Rachel Davis (pop vocals) and Gena Thompson (poetry & songs) and many more. radha yoga & eatery, 728 Main Street, Wednesday October 24,
• The Heart of the City Festival is thrilled to present the urban ink productions world premiere of Gravity, written and performed by Tricia Collins and directed by Maiko Bae Yamamoto. Gravity is an exciting new collaboration of theatre and video installation that interweaves storytelling, memories and the stitching together of myths and facts. Chapel Arts, 304 Dunlevy Avenue, Free preview Wednesday October 24, 7:30 pm. Thursday October 25 to Saturday October 27, Wednesday Oct 31 to Saturday November 3, 7:30 pm. Pay what you will matinee Sunday October 28, 2:30 pm. For more information contact www.urbanink.ca www.urbanink.ca
• The Heart of the City Festival presents a number of special concerts this year by some of Vancouver’s finest world artists and musicians, including Canada’s first all-women taiko group Sawagi Taiko, co-presented with the Powell Street Festival at the Carnegie Community Centre Theatre (401 Main Street, Friday October 26, 7:30 pm) and the magic of Silk Road Music (Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault) at the beautiful setting of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, (578 Carrall, Saturday October 27, 3 pm). www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
• In association with Gallery Gachet and LIVE Biennial of Performance Art, we are excited to present Grand Slam Evening of Performance Art + Hip Hop, a night of Filipino Performance Art, African Spoken Word/Hip Hop, First Nations' Hip Hop, and Chinese DJs spinning remixes that address
• A popular component of the festival is the History Walks and Talks. We are happy to present four walks this year: A Homeless Tour with Wendy Pedersen and Jean Swanson of the Carnegie Community Action Project (Meet at steps of Carnegie, Main & Hastings, Saturday October 27, 11am); Medicinal Plants Walk with Cease Wyss (Meet at NE corner Gore & Keefer, Saturday November 3, 11am); Anti-Asian Riot Walking Tour with Michael Barnholden (Meet at Victory Square, Hastings & Cambie, Sunday November 4, 11am); and Pantages and the Neighbourhood: A Tour in Three Parts (Sunday October 28). Part One – A Tour of the Pantages Theatre including a history talk with Chuck Davis of the Vancouver Historical Society and other special guests (Pantages Theatre, 150 East Hastings Street, 12 pm – 1:30 pm); Part Two – A History Walk of Chinatown and Japantown with John Atkin (Meet at steps of Carnegie, Main & Hastings, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm); and Part Three – return to the Pantages for a special presentation by the Vancouver Cantonese Opera (Pantages Theatre, 150 East Hastings Street, 3:30 pm – 4 pm)
• In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the anti-Asian
• Tune into Co-op Radio with special festival guests on World Poetry Café Tuesday October 23 and 30, 9 pm – 10 pm; Wax Poetic on Wednesday October 31, 2:30 pm – 3 pm; and new original one acts presented by Theatre in the Raw on the Arts Rational Thursday October 25 and November 1, 9 pm – 10 pm. Co-op Radio, CFRO 102.7FM www.coopradio.org
• Another 2007 festival highlight is the workshop presentation of Vancouver Moving Theatre’s A Downtown Eastside Romeo and Juliet, an original new comedic work-in-process directed by multiple Jessie Award winner Gina Bastone and created and performed with DTES actors and musicians. Musical Director is Jessie Award winner Ya-wen V. Wang (Urinetown). This collection of vignettes, inspired by the universal classic story about a longstanding grudge between families, will be presented with fresh comedic eyes informed by issues of marginalization, poverty and gentrification. Joining this evening of comedy is theatremaker and comedian Jan Derbyshire and alumni from Stand Up for Mental Health (Founder - David Granirer), the hit comedy group recently featured in the CBC documentary Cracking Up. Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Street, Friday November 2, 8 pm, Saturday November 3, 9:30 pm
• The Heart of the City Festival is delighted to premiere Bringing Shadows Into Light, a video by Squamish media artist Cease Wyss. This documentary follows the journey of a group of DTES residents as they create and present a community engaged shadow theatre production that sheds light on today’s wave of addiction. Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main, Saturday November 3, 12 pm
• We are pleased to present local poetic treasure and community activist Bud Osborn as he joins other DTES poets in an evening of original poetry and prose. Projected images by visual artist and muralist Richard Tetrault, with host, poet and artist Diane Wood. Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401
www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/CARNEGIECENTRE
• The festival ends on a high note with three special events at the Ukrainian Hall. Start off your afternoon with the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians Fall Concert, featuring the Barvinok Choir, the AUUC Folk Orchestra, Dovbush Dancers and the AUUC School of Dancing. Lively music, invigorating dance, colourful costumes and delightful beats beckon us. Special guests include stirring gospel sounds with Dalannah Gail Bowen and friends and DTES resident and pianist extraordinaire Stan Hudac. Immediately after the concert is a delicious traditional Ukrainian Supper followed by the ever-popular Urban Barn Dance with the musical fun of Three Potato. Grab your friends, neighbours and the whole family and head on down to this toe tappin’ heart warming event. Ukrainian Hall, 805 East Pender, Sunday November 4, Concert 3 pm, Supper 5:30 pm, Dance 7 pm
These are only a few of the festival highlights. There will also be many exciting pre-festival and post-festival events. Please visit pick up a program guide for the complete festival schedule.
Thanks to our sponsors - Heritage Canada, BC Arts Council, BC Gaming Commission, City of Vancouver through the Office of Cultural Affairs Celebration Program, Friends of the Downtown Eastside Community Arts, Alcan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, program guide sponsor Vancouver Port Authority, Asian and Chinatown program sponsor Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, and media sponsors CTV and the Georgia Straight
Vancouver Moving Theatre and Carnegie Community Centre are members of the DTES Community Arts Network
Links
Powell Street Festival I Sawagi Taiko I Association of United Ukrainian Canadians
