Category Archives: Talks & Presentations

Opening the Treasure Box: Where Carrall Meets Pender

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Presentation
Saturday November 2, 2pm – 4pm 
Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery 29 W. Pender
The Downtown Eastside is a treasure box full of compelling stories generated by an interaction of people, place, period, position, and perspective. Our panel of five historians and storytellers will share from their favourite neighbourhood stories and recollections about the historic intersection of Pender and Carrall.

Treasure Box2012_Lani Russwarm

Lani Russwarm

The panel of history treasure hunters features:

  • T’Uy’Tanat/Cease Wyss – ethnobotanist, media artist, educator, filmmaker, illustrator, curator, artist and activist whose work weaves itself thorough a variety of communities including the DTES;
  • James Johnstone – East End-based house history researcher, heritage activist, avid blogger and neighbourhood History Walk guide;
  • Lani Russwurm – DTES resident and creator of the Past Tense blog; his first book, Vancouver Was Awesome: A Curious Pictorial History, was just released in October;
  • Larry Wong – enthusiastic writer and historian who published his memoirs Dim Sum Stories: A Chinatown Childhood in September 2011, now in second printing;
  • Steven Wong – certified Sundo yoga teacher, Dragon Boater, and a scion of the Wong family of Modernize Tailors at Carrall and Pender.

Free

Healthy Aging Through the Arts

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Healthy Aging Through the Arts 2 - photo Liza Tam

Puppets
Tuesday October 29, 1pm – 1:30pm 
Strathcona Community Centre Seniors Lounge, 601 Keefer
Healthy Aging Through the Arts is a collaborative project between seniors and artists working together to explore the seniors’ stories through art. The Strathcona Seniors puppet group, led by artists Sharon Bayly and Maggie Winston, present Playtime, a story told by humanette puppets: the seniors use their own head and an attached miniature body to perform. It is fun to watch and a pleasure to share the enjoyment of art with the seniors. Come out and see this delightful performance. Everyone welcome.

Listening to Truth, Seeking Reconciliation

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Talkumentary
Saturday October 26, 6pm – 10pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main

IRSSS-New-LOGOFollowing BC Reconciliation Week we ask “what does reconciliation mean to you?” Join Angela White of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society for a “talkumentary” evening with documentaries, guest speakers and discussion on how we as a community can move forward together towards reconciliation.

Guest speakers include Stephen Lytton, Sid Chow Tan, Grace Eiko Thompson and Sukhvinder Kaur Vinning.

Musical guests Iskwew Singers will perform songs that tell stories of our connection to the earth, the Creator and one another.

Films shown this evening:

  • The Language of Love (2011, 11 min) directed by Marie Clements, featuring DTES artist and activist Stephen Lytton;
  • We Were Children (2012, 83 min) directed by Tim Wolochatiuk, National Film Board;
  • It Matters: The Legacy of Residential Schools (2013, 5 min) produced by the World Sikh Organization of Canada;
  • Hidden Legacies (2013, 18 min) directed by Lisa Jackson, a young Aboriginal filmmaker;
  • Yummo Comes Home, A Residential School Healing Journey (2013, 28 min) produced by Don Klaassen and the Mennonite Church Canada.

Everyone welcome. Free

Truth and Reconciliation – WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

 “To ‘reconcile’ is to weave a stronger and more vibrant social fabric, based on the unique and diverse strengths of Canadians and their communities.”  – Chief Robert Joseph

Truth is about Listening. It is about allowing what you hear to soak in. It is about each person making informed decisions on how that truth impacts them directly and indirectly.

The same with Reconciliation.  For each person reconciliation means something different. We each find our own journey to reconcile differences of opinion or harms that were perpetuated directly, or perhaps indirectly by our ancestors.

Messages from Reconciliation Canada –

“Let us find a way to belong to this time and place together. The time is now to move forward beyond sorry. The time is now to move beyond misunderstandings of the past that filtered into the present. The time is now to open the door to rid ourselves of preconceived notions of what history has wanted us to believe about aboriginal peoples of Canada.” – That shame, loneliness, hurt, pain and sorrow needs to be acknowledged but NOT owned.

“We have the power to be that catalyst for social change towards injustices of the past. We can build a strong founding relationship between aboriginal peoples and all Canadians. Through understanding, dignity, openness, hope and willingness for change.”

“For the sake of our children, past, present and future!” – We all have stories, and each of our personal stories are important to share with one another. – “Let us take this opportunity for all Canadians to renew our relationship based on a shared understanding of our histories and our cultures. Let us take this opportunity to begin to walk a path together for a shared tomorrow.”

– Angela White, Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS)

 

 

 

Author Talk with Timothy Taylor

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Reading & Conversation
Thursday October 24, 2:30pm – 4pm 
Carnegie Community Centre 3rd Floor Gallery,
401 Main St.
Come share a reading and conversation with Timothy Taylor, a multi-award winning author who thoroughly enjoys his craft. Timothy will talk about his unusual road to becoming a writer, how he currently practices his craft, and what it’s like to teach creative writing. Best of all, he will read from both his fiction and nonfiction. Timothy Taylor is the author of three best-selling novels, a collection of short stories, two nonfiction books and is also one of Canada’s widest published writers of nonfiction magazine and newspaper features. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. Everyone welcome. Free

Click for photos and video coverage of this event.