Tag: Arts + Culture

Racism and Cultural Appropriation in the Arts: Screening, Workshop, and Panel with Simone Blais

On March 24-25 2021, Vancouver Short Film Festival is partnering with the CineVic Society of Independent Filmmakers for our first event in the VSFF On The Road series:

Racism and Cultural Appropriation in the Arts: Screening, Workshop, and Panel with Simone Blais

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Wednesday March 24th / 6:30pm via ZOOM
Short Documentary Screening and Discussion with Simone Blais
In this workshop, watch the 30 minute film Dance Like Everybody’s Watching, which explores the lives of Black dancers in Victoria, BC (Songhees, Esquimalt, W̱SÁNEĆ territories). After this private viewing, participate in a facilitated discussion with the director and other participants. This is the perfect opportunity for people looking to work though themes of cultural appropriation and inclusion in the dance community and is ideal for artists and non-artists of any background. If you are interested in community-building and anti-racism, this workshop is for you!

REGISTER VIA GOOGLE FORMS: https://forms.gle/V89FDvUwyrxsR8cE9

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Thursday March 25th / 6:30pm via Facebook Live
Filmmaker Panel featuring Peruzzo, Andy Hodgson, Adhel Arop
Moderated by Simone Blais, this panel will further the conversation begun in the screening and workshop, and explore the intersection of these themes with the work and career of local filmmakers.

ACCESS ON MARCH 25TH VIA FACEBOOK LIVE: https://www.facebook.com/events/2632082723748643/

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Simone Blais is a dancer, doula, director and aspiring midwife. She is a recent UVic Gender Studies graduate whose work focuses on decolonizing the dance community and reproductive justice for marginalized communities. In the past 5 years, she has worked with the Nesting Doula Collective, and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, delivering workshops about reproductive justice. She is also the director and producer of the documentary Dance Like Everybody’s Watching, which highlights the experiences of Black dancers in ‘Victoria’. Find about more at simone-blais.com About Dance Like Everybody’s Watching: Dance Like Everybody’s Watching follows three Black dancers in Victoria, BC as they expose their worlds of flamenco, hip hop, and dancehall. While the dancers grapple with racism, tokenism, and stereotypes, we are reminded that dance is always political. This short film deals with themes of cultural appropriation in dance and is uniquely a BC production. 100% of the production, cast and crew are based in Victoria, BC. Dance Like Everybody’s Watching is funded by Storyhive and Creative BC.

About VSFF On The Road: The Vancouver Short Film Festival is excited to announce VSFF ON THE ROAD: an online event series connecting filmmakers across the province while staying apart. Sponsored by Creative BC. VSFF is proud to partner with film organizations province-wide and connect with communities outside of Vancouver as we create unique educational and professional development opportunities for filmmaking in British Columbia.

Zaac Pick presents: Passages Unplugged — a virtual performance

Presenting ‘Passages, Unplugged’ — a virtual performance of my latest album ‘Passages’, from front to back, accompanied sparsely by a few dear friends on backing vocals, piano, cello, and violin. Recorded in an empty and soon-to-be-demolished church hall in Vancouver, BC, this is the first (and likely only) time this album will be performed performed live in full.

I’ll be hanging out on the chat afterwards to say hello, answer questions, trade music recommendations or favorite recipes, etc. as well.

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Based in Vancouver, BC singer-songwriter Zaac Pick’s brand of confessional folk-pop has slowly been earning acclaim since 2010, with a string of EPs and an LP having garnered him a handful of regional songwriting awards, nominations, CBC and college radio play, and opening slots for The Civil Wars, Noah Gundersen, and Bahamas. Numerous songs have also been featured on major network television shows.

Matt Stern at OUTstages After Dark

Raucous cabaret numbers. Fabulous performance art. High camp. Heartfelt music. This weekend, we’re back at the theatre bringing OUTstages After Dark | Cabaret Livestream Series to your screens. Join us at 8pm on Facebook and Instagram as we go live from the stage at The Metro Studio.

Friday night is singer/songwriter Matt Stern with an intimate solo set, performing an all-request livestream. Matt Stern is known for infectious melodies, uplifting energy, and an ability to inspire a sense of community in a diverse crowd. Published for Precious and Sacred, a book dedicated to Indigenous children, and featured twice on Queerty.com, Matt performs in Japanese, French, English and Spanish and has been featured in Exclaim!, Italy’s Periodico Daily and on Let’s Go There (Channel Q) in Los Angeles. His new album, Take It or Leave It, was released in January 2020 on all platforms and its first music video, Full Moon, was screened at the Victoria Film Festival in February. That same week, the first single Don’t Tell Me was syndicated on CBC and picked up by shows across the country while French singles Dans mes rêves and Droit devant were broadcast on Radio-Canada. A recent feature in Addicted Magazine characterized Matt’s new album as “beautiful music that makes you feel seen and safe.”

Black Space Jam

The Black Space Jam is a virtual showcase will provide artists of African Descent with a platform to share their views on the current state of affairs through creative expression and celebrate and honour the Black Experience.

Featuring performances by Aisha Kay, Sam Chimes, Grizzy Winter & Shanique

Song Craft Workshop Series #4 – Sad Songs and Waltzes

In the fourth instalment of Song Craft Workshop Series, four-time Canadian Folk Music Award nominee Sarah Jane Scouten will be exploring why we love sad songs. Taking a close look at why we write emotionally cathartic songs, why we connect to them, the treacherous line between expressive and melodramatic, clichés and more. We’ll be taking a close look at some of the top sad songs of all time for your gloomy COVID Valentine’s Day.

Song Craft Workshops are offered free so that anyone who wishes to attend may do so. This is made possible by support by folks who are able. You can show your support via http://www.patreon.com/sarahjanescoutensongcraft or PayPal. Email booking@sarahjanescouten.com to register!

Gracias a la Vida Project

Music provided sonic support for the world during 2020, and it is helping us move into a new year. For Toronto and Vancouver– based singer-songwriter, Gisun, this arrives via The Gracias a la Vida Project – a collaborative, philanthropic music initiative crossing an array of countries and communities. Today, Gisun launches the project with the release of Gracias a la Vida (thanks to life) – a special cover of Chilean singer Violeta Parra’s iconic 1966 song. Produced with friends and former colleagues from her time at the New School and beyond, Gisun gathered a diverse ensemble of five vocalists to create a unique take, each person contributing a verse with their own flair. The project is partnering with Music Heals is to bring attention to the importance of music therapy, where proceeds of the song will be donated to support their work and to encourage public involvement.

“Despite such a hard year, for all of us around the globe, we have been given the gift of family and togetherness during a time where plague has riddled us with separation and loneliness. It brings such happiness to be able to sing the words gracias a la vida, as we are grateful that it has given us a united family. This is a time where gratefulness can really help us heal, spiritually and physically. Through re-connectivity with others and ourselves, we have regained a deeper appreciation for community, family, and friends,” says the ensemble on The Gracias a la Vida Project. “Gracias a la Vida is an interesting song, because it stands in the midst of forking paths. On one hand, this song has become a global song of humanism and of hope. But on the other, this is the goodbye letter of songwriter Violeta Parra to the world. Being able to expand on the possibilities of collaborating with musicians from around the world has been a shining light.”

The Gracias a la Vida Project was developed in the early stages of the pandemic as Gisun reflected on daily gratitude. Throughout this very transformational year, she especially connected with the Mercedes Sosa version (Homenaje a Violeta Parra) of Gracias a la Vida. As it is one of the most widely covered Latin songs to date, Gisun brought an incredible team of artists, all within the Latin American Diaspora, to bring an array of styles and backgrounds into the fold; Montreal, Quebec’s Ada Lea, Italian-Congolese artist, Sans Soucis, and two artists based in New York: Bianca Muñiz, Joy Morales, and Guayaquil, Ecuador-based, Luz Pinos. In addition, guitarists, Stephen Orr and Alper Tuzcu, perform on the track.

Canadian singer-songwriter Gisun is influenced by her Uruguayan background and South Korean roots to showcase her own style of Latin and soul-inspired music. Her songs weave together stories that reflect distinct chapters and stages of life. Since 2017, she has released three EPs: Suspiras, Partes, and Fin, in collaboration with musicians and sound engineers in New York, Spain, Toronto, and Vancouver. Currently, Gisun is working on her first full-length album with musicians from all over the world.

The video was produced by Rodrigo Ferrat, compiling performance videos independently filmed by each artist. With an aim to reach a global audience, particularly connecting with Latin American communities, the music video includes closed captions in English, French, Italian, and Portuguese.

Music Heals increases access to music therapy for patients in children’s hospitals, seniors centres, palliative care, AIDS & HIV programs, at-risk youth, rehabilitation, and bereavement support. To date Music Heals has funded over 32,000 music therapy sessions. You can learn more about Music Heals and support the organization by donating or getting involved at musicheals.ca.

Astrolabe Musik Theatre presents “unheard”

Join Astrolabe Musik Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director and General Manager, soprano Heather Pawsey, for “unheard” — four a cappella (unaccompanied) songs giving voice to the unheard stories of women, composed by BC’s own Jeffrey Ryan — and featuring a compelling conversation about the inspriration and collaborative process between Jeffrey and Heather towards the songs’ premiere.

Jason Camp and the Posers presents: an extravaganza of sights, sounds ,and songs for a severely severed socialite society or something in association with Begelco.tm or something

In the depths of the great potluck ban of 2020, Jason Camp and The Posers recorded a live basement session on Haida Gwaii. Showcasing some new songs on a boring afternoon, some of the lost chronicles of Jonny Begel and his quest to return to his motherland, and some reminders that its good to focus on trying to smile as the world crumbles around you. So lean back and settle in, and join the Haida trio as they help you waste another afternoon.

Hermann’s Jazz Club’s Virtual Christmas-Concert Gathering

Hermann’s Jazz Club from Victoria, BC, is hosting a Christmas Eve/Christmas Day multi-artist show by live cast! Featuring over 50 musicians pre-recorded from the club through-out December, the segment will be live streamed on YouTube. Musicians, families and audiences across the globe will be able to share the spirit of the holidays together in this virtual gathering and message their love to family/friends in distant (or down the block) living rooms through YouTube chat.

You’ll hear world-renowned musicians such as pianist Pablo Cardenas, whose varied styles are influenced by his Latin and Cuban heritage; David Vest, five-time winner of Canada’s national Maple Blues Award for Piano Player of the Year; Black Canadian Award’s Best Jazz and Soul Artist winner, Maureen Washington, and many more! In the spirit of giving and sharing music, viewer donations will go directly to Music Heals – a worthy charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for music therapy in Canada.

Connect with our community this holiday on YouTube live stream and share in a musical experience from wherever you are.

Tune in at https://www.youtube.com/c/HermannsJazzClubLive/videos