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Call To Artists: The Cultch Gallery Seeks Artists For 2018/2019 Gallery Season

28 Feb

ArtWorksThe Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, has put out a call to visual artists to submit applications to exhibit their work during their 2018/2019 gallery season. Each exhibition will run for 3 to 4 weeks between August 2018 and June 2019. Submissions can be single or multiple artists’ proposals.

The Cultch has built a reputation over the past 40 years as one of Western Canada’s most innovative and exciting presenting venues. The mandate of The Cultch is to contribute to the enrichment of the city and community’s social and cultural life through the presentation of innovative programs of contemporary music, theatre, dance and visual arts by established and emerging artists.

The Cultch Gallery is a multi-use space and not a traditional art gallery as it also serves as the lobby for performances and is occasionally used for meetings and other small events. Due to the diverse nature of this space, submissions that include sculptures or free standing art will not be accepted.

Submission Criteria for Artists:

  1. An artist statement
  2. Artist bio(s)
  3. Resume/CV
  4. A complete list of images you are submitting, which should include title, size, medium. These images do not have to be the work you will be showing. They want to get a good overview of your work.
  5. You can submit up to 10 images. Image files should be in .jpeg format. File names must include the artist name, title of artwork and size of the work when framed: (example: Yuri Arajs – Sunny Day -18 in x 30 in. jpg)

Deadline for applications is May 31, 2018. Email your submissions to gallery@thecultch.com, but you can also mail a CD with your application to:

Attention: Yuri Arajs / Gallery Coordinator
c/o The Cultch
1895 Venables Street
Vancouver, BC
V5L 2H6

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Tiva Quinn Reviews Map Of The Land, Map Of The Stars Part Of The 2018 Talking Stick Festival

22 Feb

TalkingStickFestivalMap of the Land, Map of the Stars by Gwaandak Theatre achieves the unusual feat of being very educational and raising provocative questions, while at the same time presenting a dreamlike quality as theatre, dance and projected images blend to present a variety of “story beads” about life in the Yukon over the centuries for indigenous people and the various other peoples who came to the country and interacted with them.

The stories don’t seem to be told in any particular order, and not all of them feel finished, but since they are interspersed with dance sequences my usual sense of how a narrative “should” work was suspended and I was able accept the stories for whatever information or evocative power they contained. It felt more than a little bit like piecing together the things that I know about my own family – some parts make more sense than others. Some parts carry a lot of emotional weight even though it also feels like the story is incomplete or contradictory, and some parts are neat little stories that come with a moral or a punchline.

The material is heavy, light, and everything in between. The dance is in many different styles but always interesting. Highly recommended.

Map of the Land, Map of the Stars is part of the 2018 Talking Stick Festival, which runs through Saturday, February 24th. More information about this event and other festival events is available at fullcircle.ca.

By Contributing Writer Tiva Quinn

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Nicole Alivojvodic Reviews PSS PSS On Now At The York Theatre Until March 4th

22 Feb

Delighting audiences in over 50 countries since 2010, Compagnia Baccalà (Switzerland)’s “Pss Pss” finally comes to Vancouver. Presented with Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre, “Pss Pss” is moving and hilarious at the same time – and all accomplished while not speaking a word! But beware if you’re sitting in the front, you might get a little more involved in the show than you’d like.

Earning a standing ovation on opening night, stars Camilla Pessi and Simone Fassari enthrall audiences with their daring acrobatics and impress with their perfectly pointed expression. Performed over 600 times on all 5 continents the show is remarkably fresh and fun for the whole family; you’ll be laughing despite yourself no matter your age. What’s more, anyone from any part of the world can enjoy this award winning show as it is performed in the universally understood language of facial expression and body language. Grab your kids and get down to the York Theatre to enjoy this 65-minute show unlike anything you’ve ever seen performed live before!

For tickets to this ridiculous and internationally acclaimed show, on now until March 4th, visit The Cultch.

By Contributing Writer Nicole Alivojvodic

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Award Winning PSS PSS Will Be At The York February 20 – March 4, 2018

13 Feb

PSSPSSInspired by Chaplin and Keaton, PSS PSS comes to the York Theatre February 20th to March 4th.  Compagnia Baccalà brings physicality and exquisite expression that is winning accolades the world over. The production has received 13 international prizes including the Cirque du Soleil prize.  This is an all ages show.  Tickets for kids (18 years and under) are $22. There are also family packs available for $125 for 2 adults and 2 children.  To get your tickets, visit The Cultch.

Check out what people are saying about PSS PSS:

Award-winning double act Baccalà Clown bow in triumph
The Independent

London international mime festival…have found gold…packed with ideas and ingenuity…outstandingly funny – The Stage

Hilarious possibilities of mishap and mayhem
The Herald

Instantly captivating…virtuoso comic clowning….a sheer delight to witness
Edinburgh Guide

Heart-stealing classic clowning at the very top of their game
The List 

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We Review Jabberwocky On Now At The York Theatre Until February 17th

8 Feb

JabberwockyJabberwock is delivered mostly in gibberish, and when it ventures into English it’s to recite the mysterious and evocative Lewis Carroll poem the show is named for. Like the poem, the play is open to many possible interpretations and the fun is in the playful, surreal ways of telling the story moreso than the story itself.

In other words, I went with a friend and we had completely different takes on what some of the scenes and characters represented, but we both thought it was visually delightful. My favorite scene has to be when our main character is being born, a process that is presented from a baby’s eye view, with enormous thighs appearing at either side of the stage. A moment later, we see an enormous breast from which “milk” emerges in the form of an actor dressed all in white who dances out of the nipple and into the baby’s waiting lips.

The gleeful silliness and embrace of tangents and non-sequiturs reminded me of early Monty Python at times, but the show also explores moments of fear and alienation. If you’ve always thought the Pythons could only be improved with less talking and more of the feeling you get from those creepy-eyed Victorian dolls, then this is absolutely the perfect show for you.  Jabberwocky is on now at the York Theatre until February 17th. To purchase tickets, visit The Cultch.

By Contributing Writer Tiva Quinn

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Broken Tailbone At The Cultch February 13 – 24, 2018

5 Feb

BrokeTailbone

You are invited to come celebrate the irresistible sound of Latin music. Carmen Aguirre is a celebrated writer and performer who is bringing her production Broken Tailbone to The Cultch this February. Carmen will lead a live and interactive Latin American dance lesson. Music is provided by DJ Don Pedro which promises to get the most reluctant dancer up on their feet.  Carmen will interweave stories into the evening that touch on intimacy, politics, culture and the origins of salsa while taking you into the dance halls of Canada.   We invite you to check out what we expect to one fun night out.   This is one event we won’t be missing. Tickets are $35 and available online at The Cultch.

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PuSH Presents Dublin Oldschool At The Cultch Until February 3rd

1 Feb

DublinOldSchoolTogether with the PuSH International Arts Festival, The Cultch brings Project Arts Centre’s smash hit Dublin Oldschool to Vancouver. This sharp and edgy play, written by Emmet Kirwan, will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. Impressively performed by Kirwan and fellow Dublin native Ian Lloyd Anderson to a sold-out crowd on opening night, Dublin Oldschool is as thought-provoking as it is witty.

Following the story of two estranged brothers, Dublin Oldschool jumps back and forth in time to weave a tale about fraternity set against the backdrop of modern day Dublin. During a wild weekend, Jason, a wannabe DJ, runs into his older brother Daniel, a washed up junkie. After years of not speaking, they reminisce about the tunes, the drugs, and the paths that led them back to each other. The 70-minute show requires your full attention; lose focus for a minute and you’ll miss something because this “spoken word odyssey” is spoken quickly! Nevertheless, this award winning show is exceptional – just maybe brush up on your Irish slang beforehand.

For tickets to this riotous show, on now until February 3rd at Historic Theatre, visit The Cultch.

By Contributing Writer Nicole Alivojvodic

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Jabberwocky Comes To The York February 6 – 17, 2018

29 Jan

JabberwockyIf you like dark and disturbing, then we’ve got the show for you.  The Old Trout Puppet Workshop brings a brand new type of puppet theatre for adults to The York.  Beware the Jabberwock!  You are invited on the journey of  a young male hare who is weighed down by the pressure to grow up and slay the Jabberwock, whatever that may be. The hare believes it to be a monster, but what type of monster? It is furry, ferocious, fanged, formless. It is outside the door now waiting to eat you?  Not to fret my silly pet, a vorpal sword valiantly promises to save everyone from the things that haunt us in the night.  What monsters lie under the bed? Find out when Jabberwocky comes to the York Theatre February 6 – 7, 2018. Tickets available at The Cultch. 

What people are saying about Jabberwocky:

A piece of theatre inspired by Lewis Carroll that is, indeed, inspired” —
The Globe and Mail

Blew expectations out of the water, inviting the audience into a universe of unimaginable creativity and talent” —
Vue Weekly

Exultant and celebratory in the hands of this remarkable and gifted company” — GigCity.ca

A marvelous theatrical adventure…that leaves us breathless at every turn into dark corners where our fears lie waiting for us — along with our heart” —
12thNight.ca

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SHIT At The Firehall Arts Centre – January 27, 2018 to February 10, 2018

25 Jan

SHITFirehall

Australian’s most unapologetic playwright, Patricia Cornelius, examines the lives of three incarcerated underclass women in a manner unseen on most theatre stages.  SHIT asks you to consider women with foul mouths and weathered faces, women who spit, fight, swear, hurt and steal. They are angry, unrelenting, terrifying and damaged women. They discuss fist fights, foster care, babies, their mothers, crying and what it’s like to believe in absolutely nothing.  “There is nothing romantic in these characters’ outsider mindsets’ says Cornelius who states there is something admirable about the fight in these women who do not behave as others think they should. Cornelius believes many women will be able to relate to this. SHIT takes place at the Firehall Arts Centre January 27th to February 10th, 2018. For tickets, visit Firehall Arts Centre.

Contributing writer Tiva Quinn checked out opening night of this production. Here is her take on SHIT:

I kind of expected yet another story where bad things happen to women who are fundamentally, deep down, good people. Crusty but with a heart of gold somewhere inside.

SHIT is not that story. These women don’t make any plays for your respect or your sympathy. Tough times have turned them into tough people and they’re not especially kind to themselves or to one another. Near the beginning of the play they laugh about the times when you’re that woman – the woman on the bus who’s cursing to herself at full volume and making everyone uncomfortable. Only one of these three women is a bit vulnerable, and the other two are determined to teach her to knock it off.

If you can let go of your need for a sympathetic character and your belief that women should be likeable, there’s a lot to enjoy and a lot to think about here.

My one quibble would be that the Australian play sometimes loses its flow with word choices that just seem wrong delivered in a Canadian accent, but an interesting script and strong acting are more than enough to make up for that.

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Call To Local Artists – Create Something Amazing In Strathcona

23 Jan

10BlocksOfPassion

If you are a local artist and would like to see your work featured publicly, then be sure to check out Strathcona’s new project 10 Blocks of Passion Street Gallery.  Some of you may have heard Stathcona’s aim to be one of the City’s most walkable communities. “Made In Strathcona” and the Strathcona Business Improvement Association are taking the next step to make this happen.  They aim to feature original art work that tells stories about the Strathcona neighbourhood.  They would like to bring the streets to life.  Local artists are invited to create art installations for public display in the neighbourhood which will be showcased until the end of the summer.  Applications are now being accepted until January 29th. To learn more, you can email partnerships@myloudspeaker.ca or check out the online application form which also has a few inspirational ideas 10 Blocks of Passion Street Gallery. Personally, we would like to see the amazing art that appears when it rains in the City, bring a bit of life to our wet grey days in Vancouver.  If you haven’t seen pics of what we mean, visit Rainworks.

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