Tag Archives: Vancouver

First Saturday Open Studios Happens Saturday, April 2nd

30 Mar

First Saturday Open Studios happens this Saturday, April 2nd from Noon to 5:00 pm. What is it? It is an opportunity to visit artists in their studios and get a chance to ask questions, learn techniques, see work in progress and if the urge strikes, buy artwork directly from the artist.

This is a once monthly event as the name eludes, the first Saturday of the month, in Vancouver and North Vancouver with different artists participating in each month.

This weekend, we know Jesse Toso, of Toso Wood Works, is hosting an Open Studio with a number of other artists at The Annex, 1001 Parker Street. Expect beautiful handmade furniture in this space along with beautiful art. If you are looking for things to do this weekend, this is definitely something worth checking out. What studios are open this weekend? Visit Next Open Studios here for more info.

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Neighbourhood Small Grants Applications Now Being Accepted Until April 30, 2022

27 Mar

The Neigbourhood Small Grant program is back for 2022.  The foundation of this program is connecting people within their own communities.  The premise of the program is fairly simple. It is the belief that the best people to affect change in a community, are those that live within it. When money is less of an issue, it allows more ideas to flow.  This is where the grants come in. The Neighbourhood Small Grants program allows you to apply for up to $500 for your idea to connect your community.

What have other people done?   A few ideas include book exchanges, benches and community gardens.  Some other ideas include creating small care packages for seniors with a few spring flowers and crossword puzzles and/or word search games.  For young children, creating a scavenger hunt in a park with prizes. People have also created art cards for seniors in long term care. Connection is the key and the ideas are only limited by your imagination and, of course, the $500 budget. Want more ideas or thinking about applying? We invite you to visit Neighbourhood Small Grants for more information.

The basic principles of the Neighbourhood Small Grants Program:

  1. Small is beautiful. Small ideas are beautiful and manageable.

  2. Everyone has something to offer. Whether you can teach a skill or give some tips, or provide a service. We all have something valuable to share.

  3. It’s your project. You create how you want it to look and feel.

  4. Create your chosen family.  A platform to help build networks within your community.

Applications are now open until April 30, 2022.   Applications may be accepted for a second cycle in the Fall depending on whether funds are still available. This is a great opportunity to create something memorable for your community.

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The Comic Strippers At The York Theatre April 1, 2 and June 3, 2022

8 Mar

If you are looking for some light hearted fun and good laughs, then you may wish to check out The Comic Strippers coming to the York Theatre. This is a 19+ show featuring a fictitious group of male strippers played by a cast of improvisational comedians.   They sing, dance and gyrate and aim to be sexy, but ending up being funny. They are semi undressed and completely unscripted which makes each show unique as they banter with the crowd during each performance.  You have a few opportunities coming up to take in their performance at the York Theatre being April 1 & 2, 2022 and June 3, 2022.   To purchase your tickets for a fun night out, visit The Cultch.   

Here’s what others are saying about The Comic Strippers:

“Extremely Funny!”
UK FRINGE REVIEW

“The show is suitable for both men and women. An entertaining ride where anything goes.”
RIP IT UP MAGAZINE

“One of the most hilarious shows I’ve ever seen.”
VANCOUVER SUN

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Call For Visual Artists By The Cultch For 2022/2023 Exhibition Season

8 Mar

The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, has put out its annual call to visual artists to submit applications to exhibit their work during the 2022/2023 gallery season. Each exhibition will run for 3 to 4 weeks between September 2022 and July 2023.  If you are an artist, why should you exhibit?

  1. The Cultch is excited to be able to showcase your work on their walls again.
  2. Exhibiting artists are paid an exhibition honorarium.
  3. Exhibitions are now in person on the gallery walls and online.

The Cultch has built a reputation over the past 45 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.  Further, they will only be able to show works that hang from their gallery ‘rail’ system that does not have a depth of more than 12″ inches in depth.

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 and not necessarily the images you plan on showing, but so they get a sense of the range of work you do. Image files should be in .jpeg format. No PDFs. 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). Images should be 300 dpi.

Deadline for applications is May 31, 2022. Email your submissions to gallery@thecultch.com. If you have any questions, you can email Yuri Arajs, the Gallery Coordinator at The Cultch gallery@thecultch.com.

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Firehall Arts Centre Presents Mary’s Wedding February 25 – March 13

21 Feb

The Firehall Arts Centre invites you to witness an unforgettable story of love and survival in their production of Mary’s Wedding. This is a play that weaves a theatrical spell of hope, regret, memory and dreams.

When Mary and Charlie – young, passionate, vulnerable, and impulsive – unexpectedly take shelter in a barn during a thunderstorm, a tentative love is born. But the year is 1914, and Mary and Charlie must surrender to the uncertainties of their tumultuous times.


Mary’s Wedding is written by Canadian playwright Stephen Massicotte and directed by Donna Spencer, the Firehall’s production of this award-winning script features two teams of performers: Sarah Roa (Mary) and Tanner Zerr (Charlie); and Emma Ross (Mary) and Jacob Leonard (Charlie). This play is an in person production with Covid safety protocols in place. To purchase tickets, visit Firehall Arts Centre.

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The Cultch Presents Beautiful Man February 24 – March 5

20 Feb

The Cultch presents Beautiful Man, from Pi Theatre, at the Historic Theatre, February 24 – March 5, 2022.

Governor General Award-winning playwright Erin Shields’ Beautiful Man examines traditional gender roles as they are portrayed in popular media, and turns them on their head. In this satirical play, three women chat about the Hollywood movies they have been watching. Only, in the world of Beautiful Man, men are the objects, while women are the subjects. From genre to genre—everything from cop shows to greek tragedies—the absurdity of traditional conventions are brought to the surface. Beautiful Man not only mocks the media’s representation of women, it exposes the underlying violence of objectification with a sharp wit.

Vancouver’s Pi Theatre has made a reputation producing plays that are “intellectually alive and emotionally charged.” In business since 1984, and under the leadership of Richard Wolfe since 2008, they have produced over 100 shows, and been awarded 34 Jessie Awards. “I chose to produce Beautiful Man here in ‘Hollywood North’,” says Wolfe, “because I feel Erin Shields’ relevant play takes an incisive look at how capitalism packages bodies, most often women’s bodies, and sells them as mere objects of entertainment.” Chosen specifically for the task of directing, Keltie Forsyth feels that rage is a powerful tool. “I have shared that rage many times in my life. As has every femme person I know,” she says “… In this piece, Shields finds a way to channel her rage and use it to target the ways the media feeds and upholds patriarchal structures.” Part of The Cultch’s fifth annual Femme Festival, Beautiful Man brings a powerful feminist perspective. Here’s what people are saying about Beautiful Man:

“Erin Shields’s Beautiful Man is a razor-sharp satire that hilariously skewers the tropes of female characters in film and TV.”
Samantha Edwards, Now Toronto

“Shields is a very talented, intelligent, and funny writer with a powerful message”
Ilana Lucas, Mooney on Theatre

“Beautiful Man is a deeply insightful criticism of gender roles enforced by society through the media we consume…”
Isabella Perrone, Broadway World review 

“[Shields is] still writing directly in dialogue with contemporary culture, getting inside it, wrestling with it, taking the royal piss and then throwing it down.”
The Star

This is an in person production with Covid-19 protocols in place. To purchase your tickets, visit The Cultch.

Photo Credit: Emily Cooper

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Gourmet Warehouse Lines Up More Cooking Classes

7 Feb

If you are ready for in person events, Gourmet Warehouse has added more cooking classes to their Spring schedule. If you haven’t already experienced one of their classes, it is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening with some like-minded food lovers. We also like shopping after the cooking class as participants are offered a 10% discount for purchases made the day of your class. We have set a few of their upcoming classes that caught our eye.  For a full line up of all the classes Gourmet Warehouse is offering visit Cooking Classes.

A Taste Of The Mediterranean – March 31, 2022

Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu returns to teach a cooking class that explores the incredible tastes of the Mediterranean. Chef Deniz draws from his own background to guide you through these vibrant, healthy dishes. These versatile recipes are perfect for everyday meal, entertaining or picnics.

MENU

• Crispy kale & feta pie with dill and best tzatziki
• Spicy lamb dumplings with merguez sausage, roasted garlic yogurt, and harissa
• Chicken souvlaki with lemon roasted potatoes and Greek salad with feta
• Walnut baklava with cream

Sprouted: Spring Vegetables Re-Imagined – April 6, 2022

Chef Brian Luptak and Shira Blustein of critically acclaimed Vancouver restaurant Acorn will teach you chef-perfected techniques to elevate your vegetables to the next level. Note the menu that will be prepared is vegetarian not vegan.

MENU

• Hop shoot salad with browned hazelnut butter and pickled hop shoots
• Rosemary roasted cabbage with Bavarian mustard cream and pickled vegetables
• Puff pastry tart with vanilla caramelized whey ricotta & red flowering currant jelly

Cuckoo For Keto – April 21, 2022

Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu will also lead this demonstration cooking class which invites you to think outside the box when preparing low carb food that’s tasty. He will help you level up your weekly meal plan with crispy halloumi. chorizo skewer, flavour-packed chicken and peanut lettuce wraps.

MENU

• Crispy halloumi and chorizo skewer with cauliflower tabbouleh
• Spicy chicken and peanut lettuce wraps with marinated vegetable slaw
• Baked spaghetti squash with keto sausage ragu and provolone
• Keto brownies

To see all the classes being offered and or to register, we invite you to visit GourmetWarehouse.ca.

Photo Credit: Gourmet Warehouse

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Find Out What’s At The Bottom Of The Ocean In Sea Sick Coming To The Cultch Feb. 9-19

5 Feb

The Cultch brings you Alanna Mitchell’s production Sea Sick to The Cultch February 9-19, 2022.

Based on Mitchell’s international bestselling book, Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis (2009), Sea Sick is a critically acclaimed production about climate change, and the state of the global ocean. This production has toured Canada and the world including two previous sold out runs in Vancouver (2015 & 2019). Mitchell’s non-fiction play uses science and delicate wit to tell us about her journey to the bottom of the ocean, the demons she discovered there, and her hope for the future.

An award-winning Canadian journalist and author (New York Times, CBC’s Quirks & Quarks, Globe and Mail, and more), Alanna Mitchell writes about science and social trends specializing in investigative reporting. Before writing Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis she set out on a three year quest to find out information from top scientists all around the world. Over the course of 13 journeys, from Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico, to Zanzibar, and even to the very depth of the ocean in a submersible, Mitchell sought the answers to her questions. Her book, and later her play—commissioned by The Theatre Centre, with directions from Franco Boni and Ravi Jain—would open many people’s eyes to the perilous state we find ourselves in if we do not pay attention to our oceans. What people are saying about Sea Sick:

“Almost like a glacier, Sea Sick steadily and robustly ploughs through the vast ecosystem  that is the current discourse on climate change, and indelibly transforms the  landscape which came before.”
Exeunt Magazine

“This isn’t a lecture about the catastrophic repercussions of burning fossil fuels, or a guilt trip about how we’re to blame for the state of the Great Barrier Reef. Instead, it’s an unravelling – an unveiling – of a crisis; a clear-eyed pathway toward comprehension and a knitting together of the important, largely siloed work of marine biologists across the world.”
The Guardian

“80 minutes flies by because of Mitchell’s inspired storytelling… Terrifying, laugh-out-loud funny, and ultimately hopeful, Mitchell’s Sea Sick is a must-see”
Vancouver Observer

This is an in person production with all Covid protocols in place and 50% seating capacity. To purchase tickets, visit The Cultch.

Photo Credit: Alejandro Santiago

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The Firehall Arts Centre Opens Their 2022 Season With John January 12 – 15

8 Jan

The Firehall Arts Centre opens their 2022 season with Helen Walkley’s powerful dance/theatre piece, John. The production takes place from Wednesday, January 12 to Saturday, January 15, 2022.

“John is a memoir of my oldest brother who disappeared from Vancouver in May of 1969, never to be heard from again. I sourced from an archive of family letters dating from 1959–2010, which document the years leading up to his disappearance, his medical history, and the subsequent tracking my parents did of his disappearance. He was twenty-three at the time and I was thirteen.” – Helen Walkley.

“John is such a powerful, intimate piece that you are left feeling like you know this mysterious person,” says Artistic Producer Donna Spencer. “The performers, Josh Martin and Billy Marchenski, work together and apart in a manner that captures the inner feelings and outer conflicts of this young man. The work takes you on a journey of hope and loss with gentleness and frustration – it is a wonderful and memorable night of dance theatre.” – Helen Walkley

The production is choreographed by Helen Walkley and performed by Josh Martin and Billy Marchenski, John premiered and wowed audiences during its sold-out run at the 2019 Dancing on the Edge Festival.

Performances at the Firehall Arts Centre are continuing live at 50% capacity, masks and proof of vaccination will be required. To purchase tickets for the live performance, visit Firehall Arts Centre.

Photo Credit: Chris Randle

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New Year New You? We’ve Got Something Better

6 Jan

We have never been one for making resolutions going into the New Year. Self-improvement is a year round activity in our minds. The phrase New Year New You has been touted around, but after a turbulent 2 years instead of focusing on you, how about doing something to help others this year?  

Heading into the New Year, we thought we’d highlight a few places where, if you have some time on your hand, you can help out. It could be volunteering on an ongoing basis, or as your time permits.  We are going to start with an easy one, Vancouver Food Runners. This is a Vancouver non-profit that was launched in March of 2020. Since its inception they have redistributed over 800,000 pounds of food which would otherwise have gone to waste.   To make things really easy to volunteer, Vancouver Food Runners has a simple app. All you need to do is download the app, sign up and you will receive alerts in your area about food that needs to be delivered to a community partner, usually only a short distance from your location.   You can sign up by the time of day that’s best for you ie. days, afternoons, evenings, weekdays or evenings. It’s that easy. Their app allows you to sign up for regular weekly pick ups or, as you have time.

Vancouver Food Runners is currently operating in the Vancouver only at this time, but they hope to expand to other areas soon. In order to do that, they need more community partners to donate food and available volunteers to rescue/pick up food and deliver it. Want to learn more?  Visit Vancouver Food Runners, download the app, or give them a follow on Facebook.

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