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Arts & Entertainment
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Killarney: Slice of Summer Extravaganza
21 Jul 2011 by Richelle Zheng / No Comments
This year, Killarney’s Slice of Summer Extravaganza proved to be another fun-filled Saturday afternoon. Even going up against the uncompromising rain, the event turned out to be just as successful held indoors. The event didn’t officially start until 1:30pm, but kids, youth, and parents had already flocked into Killarney Community Centre earlier. The event was hosted by the Killarney Youth Council, and its youth volunteers proved to be very enthusiastic and helpful.
The gym housed an array of events, including a bouncy castle, for kids needing to dispel all their energy. A miniature basketball hoop and a game of “snakes and ladders” were made available to the toddlers. For an older demographic, the flea market was a viable option to roam perhaps take a trip down memory lane. From antique jewelry, to vintage clothing, to “Where’s Waldo” books, there was sure to be an interesting find for everyone.
The main wing saw many booths occupied by various organizations and causes, situated for the curious (or perhaps bored) by-passer. The Y57 team also took up a table at the event, providing music andpodcasts of past shows. They also kindly offered doughnuts and stickers.
This annual event not only displayed the diverse culture of the Killarney community but also that of Vancouver. Hopefully next year, Y57 will be back again to meet more people. It would also be nice if the weather cleared up next summer!
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Independent films for youth or by youth: Out in Schools
08 Jul 2011 by nicole freeston / No Comments
How could we forget the very first awkward Sex Education class we had in school that included curiosity, chatter, and a large amount of giggling. As awkward as it may have seemed, it was an open space to talk and learn about issues related to sex and body image. When it comes to homophobia and bullying (both prominent issues facing today’s youth, especially queer youth) there is a call for a similar space for open discussion.
The Out in Schools program is working toward filling that void. Their website offers thought provoking statistics in relation to homophobia and bullying. For example, 34% of queer youth say they have been threatened with violence at school, 17% have been physically assaulted, and 71% have seriously considered suicide while 46% claim to have actually attempted suicide.
Clearly these issues have not been given enough attention.
The program, that began in 2004 by the Out on Screen Film and Video Society, brings awareness by showcasing queer films in local high schools and by opening discussion with youth on bullying, homophobia, and stereotypes. The main goal of Out in Schools is to help youth better understand these issues through a safe educational space. During the 2008-09 school year, Out in Schools presented 46 times reaching over 4,800 students.
The films shown by Out in Schools are all independent films made about, for, or by youth. Through these films, the program “hopes to encourage all students – and especially queer students – to develop a cultural voice and seek out media and art that speaks to and represents their individual identities.” Out in Schools also facilitated NO HATE, an anti-homophobia youth filmmaking boot-camp from July 19-23 that offered a five free filmmaking workshop for LGBTQ Youth from ages 14-25. These films were featured during the 22nd annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival and in classrooms across British Columbia.
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Hello, Sir at the 2011 Rio Tinto Alcan Dragonboat Festival
07 Jul 2011 by Cassie Dixon / No Comments
As a non-Vancouver native, this year’s Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival that took place June 11 and 12, 2011, was my first encounter with the world of Dragon Boat racing. The sport gained popularity following Vancouver’s Expo ’86 while the festival celebrates and promotes racial harmony in one of Canada’s most diverse cities. Bringing together young and old, the tradition with the modern, this festival had something for all ages, including racing teams for youth, adults, seniors, men, women, rookies and seasoned vets.
Not only does the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival uphold its roots in ancient myths and legends from Southern China, but also it incorporates more modern cultural celebrations such as the World Beat Stage. With world music, dance and jazz performances, the festival has seamlessly merged tradition and modern culture into one giant celebration of cultural diversity.
As a fairly recent arrival in Vancouver from Calgary (insert redneck, cowboy or Stephen Harper joke here) for me, this festival was not only an opportunity to immerse myself in the unique and diverse culture of Vancouver, but it was also an opportunity for me to take in a live show by Y57′s 2010 Battle of the Bands Winners, Hello, Sir. Their performance at the World Beat Stage included a number of Hello, Sir original songs as well as covers of Green Day’s Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), and Bruno Mars’Grenade, both of which were met with enthusiasm from the crowd. While this marked one of the last Hello, Sir performances before the band goes on hiatus, singer Camille has high hopes for the band to continue creating music and reuniting stronger than ever in the future. Also in high hopes for the band? A Stanley Cup Victory for the Vancouver Canucks who will be returning to Boston this Monday for game six of the Stanley Cup Finals – regardless of whether they win in Boston or at home.
Click here to view the full gallery from the event!
Also click here to read a feature article on Hello, Sir, who performed live on-air on April 25th, 2011. Did you miss that show? Don’t worry! You can re-listen to that show here.
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World of Dance 2011
07 Jul 2011 by Heather Lam / No Comments
The world was brought to Vancouver Saturday June 25th 2011 to engage in one of the most renowned dance competitions and exhibition. Audiences were amazed with the amount of talent in the room and were in awe with the love and support everyone had for dance.World of Dance Vancouver was not only a dance showcase, but it was also an opportunity for vendors from all over Vancouver to showcase their products and their businesses. World of Dance Vancouver took place at the War Memorial Gym at UBC. On the main stage, this all day event was categorized in three different categories; kids, teens and the much anticipated adults. Congratulations to the top three placing teams in the adult division, 247 Company, Groovement and first place winner, The Faculty. All winning teams in each category took home a glass-cased sneaker as a trophy! This event was stacked with guest judges and co-hosts. The event was DJ’ed by Vancouver’s own DJ KIDD spinning on the 1′s and 2′s. Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval was one of the many highly esteemed guest co-host and judge. Big shout to MOS Wanted Crew, 10 members representing over 30 dance crews from LA, OC, SD & Houston, TX. These boys ripped the stage with a special performance piece. The overall experience at World of Dance Vancouver left dancers and spectators with a greater appreciation for dance, and it’s capabilities of being one the strongest force in one’s life.
Photo: First place winners, The Faculty. Photo credit: Paula Vincente
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The Official Usher OMG Tour Workshop
07 Jul 2011 by Heather Lam / No Comments
Dancers of all ages gathered in the grand studio of 505 Hamilton Street May 24, 2011, to learn from choreographers that have personally worked with Usher and are currently on tour with him. These choreographers are renowned in the art of Hip Hop dance, offering inspirational words and promise for future dancers that strive to one day be in their shoes.
This workshop consisted of 4 master classes that tested the strength and endurance of dancers. The workshop opened up with Marc Marvelous, followed by Lyle Beniga, Eddie Morales and Canadian Devin Jamieson. Each choreographer offered different and distinctive styles that made the workshop so unique for dancers. Rarely do we see dancers from different studios, training backgrounds, and of different disciplines gather in one room. The workshop allowed this to happen, as dancers were all motivated by ‘One Love’. Each choreographer wanted to give out the message that no matter what obstacles one may go through, you should never give up and always persevere.
Special thanks to Rhythm Influenced and AllMosFamousEnt for sponsoring such a wonderful event, and thank you to 505 Hamilton Street for hosting the venue.
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What is Bridge Mix 2011?
07 Jul 2011 by Racquel Belmonte / No Comments
Who would have guessed that a parking lot would make use as the perfect venue to present and unfold the serious and hilarious stories of 9 emerging Vancouver theatre companies?
Bridge Mix 2011 took its audience on an interactive journey throughout the Metro Parkade on W. Pender Street, where each piece presented by Enlightenment Theatre, Spectral Theatre, Delinquent Theatre,Tigermilk Collective, Slam Ink, 411 Theatre, Monster Creative, ITSAZOO Productions, and Genus was inspired by the parkade itself, and ultimately set out to challenge experimental theatre artists alike within this challenging atmosphere.
It was interesting to see how each budding theatre company creatively used the enclosed space very differently from one another. Each of the nine, ten-minute shows brought with it something unique, whether it was musicality, humour, social issues, current events, murder, or the latest trends in zombie culture. The underlying themes dealt with in each of the shows were even- surprise!- relatable to common issues experienced within youth culture. For example, break-ups ending badly (as seen in Completely Centered by Slam Ink), teen criminals and the brutal murder of Kimberly Proctor in 2010 (wonderfully presented by 411 Theatre in Exhibit A), female gang warfare (in Gang! Bang! by Monster Creative), and my personal favourite: losing sight of your car in a ginormous parkade (sung by Delinquent Theatre in Parked: An Indie Rock Musical with Novelty Instruments). Don’t act like it’s never happened to you…
Judging by the amazing detail incorporated into each of the shows, I have no doubts that each of these theatre companies will produce great entertainment, entertainment that I look forward to writing about for Y57 in the future. Keep checking back for fine and performing art event coverage!
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Heart of Dance Fundraiser
07 Jul 2011 by Racquel Belmonte / No Comments
Sunday, June 5, 2011, The Blarney Stone was filled to the brim with the cast, crew, and avid supporters of Bruns Family Productions’ (in asscociation withRising Entertainment) upcoming independent feature film entitled, Heart of Dance, a movie made by youth which is to raise awareness of eating disorders in teens.
Photo credit: Kathy Cockerill-Gillespie
The film centers around the tragic death of 17 year old Kealy Charmichael’s younger and perfect sister, Anna, and then follows Kealy throughout her downward spiral into a deadly eating disorder as she tries to fulfill Ann’s dream of being a professional dancer. The film deals with and touches upon all aspects of the disease which affects many youth.
Heart of Dance was created by 22 year old Scarlett Bruns, a very hard-working and driven individual who has done everything from putting together an amazing ensemble of youth and adult cast members, to organizing the successful fundraiser and silent auction that helped to raise close to $5,000 Sunday night!
The fundraiser, hosted by Bruns and her co-star 22 year old Julian Leblanc, included live music from talented sisters Robyn and Ryleigh. Robyn (19) and Ryleigh (16) are currently recording their first album and will be releasing two original songs on the Heart of Dance soundtrack, and have been creating and performing original songs at a young age, and this was very evident in their performance last night. Also, Canadian crooner Jay “Big Daddy” Phillips serenaded his way around the Blarney Stone while singing hits like “That’s Amore” and “My Girl”. It made for great entertainment when he’d sing directly to one of your guests (like my mother, for example…)
Bruns Family Productions is committed to making a difference within the community, and every project they take on is designated to a specific charity that relates to the film. 30% of the proceeds that will be made by Heart Of Dance will go directly to Looking Glass Foundation For Eating Disorders.
Heart of Dance is a film made by youth, for youth! Check out Y57 for more Heart of Dance updates!
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Youth on the Runway: “Wasted Youth”
12 Jun 2011 by Racquel Belmonte / No Comments
“Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity.”Jenn Regehr, one of the newly graduated students and designers of John Casablancas Institute, quoted this famous Coco Chanel quote when describing how class 132′s graduation fashion show “Wasted Youth” exemplified just that. “When times are rough, clothes can go into survival mode or come out to be crazy, and I believe that has a lot to do with our collection and theme tonight”, she says.
“Wasted Youth” found family and friends of the graduates, volunteers, photographers, aspiring fashion art students, and other passionate guests filling up a wonderfully decorated Heritage Hall on June 8th to see a student-run fashion show that was heavily influenced by current events in world issues, politics, natural disasters, and the anticipation of doomsday. While the title of the show posed no deliberate theme, the progression of the show illustrated ruin, rebuild, and rebirth; a process that takes place after every natural disaster before a new beginning presents itself. But why use youth as a focal point for the show?
Brittany De Fehr, one of the stylists who was responsible for all visuals projected onscreen and presented in the programs, says “there has been so much going on, and it’s our generation that’s going to be affected by it, and there’s a lot of pressure on us to do something now. ‘Wasted Youth’ shows how were forced to grow up so fast because of this.”
Jenn adds: “I think it’s relevant because the youth is the future, and with everything that’s happening right now in the world, we’ve really been affected by it and we’ve really just become the focus on that. And there’s that stereotype that youth don’t really care what is happening and are never really involved in it, and we don’t believe that at all. Obviously it directly affects us, and that’s why we wanted to do a show about that. And also we’re considered youth so it’s kind of fitting.”
Over 60 different outfits, styles, and original pieces were assembled and presented, and it was very obvious that these youths knew exactly what was going on, and took a keen interest in current events. The first sets of outfits were very dark, transparent, revealing, raw, tight, edgy, and brought about an eerie essence when combined with the heavy and sinister music selection. This, along with the visuals projected on a large screen (images of violent warfare, graffiti phrases like “I’m your prostitute”).So why was it important for the graduates to present these problematic events through fashion as opposed to just talking about them or listening to them on the news?
“Everything that’s going on has direct correlation with what we choose to wear” says Jenn. Marlee Worthen, who was the assistant secretary to the production explains, “We wanted to touch on something more meaningful than other fashion shows. Our show goes from dark, destruction to very light and flowy, and we felt that this cycle on how things happen during a natural disaster would be interesting to show through the clothes.” The transition from rebellion to loose-fitting, light colored, bohemian attire was interesting, and was successful in expressing the rebirth stage of the show.
Judging by the powerfulness of the show, I assumed that the students in group 132 had some direct connection with the past string of unfortunate events. “I don’t know if anyone personally has, but we all know someone that’s been affected by something happening somewhere,” Brittany says. This is the same for both Jenn and Marlee, who adds, “our net proceeds are going towards the Looking Glass Foundation for eating Disorders, and growing up I had a lot of friends that have been hospitalized from them.”
Most of the fashions shown were eccentric and bold, and I couldn’t help but think if there was some sort of extent that youth stop at when it comes to expressing themselves through their clothes. Money can obviously act as a barrier when it comes to uniqueness through clothing, but besides that, there is the whole issue of being ‘labeled’ amongst peers in high school as Brittany explained to me: “In elementary school and high school, you’re so suppressed to being one certain way. There are so many different people and many different personalities when you’re going through high school, so a lot of people don’t really get to express themselves there.”
Marlee makes a point in saying that the graduating group is known for making a difference through their fashion. The impact of fashion and creativity is felt strongly upon by the students who presented their materials at “Wasted Youth”…do you agree? Congratulations to group 132 at John Casablancas on a successful fun and informative show!
Image styled by Leanne McLoughlin
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A High School Musical That Doesn’t Make You Want to Rip Your Head Off
13 May 2011 by Racquel Belmonte / No Comments
Under the direction of Simon Isherwood, Notre Dame Regional Secondary performed “Bye, Bye Birdie”last week in front of a nearly sold-out audience each night! Enthusiastic students ranging from ages 13 to 17 took part in making the show come alive; whether it was singing 3-part harmonies or working on the elaborate set.Teen heartthrob, Conrad Birdie visits the town of Sweet Apple, Ohio to kiss a lucky fan upon being drafted to the army, and ultimately causes swooning crowds and chaos among the teenaged population instead. “It’s funny what certain idols do to us,” says Anthony Belmonte (playing Conrad Birdie), “we usually look for someone to look up to, and that’s why this show is hilarious.” Jay Balletta, a newcomer on the musical theatre front (playing Albert Peterson) prides himself in being involved in such a comedy, and adds that “life has enough drama, and we don’t need to watch that in a play”.
For students like Vanessa Merenda (playing Rose Alvarez) and Michelle Luongo (playing Mrs. Mae Peterson) who have consumed their high school careers with musical theatre, they consider the arts in high school to be an amazing experience. “What we learn from each other on stage and behind the scenes in practice is all stuff we apply to real life,” says Michelle. Although the large ensemble of students in the show varies in musical theatre experience from none at all to years of practice, their exciting stage presence remained high throughout the entire show. This very stage presence is something that inspires grade 8 students like Sebastian Busse, who hopes that he can exude the same qualities as his grade 9, 10,11, and 12 mentors in future productions. “After performing with them, you’re inspired and want to be as well-trained and confident as them,” he says.
Keep checking back to Y57′s website for more info about events in the fine and performing arts!
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Reel Youth
03 Oct 2010 by Justin Choi / No Comments
Are you excited for the Vancouver International Film Festival coming to town next month? If you have been planning to go, you should definitely check out the Reel Youth Film Festival, the festival within a festival. RYFF is a Vancouver-based project that shows work of talented young filmmakers around the world, starting with the VIFF.This month we had AJ Lutsky, Cassandra Wipf and Blake Ponto on the show. These aspiring filmmakers each have a film being featured in the RYFF this year. AJ has made the film Minimalist, while Cassandra and Blake made Masquerade. Their films will be shown at the VIFF on October 13 and 14, and will go on a tour at a later date.
If you want to find out more about Reel Youth, check out their website at http://reelyouth.ca.
And for more information on the VIFF, check out: www.viff.org.
Photo Credits: http://www.3dtablets.ca/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/rss-poster/cache/0867b_film-reel.jpg
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Vancouver Queer Film Festival
23 Sep 2010 by nicole freeston / No Comments
Aside from Avatar and Inception, there were plenty of well-done and thought-provoking independent films playing at the 22nd annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival from August 12th-22nd. The Queer Film Fest began in 1989 and continued this year showing a diverse selection of films and opportunities to meet filmmakers, artists, participate in workshops, panel discussions, and attend galas and after parties.
It all started when a group of volunteers held a gay and lesbian film festival just before the 1990 Vancouver Gay Games. Through its success, the festival is now the second largest in Vancouver and the biggest queer arts event in Western Canada.
After watching one of the films, I realized that the festival is not only another form of entertainment for the queer scene, but a way to tell true stories about the LGBTQ community, stories that may not be widely accepted showing what they face on a day-to-day basis. I watched Water Colors (2008) an award winning queer film about two high-school boys, one who played the role of a nerdy artist, and the other an athlete. Their study sessions eventually turned into romance, which is followed by a constant struggle at school with homophobia and bullying. The film illustrated something real that happens all the time with youth who may be confused or afraid of coming out. I rarely get to see this in mainstream films. I caught up with two young volunteers at the festival to see what they thought.
“These characters are much more genuine. They’re not trying to conform to a society to ease people in that are not used to seeing them. They’re really scripted and made for gay audiences and for straight audiences that want to know what the reality is like for a gay lifestyle.” – Hiiro, 18.
“I think that even in our younger generation, more queer films are needed. A lot of people, when they first come out, they don’t really know what to do. These kinds of films are more relatable to the newer youth generation of gays and lesbians.” – Ivan, 19.
If you missed out on the festival, check out the website for more information and movie trailers.
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Otesha Project
28 Jun 2010 by nicole freeston / No Comments
The Otesha Project is an amazing youth-led organization that uses theatre as a way to get audiences across Canada to look toward a more sustainable future through local and global change in their everyday consumer choices.
Right now the Otesha team is on a Cycling and Performing Tour where teams of 12- 18 riders bike throughout different parts of Canada performing plays and offering workshops on sustainability and social issues to different schools and community groups. The Coast to Capital bike tour, a two month tour from Vancouver to Regina, is taking place as we know it. The riders started out last Friday, June 25th, and will end on August 26th. This particular tour will launch their version of the play Reason to Dream (which is actually what OTESHA(a Swahili word) means in English) in communities cross BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
The Otesha group will perform in Vancouver on July 2, 2010 at the Kitsilano Showboat at 7pm, and in Chilliwack on July 5th at the Yarrow Ecovillage and July 6th at Cultus Lake Beach. The project all started when the founders Jocelyn and Jessica met in Kenya back in 2002 where they studied sustainable development in a traveling field school. The experience left them highly concerned about the inequality between North American society and the lives of those in Kenya.
They felt like trying to create change on a drastic scale may not work as well as they would like. Instead, they chose to make changes in their own lifestyles to reflect the desired worldly changes. Then on Feb 16, 2002, in Kitale, Kenya, the Otesha Project was born.
The team is welcome to newcomers who would like to volunteer or participate in the bike tours. Even if you aren’t a seasoned cyclist, the team trains together and won’t let you fall behind. Other than the bike tours, the project offers the Triple H Program for high-school students where Otesha members visit high-schools performing plays of daily high-school lives showing how students can alter than consumption patterns in their individual lives.
Also, the Otesha Project has published a book which is a behind-the-scenes look at how actions in our daily lives can change the world with a focus on clothing, coffee, media, food, water, and transport.
Find out more about Otesha’s bike tours
Keep up to date with the Coast to Capital Tour by subscribing to the team’s Notes from the Road!
If you have any tour or volunteer inquiries, you can e-mail Kelly at Kelly@otesha.ca
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