Once Upon a Time, a fitting beginning to many stories told and so it is the theme for the inaugural season of Kelowna’s newest theatrical addition, Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre Society.
                                  
January 29th, 2009 launched Kelowna’s first ever Children’s Theatre Company, with Artistic Director Tracy Ross. “I am over the moon to be bringing this amazing project to our community.” says Ross “There is such potential in our young community, and theatre is an excellent way for them to explore and learn not just about theatre but also about life. This program aims to be a vehicle for them to do just that.“

Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre is dedicated to introducing children and youth to the incomparable magic of theatre.  To stimulate and liberate the imagination, the intellect and the spirit through creative theatre experiences, and promote theatre as an integral part of the learning process.

Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre is a non-profit organization operating out of the Kelowna Actor’s Studio located at 1379 Ellis Street, in the heart of Kelowna’s Cultural District.   There are four main components of the theatre company:

1. Children’s Theatre Series- children’s series consists of four productions in the 2009 season, all geared towards family audiences.  Productions are done in one act and length is between 50-70 minutes.


2. Bumbershoot Young Performers-a Free program offered to ages 7-18.  Youth audition to participate in this family based production.

3. School Residency Program- Collaboration with schools to produce and stage a production with their students within one week.  (For public performance)

4. Educational Theatre- performances of issue-based plays to youth audiences, touring local schools.

The inaugural children’s theatre series really brings the page to the stage, including adaptations of some of your favorite storybooks, Little Munsch on the Prairie a compilation of 5 Robert Munsch stories, If you give a mouse a cookie, The Selfish Giant and Go!Dog Go!.  Bumbershoot Young Performers close up the season with the colorful musical story of Willy Wonka adapted from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

AUDITION INFORMATION

Kelowna’s Cultural District’s newest addition, Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre will be holding auditions for its Once upon a time season, February 8th and 15th.

February 8th, from 9:00am-12:00 we will be auditioning for our Children’s Series, which consists of 4 plays adapted from story books for the stage.  Those auditioning for the Children’s Series must be 15 years or older.  This season:

Little Munsch on the Prairie (a compilation of 5 Robert Munsch stories)
If you give a mouse a cookie,
The Selfish Giant, and
Go!Dog Go!

Auditions for our Bumbershoot Young Performers will be held on February 15th from 10:00am-12:00.  Children between the ages of 7-18 are eligible for this free program.  This season the Bumbershoot Young Performers will be staging a musical adaptation of the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka.

All auditions take place at the Kelowna Actors Studio, located at 1379 Ellis Street.

To schedule an audition time, or for more information regarding auditions and what to prepare please call 250-862-2867 or visit www.bumbershoottheatre.com.

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04 Feb 2009

*WHERE*: Alternator: Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Ave. in Kelowna
*WHEN:* Saturday, March 14. 2009. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. After-party starts at 10pm.

THEATRE TICKETS: $45 ($33 for students) through www.ticketmaster.ca or by phone at 250-860-1470.
AFTER-PARTY TICKETS: Free with WAG theatre ticket or $10 at Hemp City (service charge applies), the Alternator, Bella, Leo’s Video, Cream and Liquid Beat.com. After-party tickets go on sale Feb. 14, 2009.


The Alternators’ *WEARABLE ART GALA* is on the scene once again with this wildly popular fundraising event.  Each year the audience is bigger, the show more finely choreographed and for the first time ever featuring a closing party inspired to bring you even closer to the full fantasy and thrill of WAG.
The Wearable Art Gala is an artistic exploration of all types of body adornment. This fun and funky adult theatre event is not a fashion show in the traditional sense - it's an artistic exploration of all types of body adornment.

Last year the WAG set free some 50 artists on stage in a feast of movable art. The performance was punctuated with big Diva entrances and costumes ranged from the beautiful to grotesque. Highlights included a battle dress made from 2000 chopsticks and other unusual designs using jigsaw puzzle pieces, tennis balls, pillows, telephones and balloons filled with pebbles.

In 2009 we are upping the stakes once again by featuring big choreographed group performances, delectable organic treats and a closing gala party – WAG UNLEASHED! Following the theatre show, WAG performers will mingle with the audience in the Atrium, which will be transformed into a fantasy world.

Unlike anything else offered by the club scene in Kelowna this space will stimulate the imagination, combining wearable art, environmental design, fire spinning, drumming, DJs and dancing. At midnight Wood & Soo of Vancouver take to the stage with their exciting 4-turntable DJ set.

The Alternator is Kelowna’s only artist-run centre. This is our major annual fundraiser and all proceeds go to support our operations – bringing innovative exhibitions and special events to Kelowna year-round, while supporting the careers of local emerging artists.

If you would like to volunteer at the event or become a sponsor please contact the Alternator at (250) 868-2298 or members@alternatorgallery.com. Thank you to our current sponsors including DesignMode.ca, Flydjs.com, Idea Bureau and Off-Centre magazine.

For information about the Wearable Art Gala – including video from previous galas– visit the Alternator web site at: www.alternatorgallery.com.

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31 Jan 2009

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Digging for Dirt

THE EARTH BENEATH OUR FEET
» Thursday 5 Febuary 2009 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan HOME. Join us as Xeriscape gardener Gwen Steele and research scientist Gerry Neilsen explore what lies beneath the surface of the Okanagan valley.

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» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE

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Experts Reveal the Okanagan's Dirty Secrets

The Okanagan is known as having one of the most fragile eco-systems in the province, but residents and developers alike sometimes aren't aware how much that eco-system affects not only what we build, but how we build it.

This past fall, commuters travelling Highway 97 took the brunt of Mother Nature's power when construction crews spotted a growing fissure on the mountain side. One false move, and the rock could all come tumbling down.

So what lies beneath the surface of this beautiful valley, and what do we need to do be aware of in order to maintain it?

On Thursday, February 5th at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café presents Digging for Dirt: The Earth Beneath Our Feet at which Xeriscape gardener Gwen Steele and research scientist Gerry Neilsen explore what lies beneath the surface of the Okanagan valley.

Gwen Steele is a local expert in xeriscaping - the style of dry land gardening suitable for our region. But she's also an advocate of a new concept in the Pacific Northwest that encourages developers to work with buyers before the house goes in so that the original land can be preserved.

"In the last few years I've had clients tell me stories of how they purchased a pristine piece of property only to find it damaged from construction. Then they're coming to me asking how to fix it. There is another way."

Steele has been studying, teaching and practicing the principles of xeriscape gardening for nearly 20 years. This has lead to the discovery of a multitude of native and non-native plants that thrive in our climate with very little water. In addition, she has become aware of how variable the soils can be in this area and what a large role soils play in the selection of appropriate plants and the success of a garden. In recollecting her childhood memories of gardening in Kelowna, Gwen just realized she learned about soil amendments before she learned to read!

Gerry Neilsen has been a research scientist in soil fertility and plant nutrition for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Summerland since 1978. He says the range of soil qualities changes substantially from the southern part of the region to the north. This has an enormous impact on how we irrigate our landscape, to what we can expect to grow.

Neilsen obtained his PhD in soils from McGill University. Throughout his career he has worked collaboratively with international scientists, industry groups and students. Gerry recalls his adventure with dirt began when he was working as a biological control agent, weeding and hilling potatoes for his grandparents. He also spent excessive energy trying to put a black disc between 2 metal posts past another agile ape wearing protective equipment. It was enough to convince him his future lay in soils research. This past summer, he spoke to an international gathering of scientists at the University of Algarve in Portugal.

Digging for Dirt: The Earth Beneath Our Feet is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 76th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007. Since that time, the series has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet and professor John Lent, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, broadcaster Marion Barschel and others from a wide range of creative fields.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE

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Where Enquiring Minds Gather. Okanagan Institute at the Bohemian Café A hearty feast of lectures, presentations, workshops and showcases celebrating our culture and community. Produced by the Okanagan Institute in association with Wheat King Publishing magazines: Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Home. Express is sponsored in part by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Publishing, UBCO-FCCS, and in support of Project Literacy Kelowna.

The Okanagan Institute is a group of creative professionals that has gathered around the goal of providing events, publications and services of interest to enquiring minds in the Okanagan. We partner with individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses to achieve optimal creative and social impact.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.

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30 Jan 2009

Once Upon a Time, a fitting beginning to many stories told and so it is the theme for the inaugural season of Kelowna’s newest theatrical addition, Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre Society.

January 29th, 2009 launches Kelowna’s first ever Children’s Theatre Company, with Artistic Director Tracy Ross. “I am over the moon to be bringing this amazing project to our community.” says Ross “There is such potential in our young community, and theatre is an excellent way for them to explore and learn not just about theatre but also about life. This program aims to be a vehicle for them to do just that.“

Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre is dedicated to introducing children and youth to the incomparable magic of theatre. To stimulate and liberate the imagination, the intellect and the spirit through creative theatre experiences, and promote theatre as an integral part of the learning process.

Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre is a non-profit organization operating out of the Kelowna Actor’s Studio located at 1379 Ellis Street, in the heart of Kelowna’s Cultural District. There are four main components of the theatre company:

1. Children’s Theatre Series- children’s series consists of four productions in the 2009 season, all geared towards family audiences. Productions are done in one act and length is between 50-70 minutes.

2. Bumbershoot Young Performers-a Free program offered to ages 7-18. Youth audition to participate in this family based production.

3. School Residency Program- Collaboration with schools to produce and stage a production with their students within one week. (For public performance)

4. Educational Theatre- performances of issue-based plays to youth audiences, touring local schools.

Our inaugural children’s theatre series really brings the page to the stage, as we have adaptations of some of your favorite storybooks, Little Munsch on the Prairie a compilation of 5 Robert Munsch stories, If you give a mouse a cookie, The Selfish Giant and Go!Dog Go! . Our Bumbershoot Young Performers close up the season with the colorful musical story of Willy Wonka adapted from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Auditions for these upcoming productions will be February 8th and 15th for more information regarding auditions please call 250-862-2867 or visit our web site at <http://www.bumbershoottheatre.com>www.bumbershoottheatre.com. (on-line January 31st, 2009)

For more information on Bumbershoot Children’s Theatre please visit our web site www.bumbershoottheatre.com

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30 Jan 2009

Canadian novelists and poets featured
 
A diverse and exciting line-up of Canadian writers will be reading at The Lake: A Reading Series, presented by the Department of Creative Studies at UBC Okanagan from February to early April.
 
Most of the readings will take place on the UBC Okanagan campus, with one at the downtown Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. On campus, the following writers will read from their work and participate in workshops and classes:
 
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 12 noon, Arts Building Atrium

Michael V. Smith, Creative Writing faculty member, will be launching his third book, Body of Text. His first novel, Cumberland (Cormorant Books), was nominated for the Amazon/Books in Canada First Novel Award. His book What You Can’t Have (Signature Editions) is a collection of poetry and was nominated for the ReLit Prize. 


Wednesday,  Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m., Student Services Centre theatre SSC 026  

Sheri-D Wilson, poet, playwright, performer, has seven collections poetry: She has published video poems and audio recordings and performed in festivals across North America, Europe and Africa. She is Artistic Director of The Calgary International Spoken Word Festival and Director of The Spoken Word Program at The Banff Centre. 


Wednesday, Mar. 18, 7:30 p.m., Student Services Centre theatre SSC 026

Warren Cariou's memoir, Lake of the Prairies: A Story of Belonging won the Drainie-Taylor biography prize, was named a Globe and Mail Notable Book of the Year in 2002 and was nominated for the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. His novel, The Exalted Company of Roadside Martyrs, was published by Coteau Books in 1999. A new novel, Exhaust, is forthcoming.


Wednesday, Apr. 1, 7:30 p.m.,  (Room to be announced – watch the What’s Happening list at www.ubc.ca/okanagan.)

Brian Bartlett and Alix Hawley will read together as a double bill.  Bartlett has published five collections of poems, most recently The Watchmaker’s Table, as well as Wanting the Day: Selected Poems.  He teaches at St. Mary’s University in Halifax.  Hawley completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree at Oxford University.  She also received an M.A. in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.  Her first book, The Old Familiar, was published in 2008. She teaches at Okanagan College and lives in Kelowna.


The Okanagan Regional Library’s downtown Kelowna branch, 1380 Ellis St., will host a special reading with UBC Okanagan’s Writer in Residence Fred Stenson on Wednesday, Mar. 4, at 7:30 pm. Stenson is the author of eight fiction and seven non-fiction books. His most recent work is The Great Karoo, which received a Governor General’s Award nomination for Fiction in 2008. Stenson is the director of the Wired Writing Studio at The Banff Centre. He lives in Cochrane, Alberta and this spring is the Writer in Residence at UBC Okanagan.
 
The readings are supported by the Department of Creative Studies at UBC Okanagan, the Canada Council for the Arts, UBC Okanagan Bookstore, the Okanagan Institute, Okanagan Regional Library, UBC Okanagan’s Equity Office, and the League of Canadian Poets.

Please contact Nancy Holmes at 250-807-9369 for more information. 

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30 Jan 2009