Calling Writers, Publishers and Artists:
 
Gallery Vertigo is pleased to announce that we will be sponsoring a group exhibition and book fair this month in Gallery Two. We hope to make this exhibition an end-of-the-year tradition. The event is designed to offer gallery visitors a warm festive atmosphere in which to enjoy books of all kinds. It's also a great opportunity to stock up on signed copies of books by local writers and artists just in time for holiday gift giving.
 
The exhibition of books will begin on November 18th and run until December 13th. Okanagan writers, publishers and artists are invited to submit books, broadsheets, chapbooks, artist journals, book art, book illustrations, etc. This all-inclusive exhibition will feature books in all forms which are produced by publishing houses, small presses, self-published, and one-of-a-kind creations. Visual artists are invited to submit book works and book ilustrations for exhibition as well. Submissions may be for sale or for exhibition only. Please call the gallery for more information or to make an appointment to drop off your books. Phone (250-503-2297). Or, respond to this email (<mailto:judithjurica@shaw.ca>judithjurica@shaw.ca). Submissions for exhibition must be received no later than Saturday, November 15th.
 
A Book Fair will be held on Saturday, November 29th from 1pm to 3pm. Join us from 1 to 2pm for readings by writers involved in the exhibition. A book signing will be held from 2 to 3pm.
Hot mulled cider and cookies will be served throughout the exhibtion and book fair.
 
Gallery Vertigo is a non-profit Artist Run Centre founded in 2002. The centre operates under the auspices of the North Okanagan Artists Alternative, a registered non-profit society. We are located upstairs at Suite #1, 3001 31st Street, downtown Vernon, in the historical Winnipeg Union Bank building across from Nolan's Drugs. Please use the side entrance under Krause Jeweller's awning. Hours of business are from 11:00am-4:00pm, Tuesday through Saturday. For information call Gallery Vertigo @ (250)503-2297 or email: info@galleryvertigo.com. Our website can be found at www.galleryvertigo.com.

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10 Nov 2008

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Freelancing in the Media

TRUE STORIES OF TRIUMPH & TRIBULATION
» Thursday 6 November 2008 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan ARTS. Join us as Leanne Allen, Karin Wilson and Robert MacDonald explore the role of freelancers in the constantly-changing modern broadcasting and publishing landscape.

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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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Creative Insiders Compare Survival Strategies

There's a scene at the beginning of the movie The Incredibles where Elastigirl suggests to her future husband that he should be more "flexible". If ever there was a metaphor for surviving in the Okanagan media landscape, flexible would certainly cover it.

This week, the Okanagan Institute's Express series reaches into the media world with a look at how local media players have flexed their creative thinking muscles to keep themselves vibrant players in an industry that sometimes appears to be all locked up.

The Okanagan Institute Express series continues its creative explorations, presenting Freelancing in the Media: True Stories of Triumph and Tribulation. The event takes place Thursday, November 6 at 5 pm at the Bohemian Café. Featured at the event are three high-profile self-employed media people who have watched their work morph and change in reaction to a media world continually hungry for something new.

Leanne Allen is the former publisher and editor of Off-Centre Magazine, the only urban, independent magazine in the Southern Interior targeting the 20-45 demographic. A brazen risk-taker, Allen launched the magazine with a whopping four-pages that quickly grew to become the region's answer to the Georgia Strait tackling local issues with an edge. Along the way, Allen expanded her media vision with a foray into creating live television under the banner Off-Centre Omnimedia. Since the sale of her magazine last fall, has been working on a pilot project Citizen Jane for CBC Radio along with her sister. A creative entrepreneur, Leanne blames her Bachelor's degree in English on Margaret Atwood.

Karin Wilson has worked in the Okanagan media since she arrived in Penticton in 2002. She started out as a news reporter and columnist for the local daily news covering courts, crime and aboriginal affairs. After the birth of her daughter, she migrated into new media and broadcasting, working for Bridges.com in Kelowna and then for CBC Radio. Most recently she added magazine writing to her repertoire working for Okanagan Arts, Okanagan Home, and Okanagan Life, along with freelancing for the Vancouver Sun, all while balancing her role as Associate Director of the Okanagan Institute and organizing and hosting the weekly Thursday Express series.

Robert MacDonald is another media sojourner who has taken the path from graphic design, advertising and marketing into magazine and book publishing. MacDonald was the Director of the Publishing Workshops at the University of Toronto and the Banff Centre for fifteen years, and a founder of the Canadian Periodical Publishers Association and the Graphic Arts in the Public Service Foundation. He has been involved in the launch and repositioning of numerous magazines, and several book publishing companies. He is the publisher, editor and designer of Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Home magazines, and consults with media and technology companies, universities and associations in Canada and the US.

Freelancing in the Media: True Stories of Triumph and Tribulation is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 65th 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, architect Jim Meiklejohn, broadcaster Mari0n 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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03 Nov 2008

Local writer kevin mcpherson eckhoff volunteers in the new book store

Gallery Vertigo is pleased to announce the newest addition to its merchandise corner: an independent, small press store. Writers and publishers will be able to vend their wares, subject to a reasonable commission, along two feature walls. If you are interested in participating in this opportunity, please contact the gallery at info@galleryvertigo.com for details.

The new book corner will join a small but choice selection of locally produced, one-of-a-kind artist cards, unique T-shirts and small works of art as part of Artsake a small shop located at Gallery Vertigo. The small shop is operated by volunteers and a portion of proceeds support gallery exhibitions and programming. Gallery Vertigo is very pleased to offer writers and publishers from the region a venue for the sale of their published works.

Books may be submitted by appointment only. Please call the Gallery at 250-503-2297 for details, and to set up an appointment to bring in your books.

Gallery Vertigo, Suite #1 (upstairs), 3001 31st Street, Vernon, BC

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21 Oct 2008

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Aboriginality

A CELEBRATION OF NATIVE HEALING ARTS
» Thursday 23 October 2008 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan ARTS. Join us as Rebecca Cameron, Carol Derrickson, Patricia Morven, Roxanne Lindley and Gayle Liman share personal experiences of aboriginal healing traditions throughout the Americas.

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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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Native Healing Arts the Focus of Special Event

Health care may not have been top on the political agenda this federal campaign, but for thousands of people in the Okanagan it is the most important issue they face on a daily basis. Whether we are coping with a diagnosis of cancer or heart disease, or dealing with mental illness or elder care, our physical wellbeing has a direct impact on our day-to-day experience.

While traditional Western medicine has focused on fixing our health, aboriginal tradition has focused on healing, which often takes a more holistic view of the person by examining not only the physical body, but the mental and spiritual body as well.

The Okanagan Institute Express series has invited a powerful group of experts in the field of aboriginal healing to share their personal experiences of healing - and how it has affected their lives and others. The event touches on not only Okanagan practices, but aboriginal healing traditions throughout the Americas. Aboriginality: A Celebration of Native Healing Arts takes place October 23, at 5 pm at the Bohemian Café.

Rebecca Cameron is a teacher and new mother. She'll discuss her personal experience with aboriginal healer Tis Mal Crow, an internationally known herbalist and Native American Root Doctor of Cherokee and Hitchiti decent, and author of the book Native Plants, Native Healing.

Carol Derrickson is a member of the Westbank First Nation, who has worked as an administrator in social development for the last 15 years, with a particular focus on Pine Acres, the band-owned 63-bed elder's residence which offers intermediate care. A mother and grandmother, Derrickson speaks to the importance of caring for the whole person as we age.

Patricia Morven, of Nisga'a and Thompson decent, teaches life skills for the ROADS Program through Westbank First Nation. An expert in designing programs that use art as a form of healing, Morven will talk about how the arts has helped people overcome addiction.

Roxanne Lindley is a carrier of cultural and traditional medicines. A member of the Westbank First Nations, she will talk about the aboriginal world view with regard to plants and medicine.

Gayle Liman is the research curator for the Westbank First Nation. She will discuss a holistic approach to healing involving mind, body and spirit and her personal healing journey that took her from Mexico to Guatemala and beyond, where she learned about plants and medicines from numerous Aboriginal healers.

Aboriginality is an ongoing series underway as part of the Okanagan Institute's Express Series, which aims to bring diverse groups of people together in the interest of improving our understanding of culture and the arts, and celebrate the breadth of talent expressed in the Okanagan.

Aboriginality: A Celebration of Native Healing Arts is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 63rd 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, architect Jim Meiklejohn, broadcaster Mari0n 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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17 Oct 2008

Figure Drawing       
Sat. & Sun.    Nov. 1 – Nov. 2        1- 4 pm        $98 + GST
Learn to see and draw more believable three-dimensional figures by studying the human form.  In this course, you will gain new insights into the theories of mark-making, composition, proportion, colour and abstraction.  Each session includes three hours with a model. 

Mixed Media Painting and Collage
Thursdays    Nov.6 – Dec. 11        6-9 pm        $270 + GST
Introduce yourself to the process of image making on various textual surfaces and the use of techniques such as collage, frottage, plastering, paint resists, photo transfers, fluid pours and relief application.  A variety of materials will be explored such as acrylic regular body paints, fluid, high load and air brush pigments.  All support and priming applications will be examined.  Acrylic mediums such as modeling pastes, gels and surface building products will also be used.

Travel Writing – Sharing Your Journey
Saturday     Nov. 8            10 am – 3 pm        $149 + GST
Take a day trip with a veteran travel writer and discover what it takes to have your story published.  Good travel writing is more than just describing where you’ve been and what you’ve seen.  This course will teach globe trotters what you should know before you go and how to translate what you’ve seen on to paper.  The session will look at how to generate story ideas, help participants develop their writing skills and teach aspiring travel writers how to get their work published by writing pitch letters to editors.
www.ubc.ca/okanagan/continuingstudies

Call 250 807-8177 or 250 807-9981

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15 Oct 2008

During the election campaign, candidates are very receptive to messages conveyed through public events or in scheduled meetings with interested voters. We strongly recommend that you communicate your concerns and support of the art to the candidates in your riding: Call your candidates; meet them; approach them at public events; organize or attend an official debate between local candidates. We’ve put together a 2008 Election Toolkit (see below) to help equip you with some pointers and key information to convey in your contact with candidates.

You may also wish to write to your candidates – by all means, please do! Here is a sample message that you may adapt for your own use. But remember that an in-person encounter with you during this key period will carry more weight and go further in persuading candidates of the importance of your views.

To find your electoral candidates, visit www.elections.ca (you will need to enter your postal code).

The Canadian Arts Coalition’s 2008 Election Toolkit. Complete with suggested points to talk about, key messages, and questions to ask your candidates. A summary document for you to leave with the candidates at the end of your meeting will be coming soon.

Some other useful resources:
-Imagine Canada's 2008 Federal Election Readiness Kit and Tip Sheet
-CCA’s election advocacy resources (includes bulletins and doorstep kit)
-Toronto Arts Coalition's national election advocacy site
-Canadian Arts Coalition's brief to the Standing Committee on Finance for their 2008 Pre-Budget Consultations.

And last but not least, don’t forget to…

Vote for Culture! – The Canadian Arts Coalition is working with Quebec’s Culture Pour Tous to give everyone in Canada, regardless of any age, sex or politics, the opportunity to vote for arts and culture. Because now, more than ever, the Canadian arts and cultural sector needs your many passionate and earnest voices.

Culture Pour Tous has set up a website to collect your vote. Help us turn this initiative into a pan-Canadian movement!

Visit www.ivoteforculture.com now to submit your vote and to invite others to do the same!

Interim results of the vote will be announced at the end of les Journées de la culture, on September 29, 2008, but you may continue to submit your vote for culture online until October 14, 2008. Vote now! And encourage others to do the same.

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27 Sep 2008

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Special Offer! See below.

Re:Verse

RANDOM ACTS OF POETRY
» Thursday 2 October 2008 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing people and ideas featured in Okanagan ARTS. Join us as Marion Barschel, Jeremy Auld, David Crawley, Carl Hare, Janet Anderson and Valerie Stetson present a stimulating journey of discovery into the magical world of poetry.

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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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Celebrities Celebrate the Power of Poetry

Poetry is our first voice, and some might argue, our final voice. From cradle to grave, and for much of the journey in between, it is poetry more than any other literary form that captures the peak moments in our lives. For decades children grew up on the poetry of A.A. Milne, and later in life grew to love William Wordsworth, or William Blake. Today's generation more commonly find poetry in lyrics, but it has also morphed into the modern-day form of spoken word - a combination of poetry and theatre art where top-notch practitioners command peak pay for their slam performances.

"Poetry has been changing its image these days - young people are coming to it with new skills learned from music and the Web. It's revitalizing the Canadian literary experience," says Nancy Holmes, a poet and UBCO associate professor who has spent the last few years bringing Random Acts of Poetry to the streets of Kelowna.

This year, Holmes has joined forces with the Okanagan Institute to put on a special poetry event featuring a variety of poets, lovers of poetry, and spoken word experts reading from their own works, and others. As part of the event, Holmes has invited her university students to assist the audience in creating their own poetry.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to remind people of how creative they are, and to pay attention to the seemingly small things in life," says Karin Wilson, co-host and associate director of the Institute.

This coming Thursday, October 2, the Okanagan Institute Express presents Re:Verse - Random Acts of Poetry, hosted by Nancy Holmes at 5 pm at the Bohemian Café in Kelowna. Marion Barschel, Jeremy Auld, David Crawley, Carl Hare, Janet Anderson and Valerie Stetson present a stimulating journey of discovery into the magical world of poetry.

Marion Barschel is the host of CBC Radio's Daybreak which airs throughout the Southern Interior. Prior to her arrival in Kelowna eight years ago, Marion worked for CBC Radio in Regina. Daybreak has made it part of its mission to bring poetry to the people through its annual summer poetry contest, produced with the assistance of John Lent from Okanagan College in Vernon. The series has succeeded in introducing regional poets to listeners throughout the region.

Jeremy Auld likes to do things a little differently. In keeping with the mindset of the MSN generation, Jeremy mixes numbers with letters in unusual ways to make people think about the way the choose to communicate. As he says: "I started wrighting when I was 16. I like 2 wright in a way that allows people to think and ask questions. My motivation is 2 paint murals with the colour of words and inspire beauty in the world."

David Crawley is the retired Anglican Archbishop of B.C. and retired bishop of the Kootenay Diocese. He's also a story-teller, cook, sausage maker, skier�and occasional writer who failed third year English but loves poetry.

Carl Hare retired to Kelowna 11 years ago after a lifetime in the theatre community. Founder of the theatre department at the University of Victoria, he also taught at the National Theatre School, and was chair of the Drama Department at the University of Alberta. Trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England, he was a professional actor and director and the Artistic Director of Company One Theatre. Since his arrival in Kelowna he has acted both with Sunshine Theatre and the Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops and been narrator with the Okanagan Symphony on a number of occasions. Over the past two decades he has also explored the writing of poetry and is presently engaged in a major work.

Janet Anderson is the Artistic Director of Festivals Kelowna, producers of the Life & Arts Festival, Parks Alive!, Arts Alive!, and the Kelowna Canada Day Celebrations. Prior to arriving in Kelowna, Janet worked for 10 years organizing groundbreaking collaborative projects in theatre, print, video, sound, computer graphics, multimedia, and virtual reality. She also coordinated and stage managed many special events in Alberta including the Celebrity Sports Invitational Auction and Gala for Robert Kennedy Jr. She also has wide-ranging experience as an actor, producer, teacher and director of children's theatre workshops and productions.

Valerie Stetson is a writer living in Kelowna. Her first book, a collection of short stories called The Year I Got Impatient, was a runner-up for the 2008 Danuta Gleed Literary Award. The title story also received The 2001 Bronwen Wallace Award. Her second book, a collection of poems called Living In Gravity, was published in 2008. She is currently writing a novel.

Nancy Holmes writes both short fiction and poetry. She has published four collections of poetry, Valancy and the New World (Kalamalka Press, 1988), Down to the Golden Chersonese: Victorian Lady Travellers (Sono Nis, 1991), The Adultery Poems (Ronsdale, 2002) Mandorla (Ronsdale, 2005). Her poetry and fiction have recently been published in Room of One's Own, Lichen, The Malahat Review, Matrix, Prairie Fire, Grain, The Harpweaver, A Room of One's Own and The Antigonish Review. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and has worked as an editor, writing instructor, and mother.

Re:Verse - Random Acts of Poetry is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 60th 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, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, architect Jim Meiklejohn, and others from a variety of creative fields.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE

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Dear Community Cultural Partner: In appreciation of your dedication to the cultural life of our community, Ballet Kelowna is pleased to invite you to the fall season opening "Bolero & Other Works" at Kelowna Community Theatre on October 3rd & 4th at 8 pm with a special offer of 20% off the price of regular admission. Breathtakingly beautiful, Ballet Kelowna captivates audiences with classical and innovative dance. Be Moved! Complete tour schedule information is available at http://www.BalletKelowna.ca. To use your passwords, follow the link above to purchase online or call (250) 860-1470 to speak with a call centre representative. Passwords: CCP1 = Adult | CCP2 = Student Child | CCP3 = Senior

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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 have 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.

0 Comments

26 Sep 2008

Theme: Celebrating the Artists in Our Valley…

Expanding culture, enriching lives… reflecting on their lives. What goes on behind the scenes and in preparation for the artistic experiences we all enjoy? What is now in preparation or the soon-to-be-released projects?

Capsule College, the on-going lecture series co-sponsored by the University Women’s Club of Vernon and Okanagan College, Kalamalka Campus, resumes on Thursday October 9, 2008 at 9:30 am in the Halina Centre (in the Rec Centre, 3310 37 Avenue).

The first talk on October 9, “Another Day in the Arts, perhaps…” is presented by Bob Kingsmill, well-known Vernon and Vancouver area potter. Through an illustrated talk, Bob will speak about his forty years of experience as a studio craftsman, a journey of unanticipated consequences and unexpected rewards.

The second presentation on October 16, “A Woman on the Podium!” features Rosemary Thomson, conductor and music director, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. She responds two questions she often receives: “What does a conductor do anyway?"  and "There aren't many women in your field are there?" Rosemary speaks to her experience as a pioneer in the exciting male dominated profession of orchestral conducting.
The third presentation on October 23 “Make ‘em Laugh” will be given by Christine Pilgrim, actor and historical interpreter. Comedy feeds whatever Christine does, whether it's a show, historic interpretation, storytelling, writing or teaching.  She is convinced that laughter keeps you healthy, aids memory and is the best way to approach life.  Christine shares the secrets and lessons of 40 years in show biz.
The fourth talk in the series “A Teller of Tales” will be presented by Jack Whyte, author, who reflects on his journey as a successful and popular author, and about the love of language, its uses and usage that has provided him with a lifetime of successful work despite the fact that the various elements of his multiple careers and achievements might appear, at first glance, to be unrelated.

Admission to Capsule College is $7 per lecture or $20 for the series, payable at the door. Proceeds support the sponsorship of two scholarships each year for students at Okanagan College.

0 Comments

24 Sep 2008

Theme: Celebrating the Artists in Our Valley…

Expanding culture, enriching lives… reflecting on their lives. What goes on behind the scenes and in preparation for the artistic experiences we all enjoy? What is now in preparation or the soon-to-be-released projects?

Capsule College, the on-going lecture series co-sponsored by the University Women’s Club of Vernon and Okanagan College, Kalamalka Campus, resumes on Thursday October 9, 2008 at 9:30 am in the Halina Centre (in the Rec Centre, 3310 37 Avenue).

The first talk on October 9, “Another Day in the Arts, perhaps…” is presented by Bob Kingsmill, well-known Vernon and Vancouver area potter. Through an illustrated talk, Bob will speak about his forty years of experience as a studio craftsman, a journey of unanticipated consequences and unexpected rewards.

The second presentation on October 16, “A Woman on the Podium!” features Rosemary Thomson, conductor and music director, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. She responds two questions she often receives: “What does a conductor do anyway?"  and "There aren't many women in your field are there?" Rosemary speaks to her experience as a pioneer in the exciting male dominated profession of orchestral conducting.
The third presentation on October 23 “Make ‘em Laugh” will be given by Christine Pilgrim, actor and historical interpreter. Comedy feeds whatever Christine does, whether it's a show, historic interpretation, storytelling, writing or teaching.  She is convinced that laughter keeps you healthy, aids memory and is the best way to approach life.  Christine shares the secrets and lessons of 40 years in show biz.
The fourth talk in the series “A Teller of Tales” will be presented by Jack Whyte, author, who reflects on his journey as a successful and popular author, and about the love of language, its uses and usage that has provided him with a lifetime of successful work despite the fact that the various elements of his multiple careers and achievements might appear, at first glance, to be unrelated.

Admission to Capsule College is $7 per lecture or $20 for the series, payable at the door. Proceeds support the sponsorship of two scholarships each year for students at Okanagan College.

Further information, contact:  Linda Peterat  250-545-6171

0 Comments

17 Sep 2008

Business for the Arts calls on the Federal Government to reinvest the $60 million recently cut from arts and culture into the cultural sector, as a recognized driver of our creative economy.

There is a tremendous amount of concern in the arts community with the recent news of more than $60 million cut in Federal funding for the arts. Business for the Arts understands the need for a periodic review of programs to ensure efficient spending of tax dollars, however we are discouraged by the way the cuts were announced, as we were given little notice or explanation about the cuts, and still no word on whether or not the $60 million will be reinvested in the cultural sector. The arts community is understandably upset. Business for the Arts feels these cuts, announced as they were, with very little explanation or warning, sends the wrong message to the arts community, the business community and to all of our citizens that Canada doesn’t value or appreciate the social and economic benefits our artists bring to our country. Any business in Canada would agree that the more attractive our cities become through diverse arts and cultural activities, the easier it becomes to attract international talent to their firms. Countless studies show that Canada requires a healthy cultural community in order to attract and retain talent in this increasingly global economy.

Canadian Heritage recently collaborated on a report entitled Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada’s Creative Economy, released by the Conference Board of Canada, which echoes these precise sentiments, which is why we are the more perplexed at their recent wave of announcements. The report states in the foreword that: Clearly, a growing, dynamic culture sector is central to Canada’s success as a creative, knowledge-based economy. The culture sector also serves as a magnet for skilled and creative people, as Canada becomes increasingly dependent on international migration to sustain the size of its national labour force. Canada is competing on the world stage and needs to invest in creating a healthy and exciting cultural community. As Richard Florida notes: Employment is not the central driving force for location decisions; rather, creative people choose to live in places that are centres of creativity and diversity. People are not just choosing jobs, they are choosing places to live, work and play where other creative thinkers collect, and share ideas across sectors. Great ideas are sparked through collaboration with other creative thinkers, and these thinkers cluster in these creative centres.

The Work Foundation published a report entitled Staying Ahead which sites one of the drivers of the new economy as being a new collaborative and creative mode of working in the knowledgebased industries today: Employees are no longer called upon merely to apply information in a mechanical sequence, but are also invited to participate, experiment and offer suggestions about how to improve the production process, and management is expected to build feedback back into that – a powerful driver of learning by doing and incremental innovation. Studies show that exposure to arts and culture helps improve communication capabilities and think creatively. Thinking in the creative workforce has shifted from linear to diagonal thinking, and soft skills are just as important as raw technical ability. As the Conference Board of Canada report suggests: Creative firms distinguish themselves from their competitors by their employees’ expert capacity to solve problems and communicate complex ideas.

If one doubts the public appetite for the arts, one need only consider the hard economic numbers: Hill Strategies reports that Canadian consumers spent $25.1 billion on culture goods and services in 2005, more than consumer spending on household furniture, appliances and tools ($24 billion) and, Hill Strategies notes, over three times larger than the $7.7 billion spent on culture in Canada by all levels of government in 2003/04. The output by the culture sector totalled: $46 billion in 2007, which was 3.8% of Canada’s real GDP. If we were to include the induced and indirect impact, the value-add climbs to $84.6 billion. For comparison, the value-added of Canada’s retail industry was just under 6 per cent in 2007. The Conference Board estimates that 1,000,000 jobs are created by the cultural sector, representing 7.1 per cent of Canada’s total employment in 2007.

The above arguments have been published with the support of twelve external reviewers from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada. It is simply astonishing that with this recent collaborative effort in support of the arts, the government has cut funding to the arts by $60 million and in such a quick and quiet manner. It leaves the cultural community, and all of us wondering, why the government has not absorbed the wisdom of its latest report and collaborated more with the creative drivers of our economy. Some of the program cuts may indeed make sense in terms of efficiencies, and Canadians will understand the reasoning behind some of them. We believe Canadians would like to know how that $60 million taken out of the arts will be reinvested in the cultural community. Business for the Arts is requesting that the Federal government issue a statement on how they plan to reinvest that $60 million. We understand the need to reallocate funds to programs that have more of an impact, but we are not in favour of taking funds out of culture entirely. It is our hope that the government realizes the positive impact of investing in the arts and thereby reassure the business community who rely on creative talent to remain competitive in this knowledge-based economy.

0 Comments

14 Sep 2008