  The Magazine of Culture and Community
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 Arts Council of the Central Okanagan 8-1304 Ellis Street Kelowna BC Canada V1Y 1Z8 Email: Click Here. Elke Lange, Executive Director Telephone: 250.861-4123 Copublished by Wheat King Publishing Jeff Pexa, President Telephone: 250.491.0169 Produced in association with the Okanagan Institute
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 LATEST PERFORMING ARTS ITEMS |
PERFORMING ARTS
November at the Minstrel Cafe
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05 Nov 2008
Kelowna Art Gallery in partnership with UBC Okanagan present Boundaries lecture and showcase series
In conjunction with the exhibition Boundaries, the Kelowna Art Gallery is pleased to partner with the UBC Okanagan Facility of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) on the Conversations on Contemporary Art lecture series and FCCS Showcase series. All events will be held at the Kelowna Art Gallery and are free to the public. Please call the gallery to reserve your spot! 250-762-2226.Conversations on Contemporary Art
November 3 ñ December 1, 7:00 ñ 9:00 pm
Join us for this five-part lecture series on contemporary art ñ learn about the significance of contemporary art and its connection to culture and history!
These lively and illustrated lectures will feature a new topic each week. Distinguished experts and artists from the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Department of Creative Studies, will lead the discussions.
FCCS Showcase Series
Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Engage the Filmmaker
Gary Burns Presents and Discusses Radiant City
Tuesday, November 25, 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Radiant City, produced by Burns Film Ltd in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada, is Burnís first feature-length documentary, which he co-directs with journalist and first-time filmmaker Jim Brown. The subject ñ the issue of urban sprawl ñ is explored through the experience of one family negotiating the complexities of contemporary North American suburbia. Radiant City interestingly mixes documentary and dramatic techniques in its exploration of an issue being debated in many Canadian communities, including Kelowna.
Literary Reading
Wednesday, December 3, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Join us for an evening of readings with Professors of Creative Writing at UBC Okanagan. Michael V. Smith, Nancy Holmes, and Sharon Thesen will read from recent work and work in progress.
Blue Pencil Cafe
Saturday, December 6 and Saturday, December 13
10:30 am ñ 4:30 pm
Writers ages 16 and over are invited to submit pieces of their work for a for a one-on-one conference session with UBC Okanagan Creative Writing professors Michael V. Smith, Nancy Holmes, and Sharon Thesen.
29 Oct 2008
Ballet Takes Centre Stage at Thursday Express
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BALLET TAKES CENTRE STAGE
» Thursday 30 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 David LeHay of Ballet Kelowna and Lori Larson of the Canadian School of Ballet discuss how the Okanagan has become a centre of dance culture in Canada.
» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Local Ballet Achieves National Prominence
One of the biggest cultural stories of the last five years has been the transformation of the Okanagan into a national dance powerhouse. The story dates back decades to the late 1950s when the founders of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Canadian School of Ballet retired to the Okanagan. Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally brought the school with them to their new home and continued their devotion to nurturing generations of young dancers.
But it was in the current decade that a remarkable pirouette took place when the school found a new partner in David LaHay and Ballet Kelowna was born. In short order, the performance company jumped from its original touring schedule of seven performances in six communities, to 50 performances before more than 13,000 people in more than 30 communities throughout B.C. and Alberta.
Now
it seems the larger dance community is taking note, and pundits predict
this confluence of events is about to put the region on the nation's
map for cultural excellence.The Okanagan Institute Express series continues its The Past is Prologue cultural history explorations with host Karen Close presenting Let's Dance: Ballet Takes Centre Stage. The event takes place Thursday, October 30 at 5 pm at the Bohemian Café. Speakers at the event are Ballet Kelowna founder and artistic director David LaHay and Lori Larson, the current director of the Canadian School of Ballet.
David LaHay founded Ballet Kelowna in 2002 following a long and successful career as a performer, teacher, ballet master and director. He was the principal dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (Montreal) and was guest artist with The Royal Swedish Ballet (Stockholm), The Alberta Ballet (Calgary) and The Cuban International Dance Festival (Havana).
Lori Larson first met the founders of CSB while studying dance herself at the Banff Centre of the Arts. By 1986 she, along with Mel Brown, assumed the torch and made a commitment to uphold the founders' legacy. "Dance, music and theatre enriches all our lives," says Larson, who was instrumental in the development of Ballet Kelowna. Larson is also the founding member of the Okanagan Summer Dance Intensive which celebrated a successful inaugural dance training programme with 70 students and 10 professionals from across Canada in residence at UBCO.
Let's Dance: Ballet Takes Centre Stage is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 64th 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
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.
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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.
24 Oct 2008
LOCAL JAZZ ARTIST RAISING FUNDS FOR UNITED WAY
JAZZ FOR CHARITYKelowna’s jazz sensation Olga Osipova is putting on a concert at the Rotary Centre for the Arts on October 25, with partial proceeds to be donated to United Way. “One of the key elements of a civilized society is to build communities that can reach out to and support people in need. Having been through many hardships myself growing up in Russia in times of changing economy, I really appreciate the fact that social services are available to people in Canada. I share United Way’s vision of a healthy, caring, inclusive community, and I want to support their efforts to make a difference”, says Osipova.
She is supporting the charity with what she does best – with the new album nominated for five BC Interior Music Awards this year and radio play on jazz stations all over the country, Osipova is a phenomenal entertainer. She will share the stage with the best musicians in the Okanagan to perform her all-original smoky jazz tunes. Tickets are $25, available through Ticketmaster.
17 Oct 2008
A Healing Gathering at Thursday Express
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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.
» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
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
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.
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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.
17 Oct 2008
Minstrel Bar & Cafe Upcoming Events
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Gary Comeau and 03 Oct 2008
KELOWNA ACTORS STUDIO SEASON PREMIERE MAKES DREAMS COME TRUE
Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Adaptation of Classic Fairy Tale Launches Sixth Season
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Kelowna Actors Studio is pleased to announce it’s sixth
season premiere with Cinderella, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s adaptation
of history’s most enduring fairy tale. Presented by Orchard Park
Shopping Centre, the musical classic opens on Thursday, November 20 and
runs Thursday to Sunday evenings, with a Saturday matinee, until
December 14. The classic story of Cinderella is synonymous with a transformation of luck, and recognition of hard work and determination. The title character, with the help of her fairy godmother, proves that dreams really can come true if they are presented with a clear heart. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella was originally written for a live television musical broadcast in 1957, as a vehicle for Julie Andrews, who played the title role. Its popularity caused the creators to adapt the work for the stage, and it was subsequently remade for television twice, in 1965 and 1997, starring Lesley Ann Warren and Brandy, respectively, in the title role. With such songs as In My Own Little Corner, Impossible, and Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful, this classic offers great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity. Kelowna Actors Studio will stage an adaptation of the 1997 television re-make of the musical, which was produced for Walt Disney Productions. It was one of the first broadcasts in the latest revival of The Wonderful World of Disney, on Disney-owned ABC. This version was notable for boasting a racially diverse cast, with Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. A few songs were also added: The Sweetest Sounds from Rodgers' No Strings, sung by Cinderella and the Prince; and There's Music in You, written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for the 1953 film Main Street To Broadway, sung as the finale by Fairy Godmother. The production won two awards in 1998: The Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Award and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program. “We chose Cinderella because it speaks to all of us at some level,” says the company’s artistic director, Randy Leslie. “I really liked the 1997 version because it was written for a more modern audience, but it wasn't available for wide release. I approached Tom Briggs, the creator of this stage adaptation and I was thrilled when he spoke to The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization on our behalf and we were awarded the rights to perform his adaptation. The dialogue is a more contemporary and the additional songs round out the story beautifully.” Kelowna Actors Studio’s production is directed and produced by Randy Leslie, choreographed by Tracy Ross and stars Gillian Reed in the title role. Nate Flavel is the executive producer and set designer, master carpenter is Myles Christensen with set décor by Azha Leskard. Assistant producer and props are by James Long and Joy Green is in charge of costume design and construction. “One of our mandates is to foster Okanagan talent. We are excited to present a cast comprised of newcomers and favourites alike,” says Leslie. “For instance, Gillian Reed has been in several of our classes and as ensemble characters in other productions. It’s a pleasure to offer her a chance to tackle a lead role. Gwen Plitt and Brian Harms are well known, and loved, by our audiences. Darren Scuffi and Christine VanBergeyk have been on our stage and we are pleased to see them again. Many of our ensemble cast is comprised of performers who have held starring roles, as well, including Carmen Harris and Brad Hull. We are also thrilled about the number of newcomers to our stage, though not to performance, including Sarah McCall, Joel Montgrand, Monica Mason, and Valeh Ashraf. I’m certain Okanagan audiences will be thrilled with this assembled talent!” Cinderella is presented by Orchard Park Shopping Centre, and runs at the Kelowna Actors Studio (1379 Ellis, across from the Public Library) Thursday to Sunday evenings, with a Saturday matinee, from November 20 to December 14, with dinner and dessert ticket options available. For further information, or to purchase tickets, visit the on-site box office, call 250 862 2867, or log on to KelownaActorsStudio.com. |
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Cinderella, presented by Orchard Park Shopping Centre |
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01 Oct 2008
Vote for Culture - While We Still Have One!
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.
27 Sep 2008
Re:Verse - Random Acts of Poetry at Thursday Express
|   Special Offer! See below. |
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.
» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
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
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 = SeniorWhere 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.
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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.
26 Sep 2008
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