Opening Reception
& Interactive Website Launch
MARAYA PROJECT
Friday November 4, 8pm
Centre A, 2 W. Hastings
Exhibition November 5 to December 17
Maraya Project (from the Arabic m’raya for mirror or reflection) examines the surprising reappearance of Vancouver’s False Creek in the United Arab Emirates, as the Dubai Marina. The project facilitates a critical discourse about urban and global mobility, real estate and development, and urban geography. Three Vancouver based interdisciplinary artists, M. Simon Levin, Glen Lowry and Henry Tsang, have spent five years researching the phenomenal movement of architects, urban planners and development between the two cities and have produced a new body of artworks, including photo and video documents, interviews, video installations and a live video portal connection between Vancouver and Dubai. The Interactive Website will be launched at the opening reception. Free

The 8th Annual
Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival

Wednesday October 26 – Sunday November 6, 2011
More than 100 events at over 30 locations throughout the Downtown Eastside

http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com

The Festival is thrilled to partner with the DTES’s AHA Media to provide social media coverage (video/photos/blog) of the Heart of the City Festival. AHA Media gives voice to our local community and provides services for individuals and organizations to share their news and special events on a broader scale through social media. Founded in 2008 by local artists April Smith, Hendrik Beune, and Al Tkatch, AHA Media previously collaborated with Fearless City Media and has an ongoing working relationship with W2Community Media Arts and various other organizations and individuals in the DTES community. The members of AHA Media describe themselves as “definitely not mainstream media”. Based in Vancouver’s DTES, their style is described as non-invasive and unassuming.

Say Hello to AHA Media as they visit the Festival events. They will be happy to chat with you. Stay connected to the festival with AHA’s links – see photos/videos of the festival events you attended; take in a festival event you missed; or follow one festival event while you are attending another!

Follow AHA MEDIA on Twitter, Facebook,  Youtube and Flickr!

AHA MEDIA Twitter   @AHAMEDIA  @AprilFilms 

AHA MEDIA Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AHAMEDIA

AHA Media YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/AHAFilm

AHA Media Flickr Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/AHAMEDIA/sets

Festival Events

Oct 28 to Nov 19
VIMY, Firehall Arts Centre

Friday November 4
9am-5pm Open House, Vancouver Police Museum
10:50am Metaphor: Diversity Through Hip Hop, Admiral Seymour Elementary School
12:30pm Snowy Owl Drummers, start at Pigeon Park
1:30pm Metaphor: Diversity Through Hip Hop, Lord Strathcona Elementary School
7pm-9pm Elvis Is In The Building, Carnegie Theatre
8pm-10:30pm Trisurgence Music Concert, Ukrainian Hall
8pm Maraya Project Opening Reception & Interactive Website Launch, Centre A
10pm Hallow2een, W2 Black Light Series, W2 Media Café

Saturday November 5
9am-4:30pm Community Arts Dialogue, World Art Centre, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
10am A Walk in Chinatown Walking Tour, meet at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden courtyard
11am-12:30pm Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Outdoor Murals Walking Tour, meet inside front lobby of Carnegie
1:30-3pm Accordion to Immigrants, Carnegie Theatre
2pm-5pm Get Animated! Workshop for Kids, W2 Media Café
3:30pm-5:30pm The Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference DTES Roundtable, Carnegie Theatre
6pm-10pm Strathcona Annual Pub Social Nite, Strathcona Community Centre Seniors Lounge
7pm DTES Poets Open Mic, Carnegie Theatre
8pm-10:30pm Trisurgence Music Concert, Ukrainian Hall
10pm Hallow2een, W2 Black Light Series, W2 Media Café

Sunday November 6
Note: daylight savings time change – fall back!
10:30am-12pm Powell Street Walking Tour, meet at SE corner of Powell & Jackson
11am Séance with Zombie Artists & Gentri-F**kation Tour, meet in Carnegie Theatre
1:30pm-4:30pm Fermenting Foods Cooking Class, Radha Yoga
3pm AUUC Community Concert & Supper, Ukrainian Hall
7:30-9pm Community Dance, Ukrainian Hall

Post-Festival Events

Thursday November 10
1:30-4pm Making Art Through Dialogue, EWMA Art Studio
7:30pm Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival Opening Reception, W2 Media Café
Saturday November 12
7pm The Only Poetry That Matters Book Launch & Reading, W2 Media Café
Sunday November 13
12pm-4pm The New Frontier is Interactive Media Workshop, W2 Media Café
Monday November 14
1:30-3:30pm Grant Writing for DTES groups involved with Community Arts Workshop, W Room, 111 W. Hastings
7:30-9pm How To Make An Opera: the Annenberg Project and the War in Iraq, Carnegie Theatre
Thursday November 17
1:30-4pm Making Art Through Dialogue, EWMA Art Studio
Saturday November 26
12pm-9pm Community Arts – The Future Display & Celebration, Woodwards Atrium
December 2 to 4
Shadow Catch, Firehall Arts Centre
December 14 to 17
Bah Humbug! A Staged Reading of an Eastside Adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, Faye and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, SFU Woodwards
January 20 to 29, 2012
The Idiot, Frederic Wood Theatre, UBC

8th Annual DTES Heart of the City Festival

With more than 100 events at over 30 locations throughout the Downtown Eastside scheduled over twelve days in this year’s Festival (October 26 – November 6), choosing what to see and hear becomes a delightful challenge. Here are our  Top Festival Picks for 2011!

7. Elvis Is In The Building: One of the world’s foremost Elvis impersonators, now retired Morris Bates, part Shuswap and part Haida, shares music and stories with current Elvis Tribute Artist Velvis, based on Morris’ life and experiences in Vegas as the King of Rock ‘n Roll.

Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main. Fri Nov 4, 7pm. Free

8. Trisurgence: A new city wide cultural collaboration between the Chinese-jazz group Koan (led by Brad Muirhead), the New World Chinese Orchestra (led by Jin Zhang), the Chinese choir Huayi (led by Yaling Yang), the Renfrew Collingwood Aboriginal Youth Canoe Club song and drum circle (led by Matthew Sheena, with Squamish singer and carver Wes Nahanee) and DTES involved musicians.

Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender. Fri Nov 4 & Sat Nov 5, 8pm. $10 suggested donation at door

9. Accordion to Immigrants: This concert of songs on accordion tells stories of the immigrant experience in the Downtown Eastside and Strathcona. Join Todd Wong, Alan Zisman, Roman Lipkovits and accordionists aplenty from the Squeezebox Circle and from the Lower Mainland.

Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main. Sat Nov 5, 1:30pm. Free

10. History and Social Walks: An always popular component of the festival, we are pleased to present a record number of walks this year to celebrate Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary:

• A Walk in Chinatown: Walk the inner city and learn about customs, symbolism and traditions of Chinatown from a cultural perspective with Bob Sung. Having a background in culinary education, Bob says “Food is my medium.”

Meet at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden courtyard, 568 Carrall. Sat Nov 5, 10am;

• Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Outdoor Murals: There are over 80 murals on the walls of buildings in Vancouver’s East End. Muralist and local legend Richard Tetrault will take us on a walking tour of about 15 of those murals located in the Downtown Eastside. There are sure to be many surprises!

Meet at front steps of Carnegie, 401 Main. Sat Nov 5, 11am;

• Powell Street Walking Tour: On this historical tour, Raymond Nakamura takes you back in time to the vibrant pre-war community of Japanese Canadians and Japanese immigrants who lived and worked in the area until their forced removal in 1942.

Meet at SE corner of Powell & Jackson. Sun Nov 6, 10:30am

All Walks: Visitors – $10, Locals – pay as you can

11. Ukrainian Hall’s Community Concert, Supper & Community Dance: The festival ends on a high note with three special events on one day at the Ukrainian Hall. Start your afternoon with the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians Community Concert, featuring the Barvinok Choir, the Vancouver Folk Orchestra and the Dovbush Dancers. Lively music, invigorating dance and colourful costumes beckon us. Special guests include Todd Wong who brings a cultural fusion to his accordion playing, and a musical tribute to The Milestones – “the finest folk music ensemble in BC in the sixties” – Gary Cristall. Immediately after the concert is a delicious traditional Ukrainian Supper followed by the Community Dance with the musical fun of Russell Shumsky (marimba, percussion), Bud Kurz (guitar), Kathleen Nisbet (fiddle) and dance caller Marlin Prowell. Grab your friends, neighbours, the whole family, and head on down to this toe-tappin’ heartwarming event.

Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender. Sun Nov 6: Concert 3pm. Supper follows. $20

For advance sales contact 604-254-3436. Dance 7:30pm, pay as you can