Vancouverites have two Vaisakhi Parades to choose from: the Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade happening on April 14, 2012, which attracts about 50,000 spectators, and the annual Surrey Vaisakhi Parade and Celebration on April 21, 2012, which attracts 80,000 – 200,000, making it one of the largest Vaisakhi parades outside India.

THE OPPENHEIMER PARK COMMUNITY ART SHOW
Friday October 21, 5pm-7pm
Oppenheimer Park, 488 Powell
Join Oppenheimer Park artists, community members and neighbours for the Art Show Opening Night & Parade. Gather at the Oppenheimer Park Field House to eat the delights presented by Oppenheimer and join the sidewalk procession – led by Brad Muirhead and the Carnegie Street Band – through the streets of the ‘hood to Gallery Gachet, 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

Pre-Festival Events

October 14 to October 30
Undead Double Feature, 45 West Hastings

October 20 to November 12
Us And Them, The Cultch

Fri October 21
11am-1pm Voice, Body, Presence Workshop, Carnegie Theatre
1:30-2:30pm Microphone Technique Workshop, Carnegie Theatre
5pm Carnegie Street Band, starts at Carnegie
5pm-7pm Oppenheimer Park Community Art Show Parade, Oppenheimer Park
7pm-9pm At Our Kitchen Table: The Oppenheimer Park Community Art Show Opening Reception, Gallery Gachet

October 21 to October 23
Reel Recovery Film Festival, District 319

Saturday October 22
3:30-5pm Get Animated! Screenings, Carnegie Theatre
5:30-7:30pm Get Animated! Workshop, Carnegie Theatre
11pm-late Rain City Rap After-Party, W2 Media Café

Festival Events

Wednesday October 26
10am-1pm Image Theatre Workshop, Oppenheimer Park
2pm-3pm Festival Opening Ceremony, Carnegie Theatre
2pm-4pm Day of the Dead Workshop, Oppenheimer Park
3pm Carnegie Street Band, starts at Carnegie
3:30-5:30pm Potluck Panel, Gallery Gachet
5pm-9pm Axe Capoeira Open House, Axe Capoeira Studio
7:30-9:30pm Sweet Soul Sisters of the Downtown Eastside, Carnegie Theatre
7:30pm-10pm Strathcona Unplugged!, Russian Hall

Thursday October 27
10am-12pm Dream Catchers Workshop, Aboriginal Front Door
1pm-2pm Opening Doors Conversation, Carnegie Reading Room
1:30pm-4pm Making Art Through Dialogue, EWMA Art Studio
3:30-4:30pm An Investigation in Motion Dance Workshop, Carnegie Gym
6:30-7pm Magic Comedy, Hastings Street Early Learning Centre
9pm-10pm Arts Rational, Co-op Radio

Friday October 28
11am-12pm Grandpa’s Girls Reading, Strathcona Community Library
11am-12:30pm St. James’ Bargain Sale, St. James’ Anglican Church
12pm-2pm Historic East Hastings Street Walking Tour, Victory Square
3pm-4:30pm My Fascinations With This Place Walking
Tour, meet at SE corner E. Pender & Carrall
7pm-10pm Hallowe’en Dance, Carnegie Theatre
7pm-10pm Eastside Friday, EWMA Art Studio
8pm Sophisticated Ladies, A Tribute to Women in Jazz, Radha Yoga
10:30pm Hallow2een, W2 Black Light Series, W2 Media Cafe

Oct 28 to Nov 19
VIMY, Firehall Arts Centre

Saturday October 29
10am-12pm History on the Verge – Shining Light on Our Old East End Houses Walking Tour, meet at NW corner Dunlevy & Railway
10am-1pm (12:30pm open to public) Burning Issues Workshop, Aboriginal Friendship Centre
11am-1pm Guided Meditation, Radha Yoga
11am-2pm Hallowe’en for Kids, Oppenheimer Park
11:30am Moments of Community History Walking Tour, meet at entrance SFU Woodwards
11:30pm-5pm Seniors Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of Vancouver and the Chinese Cantonese Opera, Chinese Cultural Centre
12pm-4pm Open House, St. James’ Anglican Church
1pm-2pm Tales of Powell Street History Talk, Vancouver Japanese Language School
2pm-3:30pm Chibi Taiko & Fusion of the Hearts: Ishizue, Carnegie Theatre
2pm-4pm Hallowe’en Rock ‘n Roll, Oppenheimer Park
2pm-4:30pm The Squaw Hall Project – A Community Remembers, Aboriginal Friendship Centre
2:30pm, 3:30pm Carnegie Street Band, starts at Carnegie
4pm-5:30pm Somewhere Else Is Here Film & Conversation, Carnegie Theatre
6pm-9:30pm Documentaries for Thinkers, Carnegie Theatre
6:30pm-9pm 4th Annual Family Hallowe’en Dance, Strathcona Community Centre Gym
7pm-9pm Haisla with Nasty, Brutish & Short, Raven’s Eye Studio
11pm Hallow2een, W2 Black Light Series, W2 Media Café

Sunday October 30
10am-11:30am An 1886 Walking Tour, meet at Maple Tree Square
12pm-5pm Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council Street Market 7 Fair, Pigeon Park
12:30-1:30pm Carnegie Jazz Band with Dal Richards, Carnegie Theatre
1:30-2:30pm Bones, Beads and Dolls Closing Reception, Carnegie 3rd floor Gallery
1:30-4:30pm Food Preservation: Drying Foods Cooking Class, Radha Yoga
2pm-3:30pm Writing Our Stories Reading, InterUrban Gallery
2:30pm-3:30pm Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra Small Ensemble, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
2:30-3:30pm Aboriginal Artist Showcase, Carnegie Theatre
3pm, 4pm Carnegie Street Band, starts at Pigeon Park
7pm-10pm Music and Spoken Word Showcase, InterUrban Gallery

Monday October 31
1pm-2:30pm Carnegie Village Choir Open Workshop, Carnegie Theatre
5pm-8pm Aboriginal Celebration & Feast, Carnegie Gym & Theatre

Tuesday November 1
11am-1pm Origami Workshop, DTES Neighbourhood House
12:30pm-1pm Healthy Aging Through the Arts Puppet Presentation, Strathcona Community Centre Seniors Lounge
2pm-4pm Day of the Dead Celebration, Oppenheimer Park
2:30-4:30pm Origami Workshop, Aboriginal Front Door
6:30pm All Saints’ Day Mass, St. James’ Anglican Church
6:45pm-10pm Carnegie Cabaret Coffee House, Carnegie Theatre

Wednesday November 2
10am-1pm Image Theatre Workshop, Oppenheimer Park
11am Séance with Zombie Artists & Gentri-F**kation Tour, meet in Carnegie Theatre
11am-1pm Vertical Gardens Workshop, DTES Neighbourhood House
12:30pm Snowy Owl Drummers, start at Pigeon Park
2pm-4pm Origami Workshop, EWMA Art Studio
4pm-6pm DTES Hip Hop Workshop Showcase, W2 Media Café
6:30pm All Souls’ Day Mass, St. James’ Anglican Church
7:30-9:30pm Barrio Flamenco: Flamenco for the People, Carnegie Theatre

Thursday November 3
12:30pm Snowy Owl Drummers, start at Pigeon Park
1pm-3pm A Keeper Of Memories Digital Stories, Carnegie Learning Centre
2pm-4pm Dream Catchers Workshop, EWMA Art Studio
2pm-4:30pm Storyweaving Project Script Reading, Aboriginal Friendship Centre
4pm Breaking the Digital Divide Workshop, W2 Media Café
5pm-7pm Carnegie Portraits Opening Reception, Carnegie 3rd floor Gallery
6pm-8pm Chindi Nation, Chindi Revolution Clothing Show & Long Table Dinner, W2 Media Café
6pm-8pm Writing Across Borders: An ESL-Based Creative Writing Group Reading, UBC Learning Exchange
7pm-9pm Preparing for an Emergency: Food Storage, Strathcona Community Centre
7:30-9:30pm An Evening with Beverly Dobrinsky and Zeellia, Ukrainian Hall
8pm Passion for Justice PIVOT Fundraiser, District 319
9pm-10pm Arts Rational Radio Play, Co-op Radio

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 “Terrific Twelve” Top Festival Picks for 2011!

1. Sweet Soul Sisters of the Downtown Eastside: An evening of blues, jazz and soul that speaks to the story of our neighbourhood. Hear some of the strong women’s voices of the DTES, including Dalannah Gail Bowen, Rosanne Gervais, Heidi Morgan and Peggy Wilson accompanied by local musicians Michael Bellwood on guitar, John Cote on bass, Gary Wildeman on drums and more!

Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main. Wed Oct 26, 7:30pm. Free

2. Sophisticated Ladies, A Tribute to Women in Jazz: A special occasion to hear the soulful voices of Thelma Gibson and Dalannah Gail Bowen in a musical tribute to the women of jazz; with Michael Creber on piano, Laurence Mollerup on bass and Chris Nordquist on drums.

Radha Yoga, 728 Main 2nd floor. Fri Oct 28, 8pm. $10 suggested donation at door

3. Carnegie Jazz Band with special guest Dal Richards: Comprised of enthusiastic amateur jazz musicians, the Carnegie Jazz Band is under the wonderful tutelage of multi-instrumentalist and composer Brad Muirhead. Joining the Carnegie Jazz Band is special guest and local legend “The King of Swing” Dal Richards. The festival is thrilled that the Honourable Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia – and jazz fan – will attend.

Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main. Sun Oct 30, 12:30pm. Free

4. Aboriginal Artist Showcase: This special showcase, assembled for the Honourable Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, features urban Aboriginal spoken word artists, dancers, singers and musicians, including Wayne Lavallee, Juno nominated and award-winning singer and guitarist.

Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main. Sun Oct 30, 2:30pm. Free

5. The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra Small Ensemble: We are pleased to present a small ensemble of the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra, a creative and relevant voice of musical innovation, diversity and understanding. Musicians appearing today include Lan Tung, Moshe Denburg, Ali Razmi, Bic Hoang and Jonathan Bernard.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall. Sun Oct 30, 2:30pm. By donation to the Garden

6. An Evening with Beverly Dobrinsky and Zeellia: Singer and choral director Beverly Dobrinsky reflects upon history, fate and destiny in Dolja, a solo show with spoken word, hurdy gurdy and song. The second set features Beverly with her group Zeellia, Vancouver’s own Slavic soul band playing songs and dances from Ukraine, the Balkan states and the Canadian prairies.

Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender. Thurs Nov 3, 7:30pm. $10 suggested donation at door

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:

• History on the Verge: Shining Light on Our Old East End Houses: Join Strathcona-based house history researcher and heritage advocate James Johnstone on a tour highlighting Vancouver’s oldest houses and stories of the people who lived in them.

Meet at NW corner of Dunlevy & Railway. Sat Oct 29,10am;

• Moments of Community History Walking Tour: Join Jean Swanson of the Carnegie Community Action Project on a walk through the Downtown Eastside where moments in community history will be marked by historical plaques.

Meet at entrance to Woodwards, 111 W. Hastings. Sat Oct 29, 11:30am;

• An 1886 Walking Tour: Take a walk with John Atkin, author, DTES/Strathcona resident and walking-history-encyclopedia as he travels along the streets and alleys of Vancouver as the City existed 125 years ago.

Meet at Maple Tree Square, Carrall & Water. Sun Oct 30, 10am;

• 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

Bonus – a pre-festival highlight:

12. Oppenheimer Art Show and Parade: At Our Kitchen Table: It is an honour to include in the Festival the 4th Annual Oppenheimer Park Community Art Show. The first art show helped to bridge the community through the transformations of a pre-Olympic city and redevelopment of the Park. Today Oppenheimer Park remains a community of people upholding the Park’s vision as a place for art, education, recreation, health and healing. The art show features works by new, emerging and established artists that reflect the vibrant and creative community in and around the Park and offers a unique perspective into the heart and home of the DTES. Join artists, community members and neighbours in an early evening parade from Oppenheimer to Gachet, led by Brad Muirhead and the Carnegie Street Band.

Gallery Gachet, 88 E. Cordova. Fri Oct 21, 7pm.  Parade leaves Oppenheimer, 6pm. Free

On May 14, 2011, the Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra hosted at the W2 Media Café a Woodward’s Nostalgia Fundraiser for its many projects. To officially open later in the month, the fundraiser was held in the W2 studio space in the basement of the historic Woodward’s building and catered by café staff and volunteers. The fun included prize balloons, a 50/50 draw, silent auction and much reminiscing and dancing for a capacity crowd.

April Smith of AHA Media gave a short talk on W2 Community Media Arts Society and asked for support for Women and Children tech camps

Video by Sid Tan

TELUS customers first to stay connected from the living room with Facebook on Optik TV

Vancouver, B.C. — TELUS is giving Western Canadians something new to “Like” about Optik TV. TELUS today introduced a new Facebook application on its Optik TV platform designed to provide customers convenient access to Facebook features and content without missing a second of their favorite TV shows. This innovative application is a Canadian first, and brings a whole new dimension to both TV watching and social media. Through “Share my View”, users are able to post what they’re watching on their Wall, creating a social TV viewing experience that brings their whole friends list into the picture.

“IPTV is the future of television, and with Optik TV the future is here at TELUS. We are committed to enabling a truly connected home, offering new ways for our Optik TV customers to stay connected and multitask while enjoying television, and to that end we plan to launch a number of applications this year,” said David Fuller, Chief Marketing Officer, TELUS. “TV applications are a great example of the power of Internet-enabled TV. This Facebook app brings social networking to the living room – it’s all about making TV viewing a social activity again, in an exciting new way.”

To promote the launch of this bold new TV app, TELUS has teamed up with Leonard Nimoy in an innovative marketing campaign that announces Facebook on Optik TV as “The Next Frontier of Social Networking.”

The application wraps part of the perimeter of the television screen, allowing users to enjoy their favorite Facebook features while simultaneously continuing to watch TV programming. Included in the Optik TV subscription, the Facebook application on Optik TV uses the standard remote control to allow customers to view status updates, activities and Wall posts, find a friend, and write messages on friends’ Walls. The application also offers the ability to view Facebook photo albums in slideshow mode to create a high-impact full screen presentation view of photos right on the TV.

TELUS Optik TV customers need only their current Facebook account and subscription to Optik Internet to take advantage of the Facebook application for TV.

The Facebook application was developed in partnership between TELUS and ES3, the premier developer of iTV (interactive television) applications for the award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom platform upon which Optik TV is based. “Applications for IPTV, such as the Facebook app, are key drivers in the evolution of TV and how consumers interact with the largest screen in the home,” said Doug Edwards, CEO, ES3. “I truly believe the Facebook application for Optik TV presents a clear view to the horizon of purely integrated social activities that can be tied with our TV viewing experiences.”

TELUS offers Optik TV in British Columbia and Alberta communities. TELUS is investing $1.3 billion in network infrastructure in B.C. and Alberta this year alone to increase Internet speeds, introduce Optik TV to more communities, and expand its wireless network.

Below is Sean Ruzicka speaking about TELUS introducing Facebook on Optik TV in Vancouver

Below is a photo a 3 second teaser video of Leonard Nimoy teaming up with TELUS to launch “The Next Frontier of Social Networking.”

Below is Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA excited about Facebook on Optik TV

With Glowing Hearts: A Vancouver 2010 Social Media Story explores what it means to be human, #hashtags, hockey and homlessness.

See you there. Tell us about your Olympic Experience on Twitter @WGHTheMovie

The one year anniversary of the games is fast approaching but the effects that it had on our local culture are still largely unexplored. This documentary

After the screening there will be beverages and celebrations at W2