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April Smith interviewed by Guest Host Ian Hanomansing on BC Child Poverty Rates at CBC Vancouver Radio The Early Edition on Wednesday November 25, 2009

November 25, 2009 Leave a comment

Wednesday November 25, 2009

Why does BC lead the nation in child poverty rates?  CBC Radio The Early Edition spoke to April Smith, a young woman who grew up in poverty in the downtown eastside.  Download this interview. (runs 8:59) http://www.cbc.ca/bc/features/podcast/

http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/bcearlyedition_20091125_23565.mp3

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Below is a photo of  April Smith with Host Ian Hanomansing in Studio 10 at CBC Vancouver Radio The Early Edition.

Ian Hanomansing was a very exellent host to April! 🙂

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Below is a photo of April Smith with Shiral Tobin – CBC Radio One Early Edition Director.

Shiral Tobin was very warm in welcoming and reassuring to April for her first time interview on air! 🙂

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Below are two of CBC Vancouver’s tweets to April Smith on Twitter

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Below is a photo of Raymond Cochrane – Security at CBC Radio who was welcoming to April upon first arrival! 🙂


Many thanks to everyone CBC Vancouver Radio The Early Edition for allowing April Smith to speak on BC Child Poverty Rates!

http://www.cbc.ca/earlyedition/

Below are 19 photos of CBC Radio interview on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahamedia/sets/72157622752420463/

Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA films Mayor Gregor Robertson speaking at Uncovering Vision Art Show at UGM’s Maurice McElrea Place in Vancouver Downtown Eastside on Friday Nov 20 2009

November 24, 2009 2 comments

 Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA films Mayor Gregor Robertson speaking at Uncovering Vision Art Show at Union Gospel Mission’s’s Maurice McElrea Place in Vancouver Downtown Eastside on Friday Nov 20 2009

What: Uncovering Vision: A Discovery of Art Forms by Men and Women on the Downtown East Side, sponsored by the East Side Culture Crawl. Opening will be attended by many of the featured artists, Mayor Gregor Robertson, Photographer Kevin Clark, Artist Pamela Masik, and others.

When: Opening Friday, November 20th at 4:00pm; show runs Friday, Nov. 20th 4pm-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm

Where: Maurice McElrea Place, 361 Heatley Ave, Vancouver.

The following photo and video is of Mayor Gregor Robertson speaking at Uncovering Vision Art Show at Union Gospel Mission’s Maurice McElrea Place

This was filmed by Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA on a New Media camera – Panasonic DMC-ZS3. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith Twitter.com/AprilFilms or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

Please see 42 photos of the Uncovering Vision Event on our Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahamedia/sets/72157622870449682/

 

Heart Therapy: A Downtown East Side Art Show Features Unlikely Artists; Pamela Masik leads Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) women on Healing Journey

November 18, 2009 Leave a comment

Can art heal? Try asking the artists featured in a show titled: “Uncovering Vision: A Discovery of Art Forms by Men and Women on the Downtown East Side.” The show runs from Nov. 20-22, with an opening at 4:00pm on Friday the 20th at 361 Heatley Ave., and is sponsored by the East Side Culture Crawl.

The show is the culmination of two art programs hosted by the Union Gospel Mission for the men and women from their Alcohol and Drug Recovery Program and Women’s Drop-In Program: The Creative Journey, with artist Pamela Masik, and Photography 101, with photographer Kevin Clark.

Elizabeth, one of the women who took part in the Creative Journey class, arrived in Vancouver ten years ago with only five dollars in her pocket, fleeing an abusive relationship. Finding herself on the streets and alone, she turned to the Union Gospel Mission for help, eventually finding a home in one of UGM’s permanent supportive housing suites. She’s been through some difficult times over the last ten years, and the Creative Journey program has helped her to process those experiences.

“It isn’t just art, it’s healing,” says Elizabeth. “It’s a way to take everything that happened to me in the past and let it out. I didn’t realize I had so much emotion in me!”

Masik led the women through a ten week journey, helping them to find their own artistic voice and create several pieces each, including a mask, a charcoal drawing, and a large-format oil painting on canvas. But the women came away with more than just art. “Life out there is hard, so it was good to get in off the street and express ourselves,” says Elizabeth. “We became friends, got updates from each other and supported each other every week. We’re healing together.”

Photo Caption(high-res available on request): Artist Pamela Masik (right) helps guide Elizabeth, a participant in the Creative Journey program.

For Masik, the Creative Journey was a natural extension of her own work. She recently completed a series of 69 8’x10′ portraits of women who have been missing from Vancouver’s Downtown East Side for more than a decade, a collection titled The Forgotten. The collection will be featured in a major museum in 2011. “Facilitating the women on this creative journey has been a wonderfully transformative experience, and I believe finding one’s voice through art can be very empowering. Not only did the women create amazing art, which will be featured at the Uncovering Vision show as part of the East Side Culture Crawl, they were also offered a group art exhibition opening at Grace Gallery on Main Street on January 14th, 2010. I am proud of them for their achievements!”

Masik will continue to fund and run the program in the future. “It is a way to give back to the community, by inspiring women to find their voice through art.”

The Details:

What: Uncovering Vision: A Discovery of Art Forms by Men and Women on the Downtown East Side, sponsored by the East Side Culture Crawl. Opening will be attended by many of the featured artists, Mayor Gregor Robertson, Photographer Kevin Clark, Artist Pamela Masik, and others.

When: Opening Friday, November 20th at 4:00pm; show runs Friday, Nov. 20th 4pm-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm

Where: Maurice McElrea Place, 361 Heatley Ave, Vancouver.


April Smith of AHA MEDIA was very proud to be invited to speak about social media for social justice activisim with BCGEU members in North Vancouver

November 11, 2009 Leave a comment

April Smith of AHA MEDIA  was very proud to be invited to speak about social media for social justice activisim with BCGEU members at the Holiday Inn in North Vancouver, B.C.

BCGEU – BC Government and Service Employees Union http://www.bcgeu.ca

BCGEU is holding their  fall Labour Institute in early November, which is a three-day school with an academic stream and a campaigns stream. This time BCGEU’s campaigns stream is just for young workers (under 30).

April Smith will be speaking on how she got involved in social justice activism, how she uses social media in social justice activism and why it’s valuable, and a bit about the projects she’s worked on or are working on currently.

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Below is a photo of April Smith standing by  ” Today Events”  where it mentions BCGEU is in the Seymour Room

1 April - BCGEU 1

2 BCGEU in Seymour Room

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Below is a photo of Doug Dykens  welcoming the BCGEU members!

3 Doug speaking

In this video is an Introduction to BCGEU Young Workers event at Holiday Inn in North Vancouver with Doug Dykens and Leah Squance, where April Smith of AHA MEDIA is to give a speech on how she uses social media for social justice activism.

This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

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Below is a photo of April Smith speaking:

4 April Speaking

I feel that using social media nowadays is a very fast, effective and inexpensive way to engage your audience, whether it be a targeted one or a more broad spectrum. One can control how your information is given out and how you and your company is represented. You no longer have to wait for the traditional media or PR agents to talk about you.. You can do that yourself in the best possible way… You are your own best cheerleader – It bridges the gaps, democratizes media information and helps bring everyone together in a dynamic interactive way – through a participatory way online.

There is obviously a lot more to be said and learned about this. Here is my best advice:

“The best way to learn is to get actively engaged and I hope that I have inspired you!”

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Below is a photo of April Smith receiving a BCGEU gift bag from Leah Squance after presenting her speech for social media for social justice

5 April with Leah

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The evening entertainment was by Vancouver TheatreSports League! 🙂

Below is a photo and video of, Vancouver TheatreSports League actors – Brian Anderson, Bill Pozzobon and Ted Cole perform a hilarous skit – “BCGEU Young Workers of tomorrow and Cellphones “at the BCGEU Fall Labor Institute event at Holiday Inn in North Vancouver Saturday November 7, 2009.

Vancouver TheatreSports League –http://www.vtsl.com

6 Vancouver TheatreSports League Actors 1

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Below is a photo of Peter Davies, Photographer for AHA MEDIA

5 Peter at BCGEU

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AHA MEDIA thanks BCGEU http://www.BCGEU.ca for the inviatation to come and present social media for social justice activism to BCGEU Young Workers. We appreciate the BCGEU gift bag filled with BCGEU items! 🙂

7 Gift Bag from BCGEU

Alvin Clayton of AHA MEDIA from the Nisgaa Nation in Northern BC, speaks of his Aboriginal Art inspired by loving memory of his Father

November 7, 2009 1 comment

Alvin Clayton of AHA MEDIA from the Nisgaa Nation in Northern BC, speaks of his Aboriginal Art inspired by loving memory of his Father who was involved in community services for a very long time.

Below are photos and video of Alvin and his hand drawn Aboriginal artwork  prints to be used for fundraising for Harm Reduction in Vancouver Downtown Eastside

Alvin and Aboriginal Art

This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

Alvin and WAHRS

Alvin and Aboriginal Art 2

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Below are photos and video of Alvin Clayton who dedicates his art to be used as the WAHRS ( Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society) banner at LifeSkills Centre in loving memory of his father who was very involved in community service in his Nisgaa home nation up North in B.C.

Alvin and the WAHRS Banner

This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

Alvin and WAHRS members