Vancouver Celebrates by Klim Levene
As promised in one of our earlier posts, we bring you the first of our regular monthly lists of the most interesting events taking place in Vancouver. All of these events are parts of the official Vancouver’s 125 years birthday celebrations which will last throughout the whole year 2011.
PuSh International Performing Arts Festival
January 18 – February 6
This major annual Vancouver festival lasting three weeks is one of the most noticeable and valuable events of the year. With it’s mission to engage and enrich audiences with adventurous contemporary works in a spirit of innovation and dialogue, there is surely a whole lot to look forward to. Presenting various genres, visionary works of art and multi-discipline artists, local and international, PuSh pushes forward.
PuSh has been around since 2005 with 136 performances, 16 venues and 24,000 audience attendance in the last year alone. This year, we will be probably looking at much higher numbers. The Main shows include the documentary “IQUALUIT”, the play “FLOATING” or the “HARD CORE LOGO: LIVE” performance just to name a few that will be presented until the festival’s end. For more information on shows and tickets visit PuSh’s official site.
PODPLAYS 12.5
January 21 – February 6 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Neworld theatre and Playwrights Theatre Centre present a unique hybrid of technology and performance which combines sound, text and the environment of the city with it’s specific sites. Audience members just have to load their mp3 players with PodPlays (pre-recorded plays) and go outside where the fun begins. They follow specific routes as the 15 minute play develops and becomes a soundtrack to everyday street life of Vancouver. The series highlights various visions of the city and the citizens’ relationships to some of Vancouver’s historic and rapidly changing neighbourhoods.
Aboriginal performance and art
during last years Olympics
Photo by Tyler McCulloch
Talking Stick Festival
February 1 – February 13
Presenter Full Circle invites us to a 2 week long annual celebration of First Nations traditions, Aboriginal performance and art. The festival will be held in various venues throughout the city, focusing on a fusion of cabaret, music, dance, theatre and storytelling. The Aboriginal community from all over North America will view local artists and talents from Yukon, Ontario and the U.S. If you would like to take a look, visit Full Circle’s site for dates and tickets.
Olympic Winter Games Anniversary in Vancouver
February 3 – February 26
Starting with a night time lantern-extravaganza and streets filled with art, the celebrations of another anniversary, this time of the last year’s Vancouver’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, will begin February 3rd with the Lunar Fest in the Vancouver Art Gallery. For a truly Olympic atmosphere, the celebrations will continue with the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron at Canada Place on February 12. Other events are also planned that day at the Robson Square Ice Rink (free public skating!), Granville Street, Greekside Community Centre in the Olympic Village and Yaletown’s historic streetscape.