Life Is A Festival!

Cute and Clever Companions: Rabbit Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:42:31 +0000

Even before moving to Vancouver I had heard about Rabbit Festival, which is run by the local bunny shelter, the Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy. My sister and I used to have a pair of bunnies when we were children and so I started volunteering on a weekly basis with VRRA soon after I arrived in Canada. The volunteers help Olga clean the around 40 indoor cages and outside pens, but the best part, of course, is getting to pet all the fluffy little rascals every week.

During the months I helped out at the shelter we had a lot of drama (a cute bunny I had rescued from a park had to be put down as he had a pellet from a pellet gun stuck in his jaw) and also some happy endings (sick bunnies recovering, older ones with a history of abuse finding a forever home). Looking after our fluffy charges on a regular basis, loving them to bits while also learning to let them go (to a good home) taught me so many things. It’s an ongoing challenge, but an important life lesson – not only where bunnies are concerned.

Rabbit Festival is an annual fundraiser that Olga and the shelter volunteers put on every October in order to raise awareness of issues, such as adequate rabbit care and health as well as cruelty against rabbits. It is also an opportunity for rabbit fans to get together and learn more about their furry friends. Did you know rabbits can easily be housetrained (using a litter box), have unique personalities (some of them love watching TV and can be trained to do some amazing tricks, see here) and can live for 12 years or longer?

For more information on anything to do with companion rabbits, take a look at the excellent House Rabbit Society website or contact your local chapter. They will be happy to help. Find out more about why it isn’t a good idea to give a real bunny as an Easter present here.

Movie Therapy For Cinema Addicts: The Vancouver International Film Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:36:50 +0000

It’s been my second year as a volunteer with VIFF (29 September – 14 October 2011) in a row and this time I managed to watch 45 films in two and a half weeks. Yep, sounds like a lot, but mind you, I met one volunteer who had actually seen 85 films including all the media screenings before the festival.

The volunteer team was awesome again this year! I spent all my shifts at the info tent on Granville Street, giving film tips (i.e. movie therapist) and helping film goers find the right lineup (i.e. movie traffic warden). We had so much fun discussing which films were ‘must see’ this year and it was exciting to see lots of familiar faces from last year in the lineups.

Once again, there way too many quality films to choose from. Some of my VIFF 2011 favourites included Cairo 678 and Position Among The Stars (which I had both seen at other festivals before), Cloudburst, Pure, Mitsuko Delivers, Give Up Tomorrow, Burma Soldier, Bone Wind Fire and The Girls in the Band. Having said that, every single person I met had different favourites. That’s what’s so fascinating about film festivals. You can create your own schedule and make it a learning experience, a visual trip around the world or simply a few evenings of quality entertainment. Just go and try it out. But be warned: film festivals are highly addictive!

Welcome To The Rainforest Circus: Synchronicity Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:45:11 +0000

When I first heard about Chad and Sandy’s festival and the concept behind Synchronicity, which is produced by Deer Crossing The Art Farm, I knew it would be a fun (ad)venture to get involved in. Two months later, I was busy helping to make the magic happen, volunteer coordinating and promoting the festival with a stall at local markets. It was exciting to witness all the energy and creativity of the many participants coming together into an interactive art experience, which encouraged community building and the exploration of our relationship with nature.

It was the second Synchronicity Festival and the first time it was held in Shirley Macey Park in Gibsons, where an existing forest loop trail was transformed by innumerable art installations into the setting for the Rainforest Circus. The 45 minute long performance took visitors of all ages on a journey past quirky and colourful circus and animal characters who seemed to just pop out from behind the trees, to the delight of children and adults alike. The two-day festival also included a live music stage with local acts, such as The Colorifics, Mindil Beach Markets, Matthew Lovegrove and Nir Blu, a craft and food market, art installations and an art activities tent for kids.

There were so many memorable moments last weekend, watching the amazement in the children’s faces during the forest circus shows, having the best berry sorbet ever and connecting with so many interesting locals. The very best memory, however, is of our tireless volunteers, who were total superstars! From the woman who happened to drop by and spontaneously offered to help out for an hour to those who were there for pretty much the whole weekend straight, it was really moving to see so much positive energy everywhere. The Rainforest Circus might have left town for now, but one thing is for sure: now that the seed has been planted, its magic is bound to sparkle even brighter in years to come.

Stories By The Sea: The Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts 2011

lifeisafestival — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:56:36 +0000

I’m spending the whole month of August on the beautiful Sunshine Coast and so it was a happy coincidence that the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts happened from 4 until 7 August 2011. The long-running literary event focuses solely on Canadian writers and had a carefully selected line-up of authors (and some musicians), who complemented each other perfectly. The location for the readings was equally amazing, at Rockwood Centre, just a stone’s throw from the beach in Sechelt in an airy, purpose built wooden ‘barn’ with space for about 500 literature enthusiasts.

As there was only ever one event going on at a time, each reading represented a nice focal point of its own. The calibre of work was very high and so I discovered many new favourites: Susan Juby, Lorna Goodison, Alexander MacLeod, Zsuzsi Gartner and Sarah Selecky, to name but a few. It was one of those festivals where, initially leafing through the programme, I hadn’t been familiar with many of the authors. Glancing at the same list of names now, a week after the festival, I remember listening to breathtaking stories and anecdotes, hauntingly evocative poetry and three days spent under shady trees with fellow book lovers. What a wonderful introduction to the Sunshine Coast community!

35 Years of Japanese-Canadian History and Culture: Powell Street Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 06:02:47 +0000

I’ve been to Japan twice and often miss hanging out with my Japanese friends. Luckily, last weekend almost felt like being back in Japan. Powell Street Festival, which celebrated its 35th birthday this year and took place on 30 and 31 July 2011, brought back lots of good memories. Over two days there was an unbelievably packed schedule of everything Japanese: from children’s origami workshops to modern and traditional music, a craft and food market, dancing and singing as well as various cultural and sports displays, even a sumo tournament.

I had a great time volunteering. I was mostly based at the children’s tent helping kids make face masks, decorate warrior hats or create origami animals. I also sold raffle tickets (first prize was a trip to Japan, sigh) and worked with security, making sure that festival patrons found everything they were looking for.

One of my highlights at the festival was a documentary called ‘One Big Hapa Family’ by local Japanese-Canadian animator and filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns. It explored the history of the Japanese in Western Canada and the stories of people with mixed-race identities. The other event I really enjoyed was the Japanese history walking tour around the Powell Street area, where the first Japanese immigrants to Vancouver originally settled (see also the website of the Japanese Canadian National Museum in Burnaby)

And of course I also had some Okonomiyaki, which reminded me of a night in my friend Sakiko’s house in Japan, when I had this yummy dish for the first time and how I wrinkled my nose at the dried fish flakes that actually moved on the hot pancake…now I can’t get enough of it!

Rain-Defying Folk(s): The Vancouver Folk Music Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:03:54 +0000

It was my first year at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, which was held from 15 until 17 July 2011, so I don’t know whether it had rained this much at previous events. I just kept stoically repeating my volunteer raffle seller’s credo ‘smile and the rain will go away’ and hoped for the best. And, despite the rain, the best it was in terms of the fun I had and the amazing music I got to experience over a long weekend in (believe it or not) July.

From Gillian Welch to Rosanne Cash, Mary Gauthier and Cris Williamson it was the female performers that most rocked the festival for me. Every time I wandered from stage to stage on the beautiful festival grounds at Jericho Beach I kept stopping in awe of an intriguing singing voice that caught my ear and had me pinned to the ground until that particular person put down their guitar. This is also how I came across my festival favorite, Diana Jones. Her haunting rendition of ‘Pony’ was still going around in my head by the time I left the festival grounds late on Sunday night and inspired me greatly to put pen to paper again more often.

Of course there were also Josh Ritter (now a novelist too!), who woke up rain-weary festival goers with his energetic performance, and Emmanuel Jal, whose serious message was perfectly packaged into danceable tunes, which resonated particularly well with the younger crowd. I was also pleasantly surprised at how many of the performers have active twitter accounts and some seem to even use them on the go. Here are a few if you happen to be a twitter junkie, like moi: @rosannecash @dianajonesmusic @gillianwelch @joshritter @emmanueljal @solasmusic @joykillssorrow @the_jayhawks @pokeylafarge @dannymichel @jplaskett @elliotbrood @buck65 @fugitivesmusic @imaginarycities @davidwaxmuseum

My volunteer experience was also totally ace! For putting in 12 hours of work (hard earned particularly on the rainy Saturday, mind you) the 1600 (!) volunteers got free festival passes, enjoyed some incredibly yummy lunches and dinners (incl. salmon, strawberries and icecream) as well as had two festival parties, one of which was attended by a few of the performers and had a handy shuttle service to the location. Yes, it was a very wet weekend indeed, but the stellar lineup at Jericho Beach has also more than whetted my appetite for exploring more folk music in the future.

Indian-Canadian Cultural Exchange: The Indian Summer Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:55:56 +0000

Vancouver’s inaugural Indian Summer Festival, which took place from 7 until 17 July 2011, had an ambitious goal: to showcase the best of Indian and Canadian culture in Vancouver and thereby bringing them both a little closer together. For their festival of arts and ideas organisers Laura Byspalko and Sirish Rao lined up an exciting spectrum of performances from live music and cooking demonstrations, yoga and interactive dance sessions to literature talks and film screenings.

Due to ‘scheduling conflicts’ with another festival (see following blog post) I caught the first couple of days only. They were packed with outstanding events though! My favourite was the very entertaining conversation between Indian actress Tabu and author (as well as new acting talent!) Yann Martel. His bestselling novel ‘Life of Pi’ had recently been turned into a movie starring not only Tabu but, in fact, Martel himself in a cameo role, who got a thumbs up from director Ang Lee for playing himself so well. I also volunteered at one of the yoga days, which were a balanced blend of theory and practice and were enthusiastically received by the attendees.

With 2011 being the official year of India in Canada as well as Vancouver’s 125th birthday it was the perfect time for this new Indian-Canadian cultural venture to be born. What made the festival an instant success in my eyes was the combination of excellent organisation and the passion and attention to detail of the enthusiastic festival curators. As a volunteer it was a pleasure to get involved in an event that is surely going to make waves in the future. I am already looking forward to being back in Vancouver for one of the upcoming editions of Indian Summer. Well done guys!

Earplugs Optional: The Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:57:57 +0000

Looking through the programme of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, which ran from 24 June until 3 July 2011, earlier today, it occurred to me that I pretty much missed all the big acts. I didn’t get to see Paco de Lucia, Madeleine Peyroux, Lucinda Williams, Erik Truffaz, Ana Moura nor Trombone Shorty. Contemplating this, for a brief moment, made me wish I’d bought a Hopper Pass and had NOT volunteered. But then, of course, it would have been a whole different festival for me.

I wouldn’t have met volunteers from as far as Switzerland, Slovakia, Turkey, Japan and even, believe it or not, Vancouver. I wouldn’t have learned to make the perfect chicken wrap, which earned us a thumbs up from the VanJazzFest staff. I wouldn’t have learned some interesting quirks about some of the performers and their backstage requests. I wouldn’t have danced at the volunteer party and I definitely wouldn’t have had (yet) another festival t-shirt for the collection in the wash on Monday night.

The gigs I did catch were all really intriguing and fell into roughly two categories for me: a) easy on the ear and b) ear-popping. I used to think I’m quite open to all sorts of musical styles, but at this festival I realised that maybe I am not. In fact, I had to fashion myself earplugs out of tissue paper on at least two or three occasions just to be able to TRY and appreciate the skill of the musicians on stage. No doubt, the likes of Colin Stetson, The Listening and Atomic are amazing musicians and I admire their creativity and raw energy. Still, when I looked around the auditorium at the Laila Biali or Brad Turner Quartet concerts I saw a lot more people smiling, swinging to the rhythm and generally enjoying themselves. I guess I am old-fashioned after all.

Backyard Beats: In The House Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:52:04 +0000

Imagine you’re sitting in a beautiful garden under the stars surrounded by trees and flowers listening to sublime sounds or enjoying a theatre show. Don’t think that kind of venue exists? It does! From 3 until 5 June 2011 a number of community oriented (and to some, pretty brave) neighbours opened their doors to welcome In The House Festival patrons for a variety of boutique musical, theatrical, spoken word, puppet and dance shows in East Vancouver.

Luckily, we were blessed with the sunniest weekend so far this year. The festival started for me on Friday night with a shift on Semlin Drive where ‘The World in Music’ brought together brilliant musicians from as far as Australia, Iran and Zimbabwe.

On Saturday night I caught an amazing jazz gig including the Lachance Ensemble, the Whitridge Brothers and the Heavy Pets, who all managed to squeeze themselves and their instruments in somebody’s living room. This was followed by a movie screening in a garden on Parker Street, which began once darkness had settled on the city. What could be more perfect than lounging on blankets in the grass, sipping homemade chai tea and nibbling popcorn with fellow festival goers who were all excitedly talking about their favourite In The House events so far.

On Sunday I helped out with a children’s show by Lost and Found Puppet Company and Dixie Star Storytelling in the same garden where we’d watched films the night before. The weekend came full circle for me when I headed back to Semlin Drive for my last gig of the festival, three Indie bands: Melissa Bandura, Wintermitts and Blackberry Wood.

In The House is the kind of festival that could and should happen in many more communities, and Myriam and her – mostly volunteer – crew did an amazing job making such a wonderful weekend possible. The festival brought together neighbours and friends, newcomers to the city and visiting musicians in a community setting that fostered interaction, sharing experiences and having fun. Alas, In The House lost a substantial arts grant this year and is very much in need of support to keep its unique programme going in the future. You can help in many ways, find out how here and do come along to one of the ongoing events held in Vancouver throughout the year.

Watch, Engage, Act: The Projecting Change Film Festival 2011

lifeisafestival — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 01:45:49 +0000

I borrowed the slogan of the Projecting Change Film Festival (26-29 May 2011) for the title of my blog post as it struck me last weekend how powerful that message really is. I found out about the festival a little late, but was really impressed by the professional, yet fun and inclusive atmosphere throughout the weekend. It was clear that the event was not about pointing out our shortcomings in terms of achieving change. On the contrary, it was all about tracking our progress and finding ways of further improving existing sustainability efforts.

WATCH: The choice of documentaries screened at the festival was spot on. Each of them covered a topic so important, it was hard to imagine there could be any more important issues out there – until you saw the next film and the next…At times this did feel a bit overwhelming, but like someone said in one of the films, it is the awkward topics, which we tend to avoid, that are ultimately the most important issues for the whole planet.

ENGAGE: It was lovely to see how eagerly festival staff, volunteers, filmmakers, sponsors and attendees communicated about really important issues during the festival. In a world of so many naysayers, it was refreshing to be surrounded by such a large number of positive thinking people. As a volunteer I felt included and valued, which made for a wonderful overall festival experience.

ACT: While the festival was only on for a short few days it had a strong impact on myself and, as far as I could see, also on lots of other people. Here are my key takeaways:

- One person can indeed make a difference and lots of small steps towards a common goal do add up.
- Get inspired by those who are already on the right path and either follow their footsteps or create your own project.
- Hang in there, persistence is key. If everyone in this world worked on just one project close to their heart, we could be making incredible progress in a much shorter period of time.
- Get support from likeminded people who will help you through the lows and frustrations and will motivate you to keep going no matter what.
- Repeat step one !

Or, as a 13 year-old boy interviewed in the documentary ‘Climate of Change’ put it: “We should never forget that we are the renters of this world. Not its master.” Let’s keep that in mind.

Winning documentaries:

Best Documentary: Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson
Best Canadian Documentary: The Clean Bin Project
Projecting Change Award: Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000
Projecting Change Video Contest Winner: Fair Trade Gangsta Rap