There are many arts, culture, and heritage events rolling this week and next. Everywhere. All the time.
There are many events running at anytime of the year. Vanilla Ice was here Monday, and Hearing Trees was in Rolla Tuesday night. White dudes!
I digress. From tastes of different nations, to performance, to arts, and cultural groups, history, there is a diverse swath seem to have been cut for the end of September arts and culture-wise. Cool, cool.
There are various reasons for highlighting culture and heritage from within communities – it is good to look left and right, see what’s shaking down alleys and hiding in communities in terms of arts, culture, and heritage. I am talking about highlighting homegrown art in communities. Check the listing on page A18. (Or the entertainment web page, if you be a reading online!)
For any creator, the creative process takes up a significant chunk of life. Many work alone, chipping away at creative ideas until it is time to take things public – either because they have reached a final product or because they’re working on a collaborative project and require the input of others. Fellow BC Culture Days Ambassadors from across the province come from many different backgrounds, and more importantly, approaches.
Actor, director, writer, filmmaker, event producer, teacher and coach, David C. Jones makes his living in the performing arts. Jones is taking his extensive acting repertoire and sharing his secrets at his BC Culture Days workshop: Confidence on Stage.
“Confidence is a challenge for many, it was and sometimes still is for me. With experience and time, however, I have found the confidence to feel good standing and speaking in front of a crowd of people.”
Confidence, or stage legs, as the case may be, it somewhat what City News is for. A reading next Friday here in DC. For both the script and reader/performers. It is exciting to see written work hit the live environment, and for actors used to the same live “anything could happen” environment. It will be nice to see this work in a new light with fresh eyes, voices, and feedback from audiences.
Another ambassador Lyn Verra-Lay has arts and culture in her blood. With an upbringing rich in artistic curiosities, Verra-Lay has been paying it forward by supporting the artistic ventures of Surrey’s youth for fifteen years. She says the fine arts were a definite reality and a way of life; strong foundation was established early.
“Music, through bands and choir, was (and still is) my favourite means of expression and led me to many opportunities in my youth such as travelling to Europe. Later on, dance was added to the mix and the world of musical theatre performance and production began to take over all my free time.”
Often, it is upbringing that shapes the person we are today and that is certainly true with painter, poet, photographer and BC Culture Days ambassador Priscilla Johann Maurice. Through her Culture Days activity, Van Gogh Paint by Numbers, Priscilla hopes to encourage her beloved Victoria community to express themselves creatively and take home a new skill.
“My community has helped me when I was in need and I want to give back to a place that has given me so much. As a BC Culture Days ambassador, I’d like to help my community discover their cultural roots and unleash their artistic creativity."
Until next time.
Rob Brown - Managing Editor
