The Vancouver Opera Festival season is kicking off on a high note with the inaugural VOX vocal competition. The next generation of Canadian opera stars will compete at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 26th, ahead of the festival program which runs April 27 to May 5, 2019.

VOX Vocal Competition

Following a national audition, eight gifted opera singers from across the country have been pre-selected to perform during this evening fundraiser in support of young artists and Vancouver Opera. They’ll compete live in front of six esteemed judges including Judith Forst, Leslie Dala, Jonathan Darlington, Kim Gaynor, Roberto Mauro, and J. Patrick Raftery. The contestants will be vying for cash prizes and the audience will be invited to cast their vote for audience choice.

While the judges deliberate Canada’s leading opera sensation Erin Wall, who is acclaimed for her musicality and versatility, will perform for the VOX audience.

“This new initiative is yet another way Vancouver Opera invests in young artists,” says Kim Gaynor, Vancouver Opera General Director. “This is an exciting opportunity for these young performers to have their opera careers propelled to the next level. The cash prize could provide the winner with the opportunity to fund international auditions.”

VOX is this season’s unmissable event for everyone who is interested in discovering great new voices and experiencing the excitement of a live competition. VOX contestants hail from across Canada with:

• Tenors Lampron-Dandonneau (Quebec), Ryan Nauta (Quebec)
• Baritone Zainen Suzuki (Quebec, originally from Burnaby)
• Sopranos Ana Toumine (Quebec), Shantelle Przybylo (Ontario), Elizabeth Harris (BC)
• Mezzos Amanda Perera (Ontario), Sarah Bissonnette (Alberta).

The evening begins with a 5:30pm cocktail reception followed by the live competition at 6:30pm. Tickets for VOX are $65 and available online or by phone (604) 683-0222.

Rossini’s much-loved La Cenerentola (Cinderella) will then open the third annual Vancouver Opera Festival on April 27th at 2:00pm matinee at the Vancouver Playhouse. For more information about VOX and the festival performances, follow the Vancouver Opera #VOfest on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The 18th annual DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Western Canada’s largest documentary Film Festival, returns May 2 to May 12, 2019. Committed to cultivating curiosity and critical thought, DOXA will present 82 films (shorts and features) from across Canada and around the world, representing some of the very best in contemporary documentary cinema.

DOXA Documentary Film Festival

• Venues: The Vancouver Playhouse, VIFF’s Vancity Theatre, The Cinematheque, The Post at 750, Museum of Vancouver, SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
• Admission: Evenings and Weekends: $15; Weekday Matinee (weekday films starting at 5:00 pm or earlier): $13; Opening gala, closing gala and live presentation: $18; Student/Senior/Low Income tickets for all regular screenings: $2 discount; Membership: $2.
  • Festival Pass: $195 (includes membership; valid for all film screenings including opening and closing night film and party).
• Tickets: Available online or in person at the community box office April 23-30, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm at DOXA office (#110–750 Hamilton St, Vancouver).
  • The Festival Box Office is at VIFF’s Vancity Theatre (May 4-12)  and The Cinematheque (May 2- 13), where you can get tickets for all festival screenings. SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (May 4-5, 8-12) will have tickets are available for all festival screenings and events at this venue.

Feature Gala Films

On May 3, DOXA kicks off with Baljit Sangra’s courageous new film Because We Are Girls, which celebrates the strength of sisterhood in the face of profound pain and trauma. Because We Are Girls tells the story of three sisters from a conservative Indo-Canadian family coming to terms with the sexual abuse they faced by an older relative beginning in their childhood years. Vancouver-based Sangra explores the impact of sexual abuse on a family, turning her empathetic lens on intimate moments as they process and heal.

On May 4, DOXA hosts a special live documentary presentation Postings From Home by Toronto- based filmmaker Kelly O’Brien. O’Brien has taken the collective sharing of one’s personal life — now habitual on social media — and combined it with the 20th-century tradition of a family slideshow to
create an emotionally affecting live performance.

The gala screening of nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up on May 8 marks the 10-year anniversary of DOXA’s Justice Forum, a series aimed at creating space for open dialogue. Few events in recent Canadian history have sparked as much media attention, outrage, and horror as the death of Colten Boushie, a young Cree man from the Red Pheasant First Nation who died after being shot in the head on Gerald Stanley’s farm. Indigenous filmmaker and scholar Tasha Hubbard goes beyond the headlines to present a detailed examination of race relations on the prairies.

Closing the festival on May 11, Hepi Mita’s Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen is a tender posthumous tribute to his mother Merata Mita, the first Māori woman — and one of the first Indigenous women in the world — to write and direct a narrative feature film. DOXA is exceptionally proud to close the festival with this extraordinary film about a visionary artist, activist and mother.

View the full festival schedule here »

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to the Opening Night Gala Film Because We Are Girls by Baljit Sangra on Friday, May 3, 2019. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Follow DOXA on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more info.

UPDATE the winner is Mitchell!

Earlier this season, Coastal Jazz & Blues Society announced the Imperial Series of concerts during the 2019 TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, which runs this summer from Friday, June 21 to Monday, July 1, 2019. One of the featured acts is The Suffers, and you can win tickets from Miss604!

The Suffers at The Imperial in Vancouver

Where: The Imperial (319 Main St, Vancouver)
When: Monday June 24, 2019 at 9:00pm
Tickets: Available online now »

Coming in hot out of Houston, Texas, The Suffers pack elements of reggae, jazz, salsa, rock, and hip hop into their trademark Gulf Coast soul. Brimming with contagious grooves, combustible energy and Kam Franklin’s powerhouse voice, this is “soul, straight from horn to heart” (NPR).

“The sort of neo-retro group you never knew music was so badly missing” (Spin Magazine), eight-piece wonder-band The Suffers are a fired-up, contemporary version of the great R&B/funk bands of ‘70s and ‘80s like Earth, Wind & Fire, Rufus, and Kool & The Gang.

The TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival will take place June 21 to July 1, 2019and will be held in multiple locations across Vancouver. With 1,800 artists, 300 performances, 35 venues, and 150+ free shows – this annual event is not to be missed. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest updates #VanJazzFest.

Win Tickets

Ever since I first saw The Suffers in Seattle back in 2015 I knew they’d make it big! It’s a real treat to see them on The Imperial stage in Vancouver. Their energy and talent make for an incredibly fun concert, with beautifully smooth tunes. You can win your way into their show on June 24th, here’s how:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, April 29, 2019. The winner will receive a pair of tickets to the show.

UPDATE The winner is Barb!

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia presents the singular stylings of Anoushka Shankar on April 27, 2019.Divine sitar player, acclaimed composer, and one of contemporary India’s cultural gems, the award- winning artist will perform songs from her brand-new compilation album Reflections — which draws on classical ragas as well as contemporary cross-cultural pieces that showcase the versatility of the sitar across musical genres.

Anoushka Shankar at the Chan Centre

When: Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 8:00pm
Where: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (UBC, 6265 Crescent Rd)
Tickets:Available online now from $46

Shankar will be joined on stage by exceptionally gifted instrumentalists Ojas Adhiya (tabla), Pirashanna Thevarajah (mridangam), Ravichandra Kulur (flute), Danny Keane (cello and piano) and Kenji Ota (tanpura).

Shankar’s music embodies a “spirit of innovation and experimentation” (Nitin Sawhney). Her unerring commitment to progressively disseminating Indian classical and world music has earned her numerous awards, including the British House of Commons Shield in 1998 and the Songlines Best Artist Award in 2012. She has been nominated for six Grammy Awards.

Her father and guru, the late Ravi Shankar, guided her musical education through Indian classical music traditions. It was under his tutelage that she made her professional debut as a sitarist at the age of 13. Across her illustrious career, Shankar has worked with such renowned names as Herbie Hancock, Sting, M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, Joshua Bell, Wayne Shorter, and Chaka Khan. She has performed for sold-out audiences at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and the Barbican Centre in London.

Shankar’s new album Reflections (2019) is a compilation of works from previous releases Land of Gold, Traveller, Traces of You, Breathing Under Water, and Rise. In the all-instrumental performance at the Chan Centre, Shankar will draw from these and other significant recordings from throughout her career.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to this performance, here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

Follow The Chan Centre on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more information about upcoming shows. I will draw one contest winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

UPDATE The winner is Edit Jeremias!

Got Craft?, Vancouver’s largest indie craft fair, celebrates its 25th event on May 4th & May 5th. Hosted at The Maritime Labour Centre in East Vancouver, over 85 handmade makers and small shops will fill the space, including many fresh brands to discover.

Find the perfect Mother’s Day gift and pick up a little something for yourself. You’ll find everything from clothing and apothecary, to jewelry and artisanal food, art, ceramics, greeting cards, and so much more! Attendees will also enjoy food trucks, The Rolling Cashew, H2 Eats Vietnamese, and Varinicey Pakoras.

Got Craft? Spring Market

Where: Maritime Labour Centre (1880 Triumph St, Vancouver)
When: Saturday, May 4 & Sunday, May 5, 2019 10:00am to 5:00pm
Tickets: Available online for $3 or at the door for $5.

With vendors coming from all over BC, Got Craft? showcases the best in independent craft and design. The first 50 people at the event each day will get amazing swag bags with goods from vendors. Each limited edition tote bag is printed by local maker, Robbie Vergara Screenprinting and illustrated locally by The Beautiful Project.

Win a Prize Pack

I have an amazing prize pack available packed full of goodies from Got Craft? vendors – valued at $850 – that includes:

Of course the winner will also get two admission tickets to check out the fair. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

Follow the event on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram #GotCraft for more information and inspiration.

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, April 26, 2019.

UPDATE The winner is Christophe!