Saturday, May 26
Time: 10:30 am – 4:30pm

Where:
Richmond Cultural Centre – 100-700 Minoru Gate, Richmond, British Columbia

Visit the site for more information!

 Inspire, Achieve, Celebrate!

Join us for the 2^nd annual World Poetry Canada and International Peace Festival.

With hosts Ariane Sawyer and Roberta Price, this two-day event filled will feature International Poets, BC poetry groups from many cultures and includes music, dance, readings, workshops and a panel discussion.

Ricepaper Magazine is one of the proud sponsors of this exciting festival. Be sure to mark it on your calendar today!

Be a part of Asian Heritage Month at the 16^th annual explorASIAN 2012 Festival during the month of May. explorASIAN 2012 Festival celebrates Asian arts, cultures and contributions as part of the harmonious diversity of Canada.

The month-long festival will present an exciting variety of events, including dance, music, visual arts and poetry with the first event that kicks off May 04, 2012.

The Magical Encounter explores the intersection between music, word, dance, multimedia and cultural traditions. The Magical Encounter is co-presented by SFU Woodward’s, and will open explorASIAN 2012 on Friday, May 4 at the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre.

“We’re very excited about this year’s festival,” said Winnie Cheung, Co-President of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS). “For the first time in the festival’s sixteen-year history, explorASIAN is producing an original, inter-cultural dance and music event that explores the connections between different Asian-Canadian cultures.”

Check out the number of Asian-Canadian themed events during Asian Heritage Month:

• May 5: “The Magical Encounter” – matinee show for youth & seniors
• May 4 –25: “Generation One” art exhibition at various venues with an official opening at the International Arts Gallery
• May 1–31: World Poetry International Festival at Richmond Cultural Centre, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at UBC and various locations in Metro Vancouver
• May 6: Zyryab – the kick off event for the 8^th Annual International Jondo Flamenco Festival
• May 6: National AHM Video Conference on the theme “What Are We Mutating To?”
• May 12: B.C. Chinese Orchestra Recycle for Life Concert featuring minority music from S.W. China
• May 17: Photographic Expressions of Asia
• May 19: Multicultural Film Festival
• May 27: Chinese Canadian Youth Concert
• May 31: repercussion & the opening of VIBC’s City of Bhangra Festival

Visit the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS) for more information on events and tickets.

From the website:
Join us for a staged reading of Larry Wong’s new play, Empress of Asia, based on his original one act play: Siu Yeh – A Midnight Snack.

Can a young woman, born at the dawn of the 20th Century, find happiness with a husband true to the ways of the Qing Dynasty and 20 years her senior? Only after she endures two weeks in the Pig Pen, pays her $500 Head Tax on her arrival in Canada and satisfies his foot fetish.

The development of Empress of Asia has been supported through the Community Historical Recognition Program, Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Read by: Mitch Janzen, BC Lee, Minh Ly, Lissa Neptuno, Nelson Wong, Jimmy Yi, Andrea Yu

Written by Larry Wong
Director & Dramaturg: Donna Spencer
Set and Video Consultant: Craig Alfredson
Lighting Consultant: Jamie Burns
Costume Consultant: Sabrina Evertt

The UBC Faculty of Arts and the Departments of Theatre and Film, Asian Studies, and English are co-sponsoring a staged reading at UBC of  Thunderstorm, which was written by one of most renowned contemporary playwrights, Cao Yu. Cao Yu was known as the “Shakespeare of the Orient,” and Thunderstorm remains one of his best known works – a tale of fatalism, retribution, and incest.

No, really. It’s still hard to decide who was the most enjoyable to watch, who gave us the most metaphysical meat to gnaw on. Was it Sabrina Mehra Furminger, who read her submission “Bombay Water” with the cadence and emotion of a seasoned actor? Was it Larissa Lai and the way she spoke of Chinese history, nature, and the city in way that made your own lips move, like you were trying to follow the words, catch them for yourself?  Was it Howie Tsui’s beautiful monsters in blue pen, magnified in glass and projected over his head while he explained the process of his work, and the cover for this issue, Horror Fables? Was it how Tetsuro Shigematsu relived the trauma of a high school fight? Maybe it was The Jaggerbombers and their cover of Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite”?

Dr. Ray Hsu also proved that my two personal most favourite things–irony and musicals–never go out of style. Even as a literary magazine it’s hard to find the words to do it justice. But this is why we have video:

Thanks to Tetsuro Shigematsu for being on the ball with that one. Check out photos on our Facebook page! We also want to extend our thanks to Rhizome Cafe, for providing the flattering golden light and delicious nibbles.

RSVP to this event on our Facebook page!

Buy your tickets in advance on our EventBrite page

When: Saturday May 14, 2011- Sunday, May 15, 2011
Time: Starting at 10:00 AM
Where: Richmond Cultural Centre, 100-7000 Minoru Gate, Richmond, BC, Canada
Cost: Free! Visit the World Poetry site for more information and the festival program.

About World Poetry International Festival: The World Poetry Organization was created by Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea and has been in existence for over 12 years, beginning with the goal to provide a much needed venue where multicultural, multinational poets, writers, and those in other artistic disciplines could perform in English and in their language of origin. The World Poetry Reading Series at the Vancouver Public Library, World Poetry Café Radio Show on CFRO, The World Poetry Electronic Newsletter, World Poetry Publishing, World Poetry Workshop Series, World Poetry Night Out, and the World Poetry Celebration Series are all components of a World Poetry movement based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada.  Recently, World Poetry has included World Poetry International with our first two international committee members: Dr. Hadaa Sendoo in Mongolia and Dr. Rita Malhotra in India. World Poetry’s foundation is built on the great need to provide respect, honor, support, peace and love for all through the arts and education.

Date: April 7-23 2011
Time: Times vary – please check Gateway Theatre for more information
Where: Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond, B.C
Tickets: 604-270-1812 or Gateway Theatre

Witness the extraordinary tale of the Monkey King. Book and lyrics by Marty Chan (with lyrics, music and orchestration by Robert Walsh), The Forbidden Phoenix blends Peking opera, Western musical theatre, comedy, acrobatics and martial arts into a single play. Immigration is central to the show – the story of a father who comes to Canada looking for a better life. The Monkey King, Chinese mythology’s most beloved super hero, must rescue a damsel in distress and tame the Iron Dragon before he can be reunited with his son.

Vancouver:

Japan Love

About Japan Love: The BC Japan Earthquake Relief Fund (BC-JERF) is a coalition of volunteers from the Japanese Canadian community whose purpose is to “vet and act as an organizational hub for BC communities’ fundraising efforts and to facilitate the delivery of this financial aid to the affected people in Japan.” Funds raised through BC-JERF-endorsed campaigns and events will be donated in full to reputable charities operating on the ground in Japan, such as the Japanese Red Cross. Check here for a calendar of fundraising events throughout Vancouver and BC.

*NOTE: This is not a registered charity, if you wish to make a donation and receive a tax receipt, please do so directly to Red Cross.

Contact: Greg Masuda
Executive Committee: BC Japan Earthquake Relief Fund
Telephone: (604) 566-9597
Email: Contact [at] bc-jerf.ca

Vancouver Japan Relief Walk of Hope

Metro Vancouver Photography Workshops has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to organize a 5.5 k walk from Science World to the Vancouver Public Library. Participants are encouraged to donate to the Red Cross and register for the walk at the website here so that they can have an accurate count of participants. Walkers will be wearing red and white as a symbol of the Canadian and Japanese cultures.

Date: Sunday, April 3rd
Time: 3:00 pm
Where: From Science World (meet at parking lot at 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver) to the Vancouver Public Library (5.5 k)
Info: call 604-628-6990 or email info@vancouverjapanrelief.com

Montreal:

From Chez Yusuke blog:
Cookie Sale for Japanese Earthquake Relief
Culture and Language Connections
Date: Saturday March 19.2011,
Time: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: 4260 avenue Girouard, #350, Métro Villa-Maria Montreal
Info: 514-903-8897

Japanese Craft Festival/Festival d’art japonais
Canada-Japan Society of Montreal
Exhibition and demonstration of ikebana, shodo, kimekome, furoshiki, and more.
Date: Sunday, March 20.2011
Time: 2:00pm – 4:30pm
Where: Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal 8155, rue Rousselot, Montréal, H2E 1Z7;
(Métro Jarry et autobus 193E)
Info: Midori Pinti, 514-313-9945

Je me souviens Japon 2011: Benefit concert featuring 12 artists and counting.
Date: Wednesday, March 23.2011, 7:00pm-11:00pm
Where: Club Soda, 12245, boul. Saint-Laurent, (Métro Saint-Laurent).
Tickets: 20$ (at the door)
Info : K.Joe Tamko; 514-317-0422

Donation boxes:
Yuki Bakery: 5211 rue Sherbrooke Ouest. 514-482-2435. (Métro Vendôme).
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal: 8155 rue Rousselot. 514-728-1996. (Métro Jarry).

Toronto:

The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre has created a special, dedicated disaster relief fund within its Foundation to aid victims of the Tohoku Kanto earthquake in Japan.

JCCC is taking direction for the Japanese consulate in term of how to direct funds. At present funds are going to the Japanese Red Cross through the Canadian Red Cross.

Ottawa:

Japan Relief Charity Event

Date: Sunday, March 27, 2011
Time: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Westin Hotel in the Governor General Ballroom, Ottawa
Info: Tickets are $40 each. All proceeds go directly to Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund. Please RSVP to japan.relief@jetaaottawa.ca

The Japan Relief Charity is organised by the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni Association of Ottawa (JETAA Ottawa) in partnership with the Canada-Japan Society of Ottawa (CJSO) to bring everyone together in effort to help the people in Japan following the massive earthquake.

This event will be hosted by Stefan Keyes, CTV Ottawa’s 6PM news reporter, and the Ambassador of Japan is scheduled to speak at the event.

The event will be held at Westin Hotel in the Governor General Ballroom. ALl proceeds from the event, which includes a silent auction, will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Other websites and information on relief efforts:

Red Cross

Doctors without Borders

World Vision Canada

Global Medic

CBC

When:

Be inspired and come join the conversation!

See Gen Why’s inaugural Bring Your Boomers Party. Gen Why pairs Gen Why innovators with Boomer influencers for intergeneration dialogue to discover what we can learn from each other, how we can inspire re-imagination and why it’s important to work together. We’re honored to welcome this amazing collection of speakers:

Boomer Participants:
Ken Lum -Internationally celebrated Multidisciplinary Artist
Nettie Wild – Acclaimed Vancouver Documentary Filmmaker
Kathleen Mahoney -Internationally recognized Human Rights Lawyer and Law Professor

Gen Why Participants:

Nimisha Mukerji – Director of the award-winning documentary 65_RedRoses
Leigh Christie – Engineer, Sculptor, Event Producer and Co-founder of the eatART Foundation
Caleb Behn – Law student and Chair of the Indigenous Circle at the Canadian Environmental Network

The event will also have live music, including Zachary Gray from The Zolas, Slippery Elm from Elekwent Folk; local artists, including Vancouver’s renowned street artist, Indigo; and performance art, including Vancouver’s one and only Spandy Andy!

There will be drinks, free snacks, door prizes, fun surprises and a Do-It-Yourself Gen Why merchandise making station (so bring an old t-shirt!). There will be a Cash bar, free snacks, live music, films screenings, door prizes and DIY screen printing.

BIG THANKS to sponsors: Granville Online, Rabble.ca, VIVO Media Arts Centre, Claire Livia Lassam, Citr 101.9 fm, Discorder Magazine, The Tyee, Lester’s Army, BLIM Arts and Crafts Facility and OCW Magazine.

About Gen Why Media
Gen Why Media is a peer produced, collaborative production group that seeks to characterize the underrepresented zeitgeist of youth culture through events, workshops, public art and media. Read more here.