First Nations

November 14, 2008

The
Looking Forward, Looking Back project is a Canadian Culture Online
funded project created to increase the amount of cultural content on
the Internet. The goal of the project is to take a look at life in
Vancouver’s Eastside through the eyes of Aboriginal artists,
storytellers, performers and designers – both traditional and
contemporary.

Mike Dangeli, Nisga’a Nation, one of the artistic
leaders of the project was quoted as saying, “Vancouver’s downtown
eastside has been described as the poorest postal code in Canada.
Everyone knows the ‘bad’ or ‘down side’ of the downtown eastside. What
they don’t know is that there is another side to the story. That story
needs to be told.”

“This project..,” he continued, “..will take
a look at a vibrant and rich community through the eyes of Aboriginal
artists who live, work and survive in such a difficult and often
impossible landscape. Although there are many disturbing and, in fact,
terrifying realities that make up the day to-day life of the residents
of the Eastside there is also an abundance of hope, courage, fortitude
and strength that can be seen in the care, attention and mutual concern
that we see on the Eastside.”

Jerry Whitehead, Cree, another one
of the project leaders invites artists from all artistic disciplines to
submit their story ideas and samples of their work to the project team.
He said, “We want all Eastside Weavers, Storytellers, Carvers, Dancers,
Filmmakers, Singers, Musicians, Actors, Comedians, Jewelers
living/working on the Eastside to share stories about how culture plays
a role in their artistic expression”

The logo for ‘Looking
Forward Looking Back’ was created by Eric Parnell, a Haida artist and
the third artistic leader of the project, to express the idea of a
cultural continuity that the website (LookingForwardLookingBack

Grant Writing Information Sessions
November 10-15, 2008

Victoria, Richmond, Surrey, and Vancouver

The Canada Council for the Arts is pleased to invite the public to participate in free grant writing information sessions for professional artists.

During these sessions, we will explain:
• how to complete application forms;
• how to submit your support material; and
• how applications are assessed.

The following Canada Council for the Arts staff will be conducting these sessions:

Marianne Heggtveit, Acting Head, Arts Services Unit
Melisa Kamibayashi, Information Officer, Arts Services Unit
Nancy Guertin, Program Officer, Theatre
Peter Schneider, Program Officer, Writing and Publishing
Pao Quang Yeh, Program Officer, Visual Arts

IMPORTANT

• Please inform Melisa Kamibayashi if you wish to attend.  Make sure to include which information session, the date, and in which discipline you will participate. 1-800-263-5588, ext. 4033 or at melisa.kamibayashi@canadacouncil.ca.

• We encourage you to bring your résumé (curriculum vitae). This will help program officers determine your eligibility.

• We encourage you to read up on the listed grant programs in advance of the information sessions so that you may ask the program officers questions that are more specific. Application guidelines and forms are posted on our website at www.canadacouncil.ca.

Canada Council for the Arts – Free Grant Writing Information Sessions

SESSION 1 – Victoria
Monday, November 10, 2008
6:00 to 9:00 pm
Open Space Gallery
510 Fort Street

SESSION 2 – Richmond
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
6:00 to 9:00 pm
Richmond Art Gallery
180 – 7700 Minoru Gate

SESSION 3 – Surrey

The following is an account of my timeline...

I arrived at the corner
of Main and Hastings ( where the Ford Building is situated ) and I was shocked
to see there were at least 40 cops wearing orange and yellow vests milling
about. I noticed that the road had been blocked  by the standard navy blue
uniform VPD officers.  When I tried to access the walkway down towards Insite..
I was told to go around the block.. I was feeling by then abit nervous and tense
because.. I have never seen an event where this much security was needed for a
free concert and bbq!!!  I ventured down the block on the  Hastings and Cordova
side, and I spotted even in the alley, the police were stationed in lineups, to
prevent DTES citizens from cutting through the alley and accessing the free
hamburgers.

When I rounded the corner of Columbia and Cordova, I noticed
a few passerbys eating their hamburgers, but not in the usual happy go lucky
manner that they "scored" free food.  As I approached  closer, I realized that
people were denied access to the food and the music as the police had formed a
barricade that stretched from the Radio Station corner of Columbia and Hastings
to the New Brandiz convenience store corner of Columbia and Hastings back up to
Main and Hastings.  The cops were securing off a 1 block radius... 100 East
Hastings. They looked very stern and serious in their dark blue uniforms as they
prevented people from accessing the main area which had the music and
food.

Finally under pressure of the crowd, the police allowed the hungry
to pass through their barricade, still keeping a close eye on people.  There I
met some fellow DTES Community leaders such as Cecily Nicholson of Downtown
Eastside Women's Centre and David Eby of Pivot Legal  who marched in solidarity
with the citizens. 

I viewed Stiltwalkers teetering on by carrying

There was a free concert given by Bedouin Soundclash ( 3 member Canadian band
that were Juno award winners) to support Insite ( the city's safe injection site
) when suddenly cops came in and started shutting the event down due
to the fact that the organizers of Portland Hotel Society did not get a permit
to have "structures" .. which in our case were tents.

What really
surprised me was that the VPD has let events carry on like this in the past and
have even served as "security" to allow the DTES have their free festivals at
Pigeon Park

But I guess, now coupled with  the Harper government and
their Conservative views against the Safe Injection Site.. and the VPD stopping
the free concert by Bedouin Soundclash and free BBQ, spells trouble for Insite
for the future.
 
 
Afterwards I went to cover Frances-Marie Uitti, a
celloist  who appeared at the Vancouver New Music Festival's Solus-The Art of
Solo Virtuosity. The fascinating thing about her is that she builds her own bows
and plays with 2 bows at a time, "a radical technique that can make a Uitti solo
performance sound as rich as a string quartet"

Lastly I filmed at the
Bedouin Soundclash concert at the Commodore Ballroom....awesome music with indie rock
and ska infuences. :)