DTES Arts Demonstration Project

This project is separated into 4 themes:

1. Downtown Arts Walk - will take place from February 12 - 14, 2010 and will aid artists in the DTES, Chinatown, and Gastown in encouraging visitors to visit art spaces.
2. BC Buds (Firehall Spring Arts Fair) - The Firehall Arts Centre's 6th Annual BC Buds returns even bigger and better. The weekend of May 21st till the 23rd will showcase work from theatre, dance, music and interdisciplinary artists. This time around, performances will take place not just at the Firehall Arts Centre but venues around the DTES neighbourhood. For more information, please visit Fire Hall Arts Centre website.
3. Dancing on the Street - the Dancing on the Edge Festival Society will work in conjunction with a number of dance organizations to bring community dance workshops, site performances, and theatre performances to the DTES. Workshops and classes will commence in mid-March 2010 in preparation for the Dancing on the Edge Festival scheduled in mid-July.
4. Storytelling - this event aims to capture and share personal and historical stories of a wide range of community participants.

   **Event update: Dancing in the Streets at Dancing on the Edge Festival. With support through Great Beginnings, the 22nd Dancing on the Edge Festival (July 8-18) has been able to encourage more dance participation and performances in Vancouver’s historic Downtown Eastside/Strathcona neighbourhood this year. Joe INK and his professionally trained Move It! facilitators have led a two week dance workshop for participants of all ages from the community, culminating in a performance at the Firehall Arts Centre. Performances by Proximity Arts and anatomica dance, entitled Mal de mer, will be performed at Crab/Portside Park. Raven Spirit Dance brings Gathering Light to the festival, performing at the Chapel Arts Centre. Co Erasga will take over the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Strathcona. Karen Jamieson Dance and community dancers will close the festival with a parade through the neighbourhood, culminating on the Sunrise Gardens rooftop for a community dance party. Full details on these and other events can be found on the Festival Of Contemporary Dance 2010 website.