Together and Apart celebrates connective power of arts during pandemic
In the last 18 months, artists and the community have come together to create, share, laugh, heal and imagine a way forward in this extraordinary time, and we are delighted to celebrate that with this free run of events for everyone.
Marie Lopes, Coordinator of Arts, Culture and Engagement at the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation
In celebration of the courageous acts of art-making during the global pandemic, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation presents Together and Apart – making a difference with art: a free series of exhibitions, screenings, workshops and live performances running September 16 to 26.
In collaboration with the Roundhouse Association, Together and Apart honours artists that reached out to isolated families, youth, and seniors in remarkable, creative ways to work together and inspire one another at a time of mass social distancing and isolation during the pandemic.
About the exhibition
The reciprocity of giving and receiving through art continues throughout this 10-day celebration, inviting the public to peer into artists’ studios, dance in the park, take a felting or zine workshop, participate in Indigenous sharing circles, and discover satellite activities in the city’s parks and fieldhouses.
Together and Apart opens its two-week exhibition at the Roundhouse with the world premiere of Doing It For Love: Five Stories from Creative Communities in a Global Pandemic on Friday September 17. Filmed and edited by artist Israel Seoane, this documentary speaks to these difficult times and reflects upon the creativity, resilience, and richness of artists and community working together.
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Together and Apart External website, opens in new tab
Exhibition highlights
- September 17 - Opening reception at the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall, featuring performances from Kung Jaadee and The Legion of Flying Monkeys.
- September 19 – Learn needle felting techniques to create felt mushrooms inspired by local fungi at the Art and Fungi felting workshop External website, opens in new tab or join dance artists Ziyian Kwan and E.Kage for a movement improvisation session External website, opens in new tab, accompanied by Taiko.
- September 23 – Join the Kairos Blanket Exercise: Indigenous Teaching and Sharing Circle External website, opens in new tab to walk through the pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance experienced by those who have stewarded this land from time immemorial.
- September 25 – Develop a zine to share ideas and thoughts on the world with Makemobile External website, opens in new tab, a pedal-powered arts and crafts studio that connects people in public spaces.
Together and Apart is hosted on the unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh) Nations.
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Marie Lopes, Coordinator of Arts, Culture and Engagement at the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation
“The Vancouver Park Board Arts Policy holds a vision of a city where the arts are an integral part of everyday life and people are able to learn and express creativity in ways that build healthy communities,” said Marie Lopes, Coordinator of Arts, Culture and Engagement at the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. “In the last 18 months, artists and the community have come together to create, share, laugh, heal, and imagine a way forward in this extraordinary time, and we are delighted to celebrate that with this free run of events for everyone.”