Vines 2021: The Return of the Thunder Beings

Tickets

Cost: Free
Find tickets: here

Vines is an arts organization and festival that is responsive to and nurturing of artists that are working toward land, water, and relational justice. We support underrepresented voices in developing their work. We bring imagination into everyday spaces by presenting work for free on “earthstages” – populated and natural public spaces in Vancouver and throughout the province.

The Return of the Thunder Beings celebrates Black life and its fragility. The story follows the experience of four African descent youth at the height of the COVID19 pandemic as they confront loss, grief, and change as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement. African mythology, dramatic arts, and hip-hop culture are used to capture the isolation, tension, healing, and transformation each character experiences as they emerge from the storm.

JACKY ESSOMBE & YORO NOUKOUSSI
Founder of the Spirit of the Village, Jacky Yenga – aka Jacky Essombe – is a performer, TEDx speaker and best-selling author, and a messenger for the healing wisdom of African villages. She teaches how to use the power of community to heal and access joy through rhythm, movement and connection.

ALISHA LETTMAN
Alisha Lettman is the lead facilitator for the Legacy Growers Collective. She is also a Massage Therapist, Ayurvedic Wellness Coach, multidisciplinary performance artist, and poet. Alisha’s lineage descends from Sindh Province in what is now known as Pakistan and from the valleys of the Blue Mountain in Jamaica. Having grown up in Chicago, her passion for social justice rooted in land liberation & traditional knowledge was ignited by many teachers and mentors. She comes from people of the land, from bush healers, and from innovative engineers. These experiences brought her core values for truth, integrity, and compassion to the center of her movements in all their manifestations. Her work has graced the stages of Vancouver International Jazz Fest (2019), The Vines Festival (2019), UBC Pride (2019), and The Black Love Tour (2019). She is currently completing a mentorship with Eventide Doulas and an Interdisciplinary Degree in Leadership & Social Change from the University of British Columbia. She can be found brewing herbal medicines at the Black Market and on Instagram at @alignmentapothecary.

SAM CHIMES – This Black Coat
“This Black Coat” is a song addressing perception influence perpetuated mainly by Media. Media portrays what it means to be “Black”, and because of this portrayal blanketing the viewer’s mind, it is hard for the viewer to truly see the subject. The song encourages us to look past the veil of flesh, and realize that we are sacred energies bottled in bodies.

AFRO VAN CONNECT
Afro Van Connect Society is a Non-Profit Organization dedicated to empowering people of African Descent through conversation, collaboration, creation & performance. We accomplish this by creating platforms and gatherings of vibrant, creative minds committed to developing authentic solutions, to increase the visibility of unserved communities.
Black Spaces are community designed spaces, intended to unite people and organizations across Canada and the world. Our programs are created and authentically designed to serve people of African Descent, it’s our intention to create both spaces and content that continue to inspire innovation, creativity and self-expression
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