Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival 2023: Variety Night

Tickets

Cost: Free
Find tickets: here

Agenda:
4:40 PM Theatre doors open
4:50 PM Land acknowledgement and opening words from host
5:00 PM Cèsar Contreras
5:30 PM Niki Kennedy
6:00 PM Co-Creating Love
6:30 PM Argel MDR
6:50 PM - 7:00 PM Closing words from host

VARIETY NIGHT HOST:
Laura Fukumoto (she/her) is a poet, theatre artist, person about town. She settled in so-called Vancouver almost 15 years ago (?!) from the Toronto area, and is committed to loving this city and all her neighbours. Laura gets paid to talk a lot, and you may have heard her hosting the annual Powell Street Festival’s annual Sumo Wrestling tournament, facilitating panels, or loudly talking about her other odd jobs (TA, fabric wizard, governance coordinator, potter, director, organizer of a one-time-only Spiritual Pizza Festival, dog-walker, costumer, etc). Recent poetry events include Main St. Car Free Day, Queer Arts Festival, Rehearsal Sessions at the Evergreen Cultural Centre, Powell Street Festival, Vines, and Verses Festival of Words. Laura writes about queerness+mycology, her Japanese Canadian heritage, and our hopeful futures.

PERFORMER:
From South America, Cèsar Contreras AKA Vene C has been always involved with ancestral music, progressive ethno, whose trance inducing creations fuse ancestral and natural soundscapes with the design and aesthetics of our modern times.

PERFORMER:
Born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, Niki Kennedy is a vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Blurring genre lines in self-defined 'Nostalgia Pop', her aim is to create music that makes you feel good whether you’re in the mood to dance or cry.
Niki’s recent releases have landed her multiple appearances on television and radio. In 2021, Niki participated in SOCAN Foundation’s TD Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship, a program “designed to identify, celebrate, and support the next generation of music creators that have demonstrated extraordinary potential.” She was named a semi-finalist in the 2021 International Songwriting Competition, the 2022 Unsigned Only Music Competition, longlisted for the 2022 Faith Nolan Music Award, and won a Finalist Award in the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She is excited to be a participant in the 2023 Equity X Production Mentorship program.
Niki hopes that by sharing honestly and vulnerably, listeners will feel seen, heard, and a little less alone. A reminder that it is okay to not be okay as she tries to give the world a hug, one song at a time.

PERFORMER:
Welcome to Co-Creating Love, a magical and transformative sound bath experience designed to promote healing, relaxation, and inner peace. Led by our skilled sound healers, Corus & Rhythm, our sound bath incorporates a variety of instruments carefully chosen to create a harmonious and immersive experience. Our sound bath features a beautiful blend of soundscapes, including the ethereal sounds of the Native American flute, the soothing vibrations of singing bowls, the enchanting tones of the handpan, and the earthy and angelic vocals of our sound healers. We also incorporate the healing power of nature sounds, adding an extra layer of depth and immersion to the experience.

At Co-Creating Love, we believe in the power of sound and vibration to promote healing and transformation. Our sound healers are passionate about helping people connect with their inner selves, releasing stress and tension, and unlocking their body's natural healing potential through the power of sound. We invite you to join us on a journey into the heart of sound and vibration, and discover the transformative power of Co-Creating Love. Whether you are new to sound healing or an experienced practitioner, our sound bath offers a unique and powerful experience that will leave you feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and connected.

PERFORMER:
Argel Monte de Ramos also known as Argel MDR is a Filipino-Canadian singer/songwriter from Surrey, Canada. He was one of the Top 10 finalists of CBC's Toyota Searchlight 2021 and the Music Category winner of Surrey Board of Trade's 2022 Surrey Art and Business Awards. When he was 15 years old, he moved to Canada from the Philippines with his family to seek a better life and opportunities. With Sam Smith, One Republic, and Original Pinoy Music (OPM) as his music influences, Argel wants to use the power of storytelling to inspire Filipino youth and other immigrants through his music and theatrical performances. In addition, he is an advocate of representation, anti-racism work, and inclusion. Argel's most recent single, 'Sail Away' was featured in Spotify editorial playlists, including Fresh Finds Philippines. Argel recently received a Pop Artist of the Year Nomination and an Excellence Award by a BIPOC artist from Fraser Valley Music Awards 2021 by CIVL radio 101.7 FM.
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