Cultural Calendar

Remembrance Day is November 11, where Canadians honour soldiers who served in the war and gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. Check out the Legion website at legion.ca to find a Remembrance Day ceremony near you.

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Seventeen

Nov. 3–20

www.westerngoldtheatre.org

Western Gold Theatre presents the North American premiere of Matthew Whittet’s ground-breaking play Seventeen! Come and see veteran senior stage actors taking on the roles of present-day teenagers – young and on the brink of life at a pivotal moment. Picture a playground after the end of the very last day of school just before everyone moves on. As dawn approaches, through a fog of cheap beer dreams are shared, insecurities aired and secrets spilled. For each character it is a phoenix moment – everything is about to change! But tonight, they drink, they dance, they shout, and they love. Seventeen provides a sense of déjà vu and brilliantly turns our notions of adulthood and adolescence on their head.

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We Sang Our Songs

Nov. 10–11

www.chorleoni.org

Chor Leoni begins their season with their 31st annual Remembrance Day observance at the gorgeous St. Andrew’s-Wesley United. Both haunting and healing, this program of music and readings features diverse perspectives on war and injustice. Chor Leoni gathers the community together and honours those who sang their songs so that today, we all might sing ours. Check out the Chor Leoni website for tickets and more information.

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Vancouver Christmas Market

Nov. 12–Dec. 24

vancouverchristmasmarket.com

At the Vancouver Christmas Market, returning to the Jack Poole Plaza in Downtown Vancouver this year, holiday cheer is around every corner. Enjoy gourmet food, authentic German drinks and festive sweets that keep your heart warm and belly full. The Market has something for everyone – from family Carousel rides to treasured moments amongst friends – the holiday festivities are yours to enjoy.

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Ninth Annual Vancouver Turkish Film Festival

Nov. 17–20

www.vtff.ca

The Turkish Canadian Society and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs will host the Ninth Annual Vancouver Turkish Film Festival from Nov. 17 to 20. The festival opens on the 17th at the Vancity Theatre and continues on the 19th and the 20th at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. There will be an opening gala, discussion panels, feature-length and short films during the festival. For showtimes, tickets and more information, please visit the festival’s website.

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2022 Eastside Culture Crawl

https://culturecrawl.ca

Nov. 17–20

Vancouver’s Eastside Culture Crawl is an annual four-day visual arts festival in November that involves 500+ artists on Vancouver’s Eastside opening their studio to the public. The event is focused on the area bounded by Columbia Street, First Ave, Victoria Drive and the Waterfront and involves painters, jewellers, sculptors, furniture makers, weavers, potters, printmakers, photographers, glassblowers and more; from emerging artists to those internationally established. Check out their website for
more information.

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Metamorphoses

Nov. 17–24

www.langara.ca/studio-58

Studio 58, the professional theatre training program at Langara College, is sharing its second work of the season out in the community! Metamorphoses is a magical and enchanting show that defies traditional interpretations of classical texts. Inspired by Roman poet Ovid’s powerful myths and reimagined for our current times, Metamorphoses is a collection of transformative and gripping tales of grand proportion. This epic and playful piece, devised by the ensemble, uses the power of storytelling to expose our basic needs and desires. Experience glorious chaos and humbling adventures with familiar characters like Orpheus and Eurydice, Medea and her doomed children, ancient Gods and audacious heroes. “Just when you think it can’t get weirder, it does,” said director Daniela Atiencia. “These are not the myths as you know and remember them.”

Metamorphoses is inspired by Roman poet Ovid’s powerful myths and reimagined for our current times | Photo by Emily Cooper

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Courage Now

Nov. 19–Dec. 4

www.firehallartscentre.ca

The world premiere of Manami Hara’s new work, Courage Now, runs Nov. 19–Dec. 4. Produced by The Firehall and presented in association with Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT), Courage Now tells the story of Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara, who helped over 6000 Polish and Lithuanian Jews escape the Nazis in 1940. Going against his government orders, he issued more than 2000 handwritten visas, risking both his life and his career. Some of those whose lives were saved have families living in British Columbia today. Check out the Firehall Arts Centre website for tickets and
more information.

Courage Now tells the story of Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara, who helped over 6000 Polish and Lithuanian Jews escape the Nazis in 1940. | Photo courtesy of Firehall Arts Centre

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The Salento Great War

Nov. 20, 2:30 p.m.

www.italianculturalcentre.ca

The Apulian Federation of British Columbia and its President Vito Bruno, announce the Canadian premiere of the film The Salento Great War directed by Marco Pollini (Ahora Films 2022). The film, which has already enjoyed remarkable success with audiences and critics in Italy, is set in Puglia in 1948 and tells the story of the rivalry between the football teams of two small towns in the Salento area, which resulted in tragedy. The screening will take place at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver during a gala evening at the conclusion of the Apulian Gastronomic Week. It includes the traditional Apulian Market food specialties, food tasting with the Apulian creations of local Chef Delbert and imported Apulian food products. A banquet, music and dance will be followed by the screening of the film.

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Angel’s Bone

Nov. 25–27

IndieFest 2022

www.reopera.ca

The Canadian premiere of Angel’s Bone. The Pulitzer-Prize winning opera Angel’s Bone aims to generate conversation and awareness about human trafficking and sexual exploitation, issues that are often overlooked in Canada. The opera follows two youths who are lured and trapped into exploitation by their captors, Mr. and Mrs. XE. Some of the country’s most innovative and respected companies in the contemporary music scene are collaborating on this important project, including re:Naissance Opera, Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre, Turning Point Ensemble, Arraymusic, and Loose Tea Music Theatre. “Many people don’t realize that trafficking and sexual exploitation of youth happens in our local communities at an alarming rate,” says Debi Wong, founder of re:Naissance Opera and IndieFest. Prior to each performance, a pre-show chat with the production’s social context committee will provide audiences with insight on the various causes and effects of human trafficking
and exploitation.

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Szepty/Whispers

Dec. 1–4, 2022

www.pitheatre.com

Pi Theatre presents Szepty/Whispers a play in which a neurodivergent, mad, chronically ill and non-binary artist probes their family’s silence around mental health, as they question how culture, migration, and trauma shape generational perspectives on disability. Through fragments of personal narrative, documentary material, and multimedia design, Szepty/Whispers attempts to connect across silence – to find kinship without a shared language. Written by Veronique West and co-produced by Rumble Theatre and V West.The creative team includes intersectional deaf, disabled, mad, and neurodivergent artists. The project strives to centre their realities, bringing communities together, while recognizing our diverse and sometimes contrasting needs.