Immerse yourself in the warmth of community gatherings and festivities this month, celebrating both the spirit of Women’s Day and the joyous arrival of Nowruz, marking the Persian New Year. From art exhibitions to music festivals, theatre performances to literary readings, the cultural calendar is teeming with opportunities to explore and appreciate the richness of our shared human experience. Have a great March everyone and enjoy the last few weeks of winter; see you all in the spring!
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Tian Dai: The Natural Flow Meets Art
March 1–24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.artsnewwest.ca/the-natural-flow-meets-art
Arts New West is hosting the works of artist Tian Dai at The Gallery at Queen’s Park until March 24. The artist aims to delve into the realms between reality and chaotic abstraction. The intention is to prompt viewers to contemplate and resonate with the presented concepts. Watercolor serves as a medium through which colour is liberated to meander, giving rise to unbridled images, be they reminiscent of clouds, flower-laden ponds or other enigmatic forms. These creations offer narratives untethered by familiarity, inviting spectators to interpret them without constraint. In the interplay, ink lines weave through the colours, and the artist strives to assume the role of a mere observer, envisioning the myriad stories that unfold without the imposition of predetermined control.
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MOI – MOMENTUM OF ISOLATION
March 6–9
Produced by Radical System Art, MOI – MOMENTUM OF ISOLATION bases its themes around loneliness and isolation to reveal how social bonds and connections are essential to our humanity. The performance explores the objective and subjective experiences through the individual, the group and modern society – a society with shifting values and an ever-advancing digital way of life. To shape a digital world on stage, the show places live interactive video and sound around the performers. These elements enhance ideas on how technology influences our lives, and that it can both empower and disempower us. Further distilling isolation, solo performances and the extended social isolation of one character on stage are critical to the arc of the performance. Our social bonds allow us to understand that we have an impact on what is around us – that we exist.
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Jade Circle
March 6–17
Prepare to be swept away by the world premiere of Jade Circle, a beautiful multidisciplinary performance by artist Jasmine Chen. Through powerful music, captivating movement and poignant storytelling in Mandarin and English, Jasmine finds her place within the legacy of her matriarchs. Yearning to reconnect with her late grandmother, she embarks on a transformative journey to relearn Mandarin and unearth lost stories of her grandmother’s past through intimate interviews with her mother. As part of the show, subtitles in English will be projected for audiences while performing in Mandarin. For showtimes, artist and more information, check out the Gateway Theatre’s website.
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Women’s Art on Women’s Day
March 8, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
www.turkishcanadiansociety.org/event/art-exhibition-womens-art-on-womens-day
Join the Turkish Canadian Society for the second Women’s Art on Women’s Day art exhibition to celebrate International Women’s Day together. Be a part of this remarkable event, where more than 200 art enthusiasts and community members come together to discover the inspiring works of female artists.
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An Intervention
March 8–17
Mitch and Murray Productions will present the Canadian premiere of An Intervention, from March 8 to 17 at Performance Works on Granville Island. Written by Olivier Award-winning playwright Mike Bartlett and directed by Aaron Craven, the show is a touching and funny play about what happens when you hate your best friend. An exploration of friendship, responsibility and the murky territory that exists at the boundary between them, two longtime friends are deeply divided over a foreign war in the Middle East. The more present dilemma for them is one of intervention – when is it right to intervene in a friend’s personal conflict?
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Holi: Festival of Colour Plaza Pop-up
March 9, 2–4 p.m.
Visit the City of North Vancouver as they celebrate colour and the arrival of spring. Holi is an Indian festival where vibrant coloured powders are thrown into the air to represent new beginnings. There will be Indian food, crafts, Bollywood performances by SHIAMAK Vancouver and music by the talented DJ Roh. This is a messy, colourful, unique and wonderful experience that you will not want to miss! The powder used at this event is made with natural food safe ingredients, is gluten free, non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Wear clothing that you will not mind getting colours on!
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The Phil Lind Initiative: Viet Thanh Nguyen
March 14, 6–7:30 p.m.
www.sppga.ubc.ca/events/event/phil-lind-2024-viet-thanh-nguyen
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing is bold, elegant and fiercely honest. Coming to the U.S. as a refugee during the Vietnam War in 1975, he was driven by lack of representation to write about the war from a Vietnamese perspective – globally reimagining what we thought we knew about the conflict. Now, almost a decade since his groundbreaking novel was published, Viet revisits the developing conversations on the polemic and polarizing narratives facing migrants in the U.S. today with his Phil Lind Initiative talk titled Speaking for an Other. As displaced individuals contend with the physical perils of war, we consider a different conflict that has emerged within the global imaginary: how has storytelling been used by some to build a new sense of community within the United States, while being leveraged by other segments of American society to efface them? With time and memory dislocated, how do narratives have the potential to be wielded as both refuge and subterfuge in the United States of both today and tomorrow?
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CelticFest 2024
March 14–17
CelticFest Vancouver brings Western Canada’s largest annual Celtic festival to Vancouver, annually every March. Every year CelticFest brings the local community together in a week-long festival celebration of Celtic culture culminating in a free, all-ages, outdoor, weekend festival in downtown Vancouver. Weekend festivities include live music, performance, food and drink, Irish dancing, a Celtic-themed market, Irish Wolfhounds, a family zone, sports demonstrations and more. For information on this year’s festival, check out their website.
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Aban Art & Culture Society’s Nowruz Celebration
March 15, 5:30–8 p.m.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/nowruz-celebration-tickets-821053482067
Join the Aban Art & Culture Society for an unforgettable Nowruz Celebration in Richmond on March 15. Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture and traditions of the Persian New Year. This in-person event is a feast for the senses, featuring live music, dance performances and mouth watering Persian cuisine. Experience the joyous atmosphere as we welcome spring and celebrate the renewal of life. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with the local Persian community and create lasting memories. Mark your calendars and get ready to embrace the spirit of Nowruz!
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Wonderheads – The Wilds
March 17, 2 p.m.
When Wendell discovers that his wife Tilda and their beloved tree have vanished from the backyard, he must venture into the nearby forest to bring them home. Confronted with shifting landscapes, unusual creatures and a mysterious lurking presence, Wendell soon learns that the key to finding Tilda is to first unlock the mystery of The Wilds. Charming and profoundly touching, this wordless award-winning show features WONDERHEADS’ signature masks, whimsical puppetry and enchanting music, and moves its audiences to both laughter and tears. Playing at the James Cowan Theatre in Burnaby on March 17.
