Amplifying the community stories of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), the Heart of the City Festival returns (Oct. 30–Nov. 10) with over 100 events reflecting the theme, Threads of Connection. For founders, Terry Hunter and Savannah Walling, this year’s festival – as they celebrate their last year leading Heart of the City – is a chance to reflect on its community engagement and honour the diversity of the DTES.

“When the modern city of Vancouver was first founded on this land, it was inhabited by the host First Nations,” says Walling. “But among the early immigrants in the new city of Vancouver were people of Chinese, Black, and Hispanic ancestry.”

Illuminating pathways

For twenty-one years, Hunter and Walling have worked with the DTES community to highlight the diversity of stories, the cultural traditions and the lived experiences. By providing both financial support and a platform for artists to showcase their works, the festival enables diverse communities to celebrate their culture. For the founders, engaging each cultural community of the DTES is key to ensuring the festival’s inclusivity.

“It’s important that the cultural groups in the neighbourhood themselves are stepping forward and saying, ‘This is what we would like to do at the festival,’” says Hunter, adding that attention is given to both founding and new communities of the DTES.

Walling further notes that after each festival, they reflect on whether they are losing touch with a particular community, and how to rebalance those connections. For them, it is important to ensure the diasporic communities, that have been part of the DTES, continue to connect with the area.

Reimagining death

Heart of the City is also a way for Latin Americans in Vancouver to come together and share their culture with other communities.

“One of the reasons why we specifically put the date of the festival in the last week of October, and the first week of November each year is so we could embrace the Day of the Dead,” Hunter says. “It’s an important event that takes place in our community, and so our role is to help support and raise awareness of this amazing work that’s going on.”

Traditionally observed Nov. 1 and 2 in Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a celebratory holiday to remember those who have passed. La Llorona, directed by physical comedian Gerardo Avila, is one of the Latin American events featured at this year’s festival. Taking the stage on Nov. 1 at Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, La Llorona celebrates the Day of the Dead by telling the story of Mexican icon La Malinche, who translated for Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, through shadow puppets and traditional dance.

“For [Mexicans], Day of the Dead is a very magical time of the year,” Avila explains, noting how those from Guatemala and Salvador also observe the holiday. “So this year, I’m working with [Vancouver musical and choreograph troupe] Calle Verde, and we will tell [the story of La Malinche] with shadow puppetry, like the old style of telling stories.”

While some may view death as a sombre event, Day of the Dead honours it by celebrating the living. This is done by creating colourful decorations, painting beautiful flowers on Catrina dolls, and leaving food at altars.

“We are explaining that there is a culture that [doesn’t see death as something scary],” says Avila. “And [the festival] is our chance to show that, and influence [others] to see death in a [different] perspective.”

Find out more about Heart of the City here: www.heartofthecityfestival.com