Famed spoken word artist Shane Koyczan spent some of February visiting his favourite art spaces in Penticton that have mostly sat empty because of the pandemic.
While visiting, he breathed some life into them through his spoken word poetry which was recorded and will be shared on the Chan Centresa国际传媒檚 Dot Com series premiering March 12 at 7 p.m.
The digital recording celebrates some of the communitysa国际传媒檚 meaningful arts spaces that have been hit hard by the pandemic including an empty Cleland Theatre, where he has performed many times; The Dream Caf茅, a cornerstone for indie music and culture; the Many Hats Theatre Company, a community theatre unsure of its future; and The Bookshop, a beloved second-hand bookstore catering to the arts.
There will be a virtual watch party and live chat March 12 and the show will remain available for on demand viewing until May 31.
In this virtual presentation, Koyczan reflects on the current state of the world as he grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis himself.
sa国际传媒淎s the finish line for lockdown continues to move further away, the challenges in maintaining onesa国际传媒檚 mental health grow. Wesa国际传媒檙e left to reflect on our wounded world and cling to memories in the vacuum of isolation,sa国际传媒� said Koyczan.
Koyczan explores the amplified despair of the times in which we find ourselves, and searches for the missing needle of the compass thatsa国际传媒檚 left us feeling lost.
sa国际传媒淚n challenging periods we often look for connection through art and I cansa国际传媒檛 think of a better person to reveal our shared humanity and help bring us together than Shane,sa国际传媒� says Wendy Atkinson, programming manager at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
sa国际传媒淗is work, steeped in emotion and wisdom, has the unique ability to illuminate a path forward from what may feel like a dark place. We are thrilled to welcome him back to the Chan Centre series for the first time since two sold-out performances in 2014 to share more of his inimitable talent with our audience.sa国际传媒�
Canadasa国际传媒檚 best-known spoken word artist, Koyczansa国际传媒檚 TED Talk and soul-laid-bare anti-bullying video To This Day are shown in classrooms worldwide. His book Stickboy was adapted for the stage by Vancouver Opera, and his collaborations with the likes of Tanya Tagaq, Ani DiFranco, and David Suzuki keep him innovating and growing. In 2010, the world caught a glimpse of Koyczansa国际传媒檚 talent with his presentation at the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The Chan Centre Dot Com Series launched in September 2020 in light of restrictions on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Delivered 100 per cent online, the series features a wide range of performing artists, both locally and internationally.
Watch online from March 12.
Ticket Prices: $0/$10/$20 (Supported/General/Supportive)
To purchase tickets contact: chan.tickets@ubc.ca
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
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