Conquering China... With a Social Conscience?

Film Presentation at University of British Columbia

Thursday, March 31, 7:30 - 9:00 pm ; FREE
International House, Lower Level

International Programs Office, Sauder School of Business and I. House invite you to a viewing of:

"The Men Who Would Conquer China" This thought-provoking documentary follows the journey of Winnipeg-born multi-millionaire Mart Bakal and well-connected Vincent Lee as they search for the perfect mix of economic and political opportunity in China.

Following the pair over a three-year period, this film examines their troubled relationship and portrays the cultural and business differences between the western and eastern worlds. Viewers are offered an inside glimpse - on a very personal level - into the world of high finance, and can ponder the impact of 21st century capitalism on China and the rest of the world.

Free admission. Refreshments served. Discussion to follow.

For more information contact: Marg Toronchuk 604.822.8269

HARRY AOKI'S FIRST FRIDAY FORUM AT THE VJLS!

Sunday, April 10th, 7pm
Admission by Donation
More info: 604 683 8240

Vancouver residents aren’t often treated to the delights of Harry Aoki’s First Friday Forum, which is an on- going project at the National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre in Burnaby on the first Friday of each month. These happenings explore culture and identity, with the objective of sharing experience through music and dialogue. On Sunday, April 10th, the Powell Street Festival Society partners with the Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall to present our very own First Friday Forum, Sunday evening style!

The concert, and discussion that follows, is facilitated by Harry Aoki, a second-generation Japanese Canadian professional musician and relentless cross-cultural explorer. Recent recipient of the Living Heritage Award from the Asia Pacific Foundation, he is a well respected cultural mix-meister, bassist and musical arranger performing jazz, classical and world music. Harry is the composer of both Windsong - a musical, and Haida Dawn, a story of how the Hebrew Language and religious rites became incorporated into First Nations culture, west of the Rocky Mountains. For this concert, Harry Aoki will be collaborating with his talented group of Pan-Asian Canadian musicians as well as special guests from the First Nations artistic community.

Powell Street Festival Society
Tel: (604)739 9388
www.powellstreetfestival.com

Broken Pencil

Broken Pencil, the magazine of zine culture and the independent arts, is revamping its arts coverage and we need your help. We're opening the art section up to anyone who wants to review anything. It's unpaid, but your 50 to 200 words about a performance, opening, happening or your favourite street corner will see print. There is no time or geographical limit; across North America, six months ago or next week! There are only 2 rules:

1. No press releases.
2. Heed the word limit.

You can be nice, you can be nasty and there is still time to make it into Spring/ Summer issue.

Send your reviews to Brian Joseph Davis art@brokenpencil.com by the end of March to make it (next deadline after that is July 1st).

More info on the magazine can be found at www.brokenpencil.com

CRTC pushes diversity strategies

CRTC pushes diversity strategies
Broadcasters must file annual reports
Multiculturalism a growing niche

SHARDA PRASHAD
BUSINESS REPORTER - Toronto Star

The federal broadcast regulator has rejected a task force's recommendation to stop requiring private broadcasters to file cultural diversity strategies, saying annual reporting will guarantee accountability.

"(The task force) confirmed that there were serious problems with under-representation of visible minorities and aboriginals on television," said Martine Vallee, director of social policy for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

The CRTC-sponsored Task Force for Cultural Diversity on Television, made up of industry and non-industry members, found that visible minorities and aboriginal people represent just 9 per cent of all people in English-language news programs that it studied and 13.5 per cent of people in drama roles.

"We believe annual reporting means there will be accountability," Vallee said at an Ethnicity and Media in Canada conference in Toronto yesterday.

Madeline Ziniak, vice-president of Omni Television and chair of the task force, said the task force recommended the CRTC require broadcasters to follow best practices, which would have made the annual filings redundant.

Of her own station, Ziniak said Omni has done "a trailblazing job" in its ability to share best practices with other private broadcasters. Omni I and Omni II broadcasts, respectively, in 60 per cent and 70 per cent non-English languages. For example, it has worked with the APTN, Aboriginal People's Television Network.

"There has been a huge attitude shift," said Ziniak, regarding building relationships with advertisers. "Nineteen years ago (when Ziniak started at Omni), it was militant, just to get in the door."

Omni "lives and dies by advertising" and Ziniak has found that advertisers are "getting educated about the potential and how important a niche (multiculturalism) is. They are now realizing that it's better to get involved sooner rather than later."

Wal-Mart is one of the station's largest advertisers. Automotive and banking and financial services advertisers are new and growing.

Andrew Cardozo, former commissioner of the CRTC from 1997 to 2003, said that in order to get audience acceptance, viewers need to see themselves reflected in programming.

"Look at shows like ER and CSI," he said. "They all have leading minorities. ... The U.S. reflects the population better in terms of drama."

He worries that Canadian broadcasters may lose some of their ethnic viewers if foreign-owned stations like Al Jazeera or Italy's RAI, which have applied to the CRTC to broadcast in Canada, are better able to cater to the country's changing demographic.

With visible minorities representing almost one half of Toronto's population, it makes business sense to advertise to them, said Cardozo, whether it's on mainstream media or on ethnic language stations. A 2004 report by the Conference Board of Canada said that 20 per cent of Canadian employees will be from non-European backgrounds, the task force report found. The report also found that the combined spending of the Chinese, Portuguese and South Asian communities in the GTA is $25 billion.

"It is imperative, from both a business and journalistic perspective, that we recognize and act on the changing demographics of the communities we serve," Michael Goldbloom, publisher of the Toronto Star told the audience yesterday.

He also noted that while traditionally the first generations of immigrants were not targeted as potential readers, this has changed. "This perception is outdated because many new arrivals speak English, many new arrivals are highly educated and many new arrivals bring with them a newspaper reading habit."

Goldbloom said this presents two challenges to the media. "We must provide content that reflects the changing reality of the city and which captures the true texture and complexity of people's lives. Secondly, we must reflect the diversity of the population in our workforce."

Initiatives like the Star's Vaughan Press Centre and its Community Editorial Board are attempts to reach out to the diverse community the Star serves.

The Star, he said, is also looking at ways to integrate its foreign coverage with that of local ethnic communities.

"There's no such thing as perfect inclusion," Cynthia Reyes of consultant DiversiPro Inc. said.

She recommended media organizations encourage communities to contribute story ideas, write editorials and letters to the editor.

Reyes said decision-makers in media need to be more aware of their audiences.

Calling All Pop Culture Junkies and Rabid Music Fans

If you just want to be on TV we can't help you...

But if you have a passion for and an extensive knowledge of Music, Media and the latest trends...plus a charismatic On-Camera presence that would blend with our Style, MuchMoreMusic WANTS YOU!

Send us your VHS demo tape, headshot and resume no later than April 28, 2005 to:

MMM Host
299 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 2Z5

Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
No phone calls please. Demo tapes will not be returned.

CHUM Television values diversity in its workforce, and is committed to employment equity.

INCORRIGIBLE

A tribute to Velma Demerson and a reflection on her struggle for justice.

After decades of suffering in silence, Velma Demerson launched a successful campaign to right an ancient wrong. In 1939, she was jailed for almost a year in Toronto.

Her crime was to love and live with a Chinese man whom she later married.

After winning compensation and an apology from the Ontario Government 2 years ago, she has now published her heart-rending story of a shameful episode in Canadian history in a well- received book, INCORRIGIBLE.

What lessons does her struggle to survive and prevail hold for those struggling against racism and sexism today and in the future? A distinguished panel has been assembled to discuss and respond to this question. The panel, moderated by Frank Saptel, labour and social activist, will include:

Michele Landsberg, Journalist
Judy Rebick, Author
Tam Goossen, Activist
Reading by Marjorie Chan

WHERE: The Gladstone Hotel
WHEN: Tuesday, March 29,2005
1214 Queen Street W. 7:00 p.m.
(East of Dufferin)

FREE ADMISSION ALL WELCOME

For further information · Harry Kopyto (416) 907-5128

Supported by WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY PRESS

Incorrigible will be available for sale at this event through the Toronto Women's Bookstore.

Visible majority by 2017

Demographic balance in Toronto, Vancouver will tip within 12 years, Statscan says
By JILL MAHONEY - SOCIAL TRENDS REPORTER

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

The number of visible minorities in Canada is expected to double by 2017 and form more than half the population in greater Toronto and Vancouver, according to new projections that highlight the country's growing diversity.

If current trends hold, one in every five faces will be non-white in 12 years when Canadians mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation, Statistics Canada said yesterday.

"Canada's ethno-cultural makeup, especially in large urban areas, is changing rapidly, bringing political decision makers . . . a number of challenges and opportunities, particularly in the areas of urban development, labour market integration, health and social services, and public institutions," the report says.

The findings come as a "bit of a reality check," said Ratna Omidvar, executive director of the Maytree Foundation, a Toronto think tank.

"It means that there are issues we need to resolve faster. We need to be a little bit more mindful about issues of social cohesion and social inclusion and ramp up the efforts that are currently under way to ensure that, in fact, the new Canada works."

Minister of State for Multiculturalism Raymond Chan said the government is working to improve employment opportunities for visible-minority immigrants, who face more challenges than Caucasian newcomers.

"It's a good challenge," he said. "The Canadian population has always been evolving. We're a land of immigrants, so diversity is not something new to us and, so far, we've been able to take advantage of our diversity and become a very strong nation."

Jeffrey Reitz, head of the ethnic studies program at the University of Toronto, noted that immigration policy has "produced constant demographic change over time," as waves of people have arrived in Canada from every corner of the world.

"At each phase, people have expressed concern that increasing diversity was changing Canadian identity and producing potentially disruptive consequences and yet here we are."

"And so you could say that this is just more of the same, and in fact that the Canadian identity can't be changed by increasing diversity because that's what the Canadian identity is."

Statistics Canada said much of the country's population growth will be driven by visible minorities -- defined as 10 groups, including Chinese, South Asians, blacks, Filipinos and Latin Americans -- through immigration and higher fertility rates.

Using five different scenarios -- ranging from low to high immigration and fertility assumptions -- analysts project Canada will have 6.3 million to 8.5 million people of visible minorities in 2017, representing an increase of between 56 per cent and 111 per cent from 2001 levels, when they were estimated at four million.

By contrast, the rest of the population is expected to increase only by between 1 per cent and 7 per cent between 2001 and 2017.

Under the so-called reference scenario, which was modelled on patterns similar to those observed in 2001, immigrants would account for 22 per cent of the population by 2017. In 2001, when the last census was taken, immigrants comprised about 18 per cent.

In 2017, almost 75 per cent of visible minorities will live in Canada's three largest cities: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, a situation similar to 2001.

Visible minorities would form more than half the population of greater Toronto -- already Canada's most multicultural city -- in 2017 in four of the five projections developed by Statscan.

In these scenarios, the estimated population of the Toronto metropolitan area census, which includes the city itself and some adjacent communities, lies between 6.3 million and 7.1 million, including anywhere from 3.2 million to 3.9 million non-whites.

In the fifth projection, which is of low immigration and low fertility, 48 per cent of the city's residents would be visible minorities.

In the Greater Vancouver Area in 12 years, more than half the residents would belong to a visible-minority group under three of Statscan's five projection scenarios.

In all cases, visible minorities would represent between 47 per cent and 53 per cent of the population of the city, and could total between 1.1 million and 1.5 million.

Nearly one in three British Columbians would belong to a visible minority group under the reference scenario. As the visible-minority population increases, Statscan says, so will the population of immigrants, allophones and non-Christian religious denominations.

Statscan expects the population of South Asians to grow quickly -- due to high fertility and immigration -- between now and 2017, meaning the community may catch up to the Chinese, who were the largest visible minority population in 2001.

No matter the growth, Statscan says, Chinese and South Asians will account for about half of all visible minorities in Canada in 2017, with populations of each at about 1.8 million. (They were also the largest groups in 2001.) Blacks would remain the third largest visible- minority group.

The agency also said the populations of West Asians, Koreans and Arabs would grow fastest in the next 12 years, with each likely doubling.

© Copyright 2005 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Video In EVENT: HIV TV

HIV TV: An evening of community building and some fun stuff too!
Wednesday, March 30th: 7-10 pm
Video In Studios 1965 Main Street Vancouver, B.C.

HIV TV: Join Hostess Lucille Fur, for an evening of entertainment,discussion and community building.

HIV TV is a collection of short videotapes of/by people with HIV. This is a community initiative that will hopefully grow into something that assists in
giving voice to a community whose needs are too often over-looked.

The intent of this single evening forum is to promote dialogue, create a sense
of community, fun, unite artists to inspire fresh idea's and approaches, talk
about funds raised by/for those affected by HIV. The intention of this evening
is to empower and give voice to those that would otherwise be pushed aside and
silenced, and is not just about creating more jobs for those not affected.

The intention is to apply pressure/ demand action, not lip service. To create
healthier ways of life, not to judge, but nurture qualities beneficial to this vision.

Quote: " Art can extend peoples lives, improve quality of life."
- Naj Wikoff, Vancouver Sun,
March 19/2005

For those interested in this workshop please email event@videoinstudios.com
or call 604-872-8337

The Satellite Video Exchange Society is financially supported by individual
donations, the British Columbia Arts Council, the City of Vancouver, the
Canada Council for the Arts, and the labour and effort of artists, activists and
cultural workers.


Video In Studios/Satellite Video Exchange Society
1965 Main Street Vancouver
604-872-8337 www.videoinstudios.com

VICTIMS OR PIRATES?

The Office of the President and the Dean, Faculty of Art,
Ontario College of Art and Design present:

VICTIMS OR PIRATES?
A Discussion on ARTISTS and COPYRIGHT

Pending legislation seeks to extend and increase copyright 'protection' in the name of artists, even as digital technology moves to abolish the distinction between the original and the copy. Is more copyright better for artists? Does copyright block freedom of speech? Can artists sample and collect royalties without hypocrisy?

RICHARD FUNG (moderator), Faculty of Art, OCAD
CHARLIE ANGUS, musician (Grievous Angels), NDP MP and critic for Canadian Heritage
KARL BEVERIDGE, visual artist and National Vice Representative, Canadian Artists' Representation/Front des artists canadiens (CARFAC)
JOHN GREYSON, filmmaker and video artist, Department of Film and Video, York University
LAURA MURRAY, English Department, Queen's University

Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm

Ontario College of Art and Design
Room 190 (Auditorium)
100 McCaul Street (south of Dundas Street, St. Patrick subway)
FREE and open to the public
No tickets required

For information please contact: 416-977-6000 x 1530

Canadians want a "New CBC"

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has learned that the federal government is poised to announce a new round of budget cuts, despite its $9 billion surplus. CBC is a target, even though two House of Commons Committees – Finance and Heritage - have called for increased and stable funding for CBC.

A decade of budget cuts has left CBC in tatters, especially at the grassroots level. Radio and television programs in local communities have been cancelled and services cut back.

It’s time for a new CBC. Please tell the Prime Minister it’s time CBC had adequate funding that is dedicated to providing strong grassroots programs, not more centralized programming and decisions from Toronto. It's a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, not a Toronto Broadcasting Corporation!

Please sign the petition today! It takes 30 seconds and will really help.
Please follow this link:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/728878192

Do you want to go to the Cannes Ad Fest in June of 2005?

Did you know that Canada Cannes will pay for you to get there (airfare
Toronto to Cannes, France, shared accommodations and registration to the
Festival)?

If you are 28 years old or younger, create an Interactive Ad (based on the
Lavalife brief at www.canadacannes.ca) for the chance to get to the Cannes
Ad Fest, June 2005 and see World's Best interactive advertising first hand.

Young Interactive: Lavalife. Due March 30.

Visit www.canadacannes.ca for further details.

Written in Colour Writer's Symposium

Saturday April 9, 2005
9 am Sign-in
10 am to 6:15 pm Concurrent Workshops
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
4th floor, 252 Bloor Street West
FREE EVENT

Come join us for our 2nd Annual Symposium for Writers of Colour and Native Writers, featuring Shyam Selvadurai, Shani Mootoo, Sandra Laronde, Trey Anthony and many more!

No advanced registration required.
Free Event. With limited Travel Subsidies available for out-of-town participants within Ontario. Contact anjula@womensbookstore.com in advance of the Symposium to apply. All are welcome to attend. Wheelchair accessible.

Schedule:

9 am - 10 am
Sign in & get your conference package (includes the schedule, BIOs,
resources, etc). Coffee provided.

10am - 12pm
. Getting Published with Small Presses
Ann Decter, Publisher, McGilligan Books
. Journeys in Writing: On writing fiction
Shyam Selvadurai, Author “Funny Boy”, “Cinnamon Gardens”
. The Business of Playwriting and Performance
Trey Anthony, Writer and Producer of the Play, "da kink in my hair"
Sandra Laronde, Native Women in the Arts
. Arts Education with Youth
Motion, Author "Motion in Poetry” & Arts Educator
Bill Shawanda, De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group from Manitoulin Island

12pm - 2 pm
Meet and Greet LUNCH: Network with Publishers and Authors Makeda Silvera,
Judy Fong-Bates, Drew Hayden Taylor, Kerri Sakamoto, Souvankham
Thammavongsa, Tamai Kobayashi, Sherene Razack, Gamal Abdel-Shehid, Angela
Rebeiro from Playwrights Canada, Sumach Press, Spirit Magazine, Women and
Environments Magazine, and more…

Lunch will be available for sale from Leaf of Life (vegetarian Caribbean
food) and Gatuna Collective (Mexican food).

1 pm - 4 pm
Special Session with Marc Côté, Publisher of Cormorant Books
One-on-one feedback on manuscript samples
Limited pre-registration - * This workshop is now FULL

2 pm - 4 pm
. Grants: What's available, How to apply for them
Jay Pitter, Ontario Arts Council
. Issues to Consider for New & Emerging Native Writers
Anita Large, Publisher, Theytus Publishing
Harmony Rice, Editor, Spirit Magazine
. Writing the World: Exercises for groups and individuals **
Nila Gupta, Author “The Sherpa and Other Fictions” (forthcoming)
** Please note this workshop is limited to those who identify as people of
colour, mixed race and/or Native.
. Escritura Creativa / Creative Writing (offered in Spanish)
Constanza Durán, Writer and Educator

4:00 - 4:15 Break

4:15 pm - 6:15 pm
. All You Need to Know About Literary Agents
Denise Bukowski, The Bukowski Agency
. Authenticity, Colonialism & Writing Across Cultures
Shani Mootoo, Author “Out on Main Street” and “Cereus Blooms at Night”
. Living from Our Art, the Way our Art Lives
(Spoken word, political writing, making a living as a poet)
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Spoken Word Artist & Educator
SPIN, Spoken Word Artist, Educator & Youth Advocate
. Academic Publishing
George Sefa-Dei, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of
Toronto
Bonita Lawrence, School of Social Sciences, York University
Julia Sudbury, Research Chair in Social Justice, Equity & Diversity, Faculty
of Social Work, University of Toronto

This Symposium was made possibly by a grant from the Ontario Arts Council.

For more information, contact Toronto Women’s Bookstore, 416-922-8744.

Vtape Presents Edgewise: A slice of video by Paul Wong

Curated by Lisa Steele
March 26-April 8, 2005

Vancouver-based phenomenon Paul Wong is a video pioneer, an award-winning artist, curator and incendiary organizer of events, conferences and interventions since the 70s. His works have been both celebrated and censored but his energy is unstoppable. Wong's project Hungry Ghosts (curated by Elspeth Sage) reprised all his video works that entwine death and the dying with the resulting video presented on a cruising vaporetto on the Grand Canal in Venice during the 2003 Biennale.


Vtape Creative Director Lisa Steele has chosen So Are You, a lesser known experimental narrative as the anchor for this compelling programme of works spanning 25 years. So Are You is a searing, abrasive take on Vancouver's rough edges, where street dealing and open prostitution rub up against the rising yuppy-class of money and privilege. Written and shot in 1989, the vaudevillian structure belies the nasty racism Wong unearths and leaves exposed, like road kill not yet dead. So Are You is profoundly discomforting work that pushes buttons you didn't know you had.


Other works in the programme include a montage of Wong's still photographs from a Hermann Nitsch performance in Italy in 1978 (Trieste), 3 public service announcements made for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and the notoriously dangerous performance document 60 Unit Bruise from 1976 - the sweet innocence of brotherhood and love still present after all these years.

Paul Wong has just been awarded a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts, 2005. This honour follows the Bell Canada Award for Excellence in Video Art (1992) and the NFB/CHUM Trailblazer Expressions Award in 2002 for his strong leadership in the area of diversity and culture.

*Class of 2000, I Am a Refugee and Refugee Prisoner's Lament, 2000 4:00
*Trieste, 2003, 5:30
*60 Unit Bruise, 1976, 4:00
*So Are You, 1989-1994, 28:00

Vtape Video Salon
401 Richmond St. W., #452
Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
Tuesday-Friday 11am-5pm
Saturday, 12-4pm

For further information contact Eric Martinson at info@vtape.org, 416 351-1317. www.vtape.org

Taiwanese hold huge anti-China march

TAIPEI - Hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese marched in Taipei Saturday to protest against Beijing's new law sanctioning the use of force if Taiwan moves toward formal independence.

Taiwan split with China following a civil war in 1949, but China still views the island as a rogue province.

The demonstrators assembled at 10 different areas in Taipei, with each route representing one of the articles of the anti-secession law, passed March 14 during China's annual session of parliament.

Those on the march included Taiwanese President Chen Shui Bian, who was surrounded by hundreds of security guards.

He joined the crowd in singing songs, including one written by his staff. They changed the lyrics of Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind to "How many rocky roads must the people of Taiwan walk, before really achieving democracy?"

Joseph Wu, head of the body responsible for the island's dealings with China, said the march was organized to remind the rest of the world that Taiwan feels it is under threat.

"We want to let the Chinese side know that the law has dealt a severe blow to the prospect of peaceful negotiations in between Taiwan and China," the BBC quoted Wu as saying.

Copyright ©2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved

Sexy political satire banned by Chinese officials

BEIJING - Chinese authorities have banned a sexy satiric story set during the Cultural Revolution and ordered all copies of the magazine in which it was published seized.

Serve the People was featured in the latest issue of the well-regarded literary magazine City of Flowers. Censors had already cut 50,000 words of its original 90,000-word length.

They had second thoughts about its publication and had all 30,000 copies of the magazine impounded this week.

The story by best-selling writer Yan Lianke tells the tale of a steamy affair between the young, beautiful wife of an old army general and his aide.

In one scene, the lovers smash up images of Mao Zedong and other symbols of the Cultural Revolution before taking part in unbridled passion.

The novel is set in 1967, during the peak of Mao's reign. During the Cultural Revolution, defacing an image of Mao was punishable by death. He is still highly revered in China, his face appearing on every banknote; a giant portrait of him looms over Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

The propaganda department is quoted as saying the novella "slanders Mao Zedong, the army and, is overflowing with sex."

Serve the People was also serialized over the internet. Supporters of the story describe it as a subversive critique of corruption and the insanity of the Cultural Revolution. Yan has said that he's not surprised by the ban, adding that sex is taboo in China.

One of the author's earlier novels, Shouhou (Feeling Good), was also banned. It's the story of a rural official who rents Lenin's corpse to promote tourism.

Copyright ©2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved

explorASIAN 2005 Heritage Gala - Tickets On Sale Now!

An entertaining evening of music and dance for the entire family!
Enjoy diverse performances that celebrate the community theme "explorKOREA".

The explorASIAN Heritage Gala will be held at the Centre for Performing Arts in Vancouver on Saturday - April 30, 2005 - 7pm.
Mark this date on your calendar!

The performer line-up for this year's gala includes:
- Baudeogi Musical (Canadian Premiere - from Korea)
- Dance Theatre ON (Western Canada Premiere - from Korea)
- Korean Youth Orchestra
- Korean Choir
- Sekoya
(Canadian Indie Music Award 2005 Winner & Juno Award 2005 Nominee)
- Ya-Wen Vivienne Wang (explorPERFORMANCE 2004 Winner)
- Bombay Dreams: Krystal Kiran Garib & Zahf Paroo
- Chibi Taiko
- Lok's Lion Dance Group

Gala Hosts:
Priya Ramu - CBC Radio
Miyoung Lee - CBC Radio

The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
777 Homer Street, Vancouver
(across from Vancouver Public Library-Main Branch)
http://www.centreinvancouver.com

Tickets: $20 - $50 - $80*
(*$80 ticket includes Post Gala reception)
(GST included - TICKETMASTER fees extra)

Advance reserved seating tickets available from all TICKETMASTER outlets
Charge by Phone 604.280.4444 (keyword=explorasian)
Purchase Online at http://www.ticketmaster.ca/artist/963154/

Last year's Gala at the Centre saw over 1100 guests enjoying an exciting evening of wonderful multicultural and multidisciplinary performances by local artists.

For 2005, we are pleased to present two premiere performances from two international dance groups. This is your opportunity to experience traditional and contemporary dance from two leading dance companies from Korea. Over 50 dancers to thrill you!

Don't delay! Buy your tickets now and reserve your seats for a great evening of fun, music and dance for the entire family. Tell your friends and associates too!

Sponsored by:
Korean Consulate, Korean Embassy, Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of British Columbia, CBC Radio/TV, The Centre for Performing Arts

With assistance from:
Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, City of Vancouver

Land and Vision: Selected Images from Nature

April 7 to May 21, 2005

The Mississauga Camera Club Celebrates 50 Years

Opening reception Thursday, April 7th at 6 pm
Hosted by Travel Photographer, André Gallant

A falling leaf, a wisp of cloud, a fleeting glimpse of an animal - all moments lost forever but for the efforts of the photographer. How fortunate the world is to have those who are willing to go out and capture the planet as it unfolds in 1/125 of a second increment.

What a wonderfully difficult task it has been being a juror for this show. A wide range of photographs from Avedon-like full face portraits of animals to dramatic vistas to close-up examinations of flora all made for different arguments in the judging process. Ultimately however, the choices came down to the intangible quality of 'feel'. - Richard Lautens, George Hunter and Tony Makepeace

The exhibition Land and Vision: Selected Images from Nature is one of the events being held by the Mississauga Camera Club in recognition of its? 50th year. One of the most well established camera clubs in the Greater Toronto Area, founded in 1954, the Club boasts over 120 members and an active itinerary of exhibits, competitions and presentations.

A juried selection of 65 photographs by approximately 40 artists around the theme of environmental responsibility are presented in this exhibition. Always a vital and relevant issue, environmental responsibility presents the photographer with both visual and intellectual challenges. Each image serves as a document of the current condition of this land and its? inhabitants. Underlying in each carefully chosen photograph is the evidence of our continuing struggle to balance adaptation and conservation. The jurors go on to say "As for the first place photograph: a quiet photograph without the help of exquisite light or dramatic subject matter ... There is tension as well, a feeling of waiting but waiting for what? What is around the corner? It is the questions raised as much as the answers given that perhaps is the most inviting part of this photograph and of life itself."

Please join us for the reception of this broad range of works interpreting a thought provoking theme, along with a celebration of the Mississauga Camera Club's 50th year.

Travel Photographer André Gallant will host the opening reception, introducing the jurors and awarding the prizes.

For more information on publications, programming and activities at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, please call
(905) 896-5076 or view the Gallery's website at www.artgalleryofmississauga.com

Malaysia Singapore Night 2005

Presented by UBC Singapore Raffles Club & SFU Malaysia Singapore Students Club

March 26, Saturday

Dinner at 7.30pm & Show at 9pm

Richmond Cultural Centre - Lecture Hall
Richmond, BC

$8 Early Bird; $10 Door

All proceeds will be donated to Singapore Community Chest and Malaysia Happiness House. So, come celebrate our grandest event of the year. Win some Good Prizes, enjoy some Good Performances, and have some Good Fun all for a Good Cause. Tickets whilst stock lasts. Yes, admission tickets include a Good Malaysian and Singaporean dinner! So, email Eleanor at eheng@sfu.ca for your tickets today!

For more information, please visit our website at www.sfu.ca/~mssc

Sexy Hit Comedy Series Returns To The Stage With Weddings, Karaoke and Kung Fu!

Sex in Vancouver*… Undressed coming April 2005

With sold-out performances in August 2003, Sex in Vancouver: Episode One introduced us to four dynamic Asian women and their complicated, wacky love lives. Following this success, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT) staged Sex in Vancouver: Episode Two in January 2004. Once again, audiences laughed, lusted and cheered for the four hot Asian girlfriends and the hopeless men in their lives. As it prepares for the third installment of this popular series later this summer, VACT will restage the first two plays this April – giving fans and those who missed the first run another chance to catch up on all the action and fun.

Billed as Sex In Vancouver… Undressed, audiences will enjoy both episodes in one special performance on April 3, 10, 11 and 12 at the Roundhouse community theatre in Yaletown. The term “Undressed” refers to the modified black-box theatrical approach –containing all of the fun multimedia elements from the original plays, but performed on a simple, unadorned stage.

Sex in Vancouver “virgins” are definitely urged to come out, but previous fans of the series will certainly want to re-connect with their favourite characters – or to catch up with an episode they missed previously.

Sex in Vancouver centers on a quartet of modern Asian-Canadian women dealing with life-changing relationship issues: infidelity, commitment, friendship and marriage. Sex in Vancouver: Episode One leaves us with many questions about the fate of these ladies. Episode Two provides some healing and, of course, further complications. Are Elizabeth and Kenneth, former high-school sweethearts, still in love with each other? What does his wife, Shari, think about that? Can Colin finally end things with his conniving ex-girlfriend, and re-build his relationship with Jenna? Can Tess remain in her marriage of convenience, especially now that, her husband, Zane’s sexual orientation is thrown into question? Cliffhangers at the end leaves audiences waiting anxiously for the next episode.

A special Question And Answer session will follow the first matinee performance of Sex In Vancouver… Undressed on Sunday April 3rd giving the audience a chance to meet the cast, ask about their challenges as actors and find out ways to get involved in the next episode.

“We found that our audience is extremely receptive and supportive of Sex in Vancouver and the episodic format has proved to be very successful,” says VACT President Joyce Lam. “It allows audiences to connect with our characters and follow their stories, just as they do with their favourite TV sitcoms – but with the energy and creativity only live theatre can provide.”

Sex in Vancouver illustrates an important point: the issues faced by young Asian-Canadian adults are similar to those faced by all young adults.

“Some are surprised to see that Sex In Vancouver isn’t ‘ethnic theatre’ as they traditionally think of it. Most of our characters are visibly Asian, and their ethnicity is integral to the story, but our production isn’t about ‘educating’ or preaching to our audience,” continues Lam. “Our goal is to stage an entertaining play, while also providing opportunities to some of these talented young actors. In the process we obviously struck a chord with young Vancouverites of Asian and other backgrounds. We’re so excited to continue this endeavour.”

For more information please visit http://www.vact.ca.

Event Details
Sex in Vancouver… Undressed
@ Roundhouse Performance Centre
Davie & Pacific Blvd., Vancouver

Performance Dates and Showtimes
April 3 (matinee) 1:00 PM (Episode 1) + 2:30 PM (Episode 2) + Q & A with cast to follow
April 10 (matinee) 1:00 PM (Episode 1) + 2:30 PM (Episode 2)
April 11 (evening) 7:00 PM (Episode 1) + 8:30 PM (Episode 2)
April 12 (evening) 7:00 PM (Episode 1) + 8:30 PM (Episode 2)

Ticket prices
$20 both episodes (or $12 single episode)
At the door or order by phone at 778-885-1973

Note: 14A; some coarse language and sexually suggestive material.

VACT (Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre) aims to produce quality plays in which Asian-Canadians take on culturally or artistically significant roles. VACT works to dispel Asian stereotypes by producing leading and/or supporting roles where Asian-Canadians are depicted realistically in the performing arts.

The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society/explorASIAN is proud to be a Community Partner of VACT.

Leda Serene Films

Leda Serene Films is seeking a Tabla player and Female Singer to
perform music and ghazals for a documentary on Indo-Caribbean author
Ramabai Espinet.

The programme is a pilot and will be broadcast on OMNI, Book Television
and Canadian Learning Television.

Please send demos to:
Leda Serene Films
99, Gore Vale Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M6J 2R5

“Chinese Painting: The Realities Behind the Ideals.”

The Vancouver Institute cordially invites all faculty, staff, students and the public to a free presentation entitled: “Chinese Painting: The Realities Behind the Ideals.”

We are pleased to present Dr. James Cahill, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, University of California at Berkeley. Professor Cahill is one of the world's most distinguished scholars in Chinese art. The question of how painters in traditional China made their livings has been a more or less taboo subject for centuries in the Chinese literature of art; artists were supposed to work for Confucian self-fulfillment, and to present their works to friends without thought of recompense. The realities of their lives were more earthy and more interesting than that, and can be partially reconstructed from scattered informal sources: letters, inscriptions, recorded anecdotes.

This talk filled with exciting and interesting illustrations will sum up the new understanding of Chinese artists' lives that is revealed in these neglected sources, and will show how it affects our readings of particular paintings. An open question and answer period with the audience will follow.

This event is free of charge and pre-registration is not required.

Saturday, April 2/05
8:15PM promptly

UBC Campus – Woodward IRC Building, Lecture Hall 2
2194 Health Sciences Mall

A detailed map of the campus can be found at: HYPERLINK "http://www.maps.ubc.ca" www.maps.ubc.ca

Free parking is available in the Health Sciences Parkade after 7:30PM. For more information, please contact Julia White at 604.822.5675. This notice may be widely distributed and posted on your website.

ORIENTED's March Happy Hour

Thursday, March 31 (7-9 p.m.)

Monsoon
100 Simcoe St,
Toronto, ON
Tel. (416) 979-7172
Website: www.monsoonrestaurant.ca.

Door charge with RSVP: $5.00
Door charge without RSVP: $10.00

RSVP for this event, visit www.oriented.com/RSVP
RSVP special rate will expire on 3/31/2005

Monsoon is a Japanese style combined with the comfortable modernity of 1960s lounge makes for a hip interior at Monsoon, an upscale, Asian-inspired restaurant in Toronto's downtown entertainment district.

ORIENTED Happy Hours take place on the last Thursday of every month in major cities throughout Asia and North America. Join our growing community of professionals and socialites, all with Asia-Pacific interests.

Additional inquiries, contact:
Richard Sung (rich@oriented.com)
Leona Chen (leona@oriented.com)

NAAAP-Toronto's March Business Mixer

Featuring Special Guest Speaker - Gilbert Khoudry, author of Bring it On!
An Entrepreneur's Approach to Implementing New Products or Services.

Topic of the Evening: "Bringing New Products and Services to Market."

Thursday, March 24, 2005; 7:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Vecchio Frak Café
690 College Street,
Toronto, Ontario, M6G 1C1
Ph: 416.516.FRAK(3725)
Website: www.vecchiofrak.com

NAAAP Members: $ 5.00
Non Members: $15.00

* Includes light buffet
* Attire: Business or Business Casual
* Remember to bring lots of business cards!
* Seminar commences at 8:00 p.m. (approx.)

RSVP prior to March 23, 2005 - 12:00 noon via email to rsvp@naaaptoronto.org or
directly on our website http://www.naaaptoronto.org

NAAAP Toronto's signature monthly Business Mixers are designed to be your professional community forum, enjoy lively conversation, mix and mingle, build new contacts and get re-acquainted with old ones at some of Toronto's most popular evening hot spots.

SECOND CITY CANADIAN TOURING COMPANY

The Second City Touring Company will be holding auditions on April 20th
& 21st. The Second City Touring Company travels all across Canada, with
the majority of performances in Ontario. The performers of the touring
company are also the understudies for The Second City Mainstage troupe.
The touring company road show is made up of Second City archival
material, as well as a 40 minute improv set.

Multi-cultural performers are encouraged to apply. Interested
applicants should have a strong background in comedy, improv, and
acting. Equity and Non-Equity performers are both welcome to apply.

The audition will consist of group improv, as well as a scene read from
The Second City archives. You will not need to prepare anything for the
audition.

Only those selected for an audition will be called. No phone calls, no
emailed headshots. Please send hardcopy of headshot and resume no later
than Monday April 18th @ 5pm to:

The Second City
56 Blue Jays Way
Toronto, ON
M5V 2G3
ATTN: Carlie Baxter

Or drop off at The Second City Box-office between the hours of 9am -
9pm.

Equity members will be seen first at all open audition calls. Equity
members cast in this production will be engaged under an Equity form of
contract. CAEA members: please bring your membership card to the
audition.

The Latcham Gallery presents its Annual Juried Exhibition 2005

All artists residing in Ontario are invited to submit up to two works of original art to be considered by this year's jury. The drop off day is Monday, March 28. All media are accepted. Work must have been completed during the years 2003 to 2005. To receive an entry form, please contact the Latcham Gallery at (905) 640-8954.

The Latcham Gallery is very excited to announce that this year's jury will be made up of:

Neville Clarke, artist
David Liss, Director/Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
Judith Tinkl, fibre artist and Associate Professor of the Ontario College of Art and Design.

The exhibition will be on display from April 2 - May 14, 2005

Everyone is welcome at the Opening on Saturday, April 2 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. $1,000 in awards will be presented at the Opening.

The Latcham Gallery is the public art gallery located in Stouffville, Ontario, just north-east of Toronto.

Hours of operation: Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Latcham Gallery
6240 Main Street, Stouffville, Ontario L4A 7Z4
(905) 640-8954

Written in Colour Writer's Symposium

Saturday April 9, 2005
10am to 6:15pm
OISE 4th floor
252 Bloor St. W.
Registration fee to be confirmed.

3 sets of workshops to choose from!
A two-hour meet and greet networking lunch with authors and publishers!

This is the second year that TWB has organized this symposium for writers of
colour and native writers. All are welcome to attend.

Workshop facilitators and other writers attending include: Shyam Selvadurai,
Ann Decter, trey anthony, Sandra Laronde, Motion, Shani Mootoo, Leah Lakshmi
Piepzna-Samarasinha, George Sefa Dei, Judy Fong Bates, Drew Hayden Taylor,
Makeda Silvera, Kerri Sakamoto, Tamai Kobayashi, Sherene Razack, and many
more.

For full details please visit our website at www.womensbookstore.com

COLOURBLIND: Youth Confronting Racism

March 21, 2005 International Day of the Elimination of Racism
6:00-8:00 PM
Vancouver East Cultural Centre
1895 Venables Street, Vancouver (corner Victoria Drive)

Ethnic youth from all over Vancouver schools have come together to present the challenges besetting youth today such as racism, violence, and identity issues using creative tools from contemporary and indigenous cultures including rap, hip hop, drumming, chanting, martial arts and drama.

The program also includes:
- A video showing how the youth trained and developed their themes and skills for the performance.
- Presentation of the bi-annual BAYANIHAN Multicultural Awards focusing this year on outstanding community service by and for Immigrant Youth.

Multicultural Helping House Society
4802 Fraser Street, Vancouver BC V5V 4H4
Ph 604-879-3277

www.helpinghouse.org

Helping newcomers succeed in Canada. When you light a path for others, you light your own as well.

The Gibsone Jessop Gallery launches its new website

Set in the Distillery District's original limestone building (1861), Gibsone Jessop is the first Toronto gallery to specialize in introducing promising young international artists to Canadian audiences.

The gallery provides exclusive access to emerging talent from England, Scandinavia, Europe, Australia, China and the United States.

Operating from new perspectives, these artists reinvent traditional ways of making and thinking about contemporary painting. They are among the most talented and inventive artists working today.

Since its launch in 2003, the gallery has hosted three music festivals, performance art, physical theatre, product launches, private parties, fashion shows, press conferences and fundraisers as well as television and movie filming.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR E-INVITATION LIST, PLEASE GO TO WWW.GIBSONEJESSOP.COM AND CLICK ON SUBSCRIBE.

17th Annual Vancouver's Queer Film + Video Festival

Deadline: April 1st.

There are no entry fees and we pay artist fees.

This year, the festival runs from August 4th - 14th in the backdrop of
beautiful mountain and ocean views in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Out on Screen is requesting a VHS/ DVD preview copy (+ press package) for any works that may be of interest to our festival.

Please complete an on-line entry form and view submissions details at

http://www.outonscreen.com/_artists/artists_submissions.htm

17th Annual Vancouver Queer Film + Video Festival August 4 - 14, 2005
www.outonscreen.com

IMAGES Call For Submissions

Do you keep a tape in the VCR at all times, waiting for your favourite pop
icon to appear onscreen? Have you got every single one of Elvis Stoyko's
performances on tape, lined up perfectly on your mantle? Are you obsessed
with depictions of nuns on TV?

For the duration of this year's Images Festival (April 7-16, 2005), a
monitor will be set up in the café at Innis Town Hall. Each night will
feature a different TV Obsession tape. If your tape is included in the
series you will receive a free Small Images Membership -- which gets you
discounts on all Images Festival screenings and chances to win AMAZING
prizes (including a 40GB iPod, a Famous Players Big Card and 7 nights
accommodation at a 5-star resort in Mexico). But best of all, you get to
share your nutty obsessions with people who can appreciate this stuff.

Deadline for submitting your tape (on VHS): March 25, 2005

Send by mail or drop off at Images Festival office:
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 448
Toronto ON M5V 3A8

IMAGES FESTIVAL >> April 7-16, 2005 >> http://www.imagesfestival.com

LIKE ZED? WIN AN IPOD MINI

Name your absolute favourite ZeD segment of all time -
film/performance/artist profile/whatever - and enter to win a chance at an iPod Mini!

http://zed.cbc.ca/go?c=likeZeD

More about ZeD
ZeD is a launch pad for independent creative expression that uses TV
and the Web to seek out and broadcast the best new short films, videos,
animation, visual art, performance and music in Canada and around the
world.

Every weeknight at 11:25 p.m. on CBC Television, host Ziya Tong
showcases performances, short films, animation, indie-culture reports,
and interviews with movers and shakers in the culture industry.

ZeD.cbc.ca is where members meet, collaborate, and upload their work.
ZeD staff screens every single submission and greenlights the best for
TV broadcast. It's a match made in artsy heaven. We win. The artist
wins. Our audience wins.

ZeD TV - CBC Television Monday - Friday 11:25pm
Online 24/7 at www.zed.cbc.ca

VOLUNTEER RADIO HOSTS WANTED!

Location: Vancouver
Date Required: Unspecified

The Obaa show is a radio public affairs program, broadcast from
Vancouver Co-operative Radio (CFRO 102.7 FM). Obaa is a show by and
for women of colour. We cover issues such as racism, immigration,
artists, media, health, etc. We also feature music from women
locally and internationally.

Obaa is seeking volunteer Hosts / Studio techs who can commit to
minimum one show per month. No experience necessary, just a passion
to express opinions on topics important to women of colour. We will
train successful applicants.

Check out our website at http://www.freewebs.com/obaa . We can also
be reached via e-mail at obaashow@hotmail.com . Obaa broadcasts
every Tuesday at 7p.m. on CFRO 102.7FM.

MONOLOGUES FROM EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS

Deadline: April 17, 2005
Monologues from Emerging Playwrights

Solo Collective, the award-winning Vancouver theatre company that
produces original work by Western Canadian playwrights, wants to
showcase your new monologue script. We will select five scripts from
contest entries, to be developed and presented at a public reading
in Summer 2005. The submissions are blind judged (the jurors do NOT
see the writer's name until after the winners are chosen). Please
submit your properly formatted monologue (see below) to:

Aaron Bushkowsky/Johnna Wright
Solo Collective Theatre
#313 - 1045 West 14th Ave.
Vancouver, BC V6H 1P4

Submission Requirements:
- typed double-spaced
- courier or Times Roman font
- pages numbered
- a separate title page with your name and contact info - do NOT
include your name on each page
- maximum length 2000 words
- $25 Submission fee (cheques only, made out to Solo Collective
Theatre Society)

Five winners will be announced during the run of our spring
production, FEAR SOME, and will receive:
- professional dramaturgy from Aaron Bushkowsky, Johnna Wright and Jennifer Lord
- a public reading by professional actors
- a profile in the Solo Collective Newsletter and on our web site
- other promotion associated with the showcase event

The public readings will take place in July as part of Solo
Collective's high-profile summer showcase/preview event, along
with the preview of our new plays in development. Last year's summer
showcase even sold-out! This year we expect even more people to
attend. Your theatre colleagues will have the opportunity to see
your work read by high-calibre professional actors from the community.

Please note that winning playwrights must provide their own travel
and accommodation costs if they need to travel to Vancouver. Being
selected as a winner of this Emerging Playwrights competition does
not guarantee a production. For more information, visit our web site
at http://www.solocollective.ca or contact the co-Artistic Directors
by e-mail: info@solocollective.ca.

PLANET IN FOCUS

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL
Early deadline: April 1, 2005
Final deadline: May 2, 2005

Recognizing that the 'environment' is contested terrain, both as a
biophysical entity and as a philosophical frame, Planet in Focus
invites submissions of films and videos, in all genres, that
critically examine the concept of 'environment' and challenge
current human/nature relations.

Special consideration will be paid to:

-works that push the boundaries of the accepted notions of 'environment'
-works that present cultural perspectives that are under-represented in Canada
-works that will have their world or Canadian premiere at Planet in Focus

Eligibility Criteria:
-Entries must have a release date after 2001.
-Pre-screening copies must be submitted on VHS cassette (NTSC
preferred, but PAL also accepted) or DVD. Each entry must be
accompanied by a completed entry form and the appropriate entry fee.
Multiple entries may be sent in the same package. Please avoid
excessive non-biodegradable packaging. While our long-term goal is
to include works in a variety of languages, this year all works
submitted should be accessible to English speaking audiences.

Submission results will be sent out by email in June, 2005.
NOTE: WE DO NOT ACCEPT WORKS IN PROGRESS

For an entry form, see:
http://www.planetinfocus.org/festival/submissions.shtml

ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET

March 24/31, 2005 (9 pm & 10 pm)
The Gem Bar and Grill
1159 Davenport Road, Toronto

Ancient Chinese Secret (featuring members of ATOMIC 7) perform at
The Gem every Thursday in March: two sets of live music with school
night friendly sets. Be at home in bed for the e-talk daily dish!
Like totally awesome!

SPRING BALINESE GAMELAN CONCERTS

April 7, 2005 (7:30 pm)
April 9, 2005 (2:00 pm & 7:30 pm)

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
578 Carrall Street, Vancouver

Colorful dress, bronze gongs, kettles, metallophones, bamboo
xylophones, drums, and cymbals come together in melodic harmony to
celebrate gamelan music, a traditional instrumental ensemble in
Bali. In collaboration with Michael Tenzer and the Gamelan Gita
Asmara we will present three concerts featuring traditional
and modern Balinese music and dance performed by the 25-member
gamelan ensemble with 4 guest dancers. The spectacular instruments
and the dazzling, virtuoso music will make for a fascinating,
riveting performance, irresistible for adults and children alike.

Tickets are $15. Call 604-662-3207 ext. 205 to order.

For more information or images please contact:
Yvonne Chui at 604-662-3207 ext. 201 or
http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
Michael Tenzer at 604-822-3405 or e-mail
mtenzer@pop.interchange.ubc.ca

DAYS OF BEING WILD

March 31, 2005 (7:30 pm)
April 1, 2005 (9:35 pm)
April 2, 2005 (7:30 pm)
April 3, 2005 (9:35 pm)
April 4, 2005 (7:30 pm)

Pacific Cinematheque
1131 Howe Street, Vancouver

Few filmmakers have been as critically lionized over the past decade
as Hong Kong original Wong Kar-Wai (Chungking Express, Fallen
Angels), a master stylist who has turned emotional disconnection,
urban desolation, and the relentless passage of time into some of
the most evocative, exhilarating and ravishingly beautiful cinema of
our time. Days of Being Wild, Wong's second feature ,is one of his
signature achievements, and one of the great Asian films of the
1990s. We are pleased to present it in a newly struck, newly
subtitled 35mm print.

For more information:
http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/

Chinese head tax and exclusion

1:30pm, Sunday March 20, 2005
Strathcona Community Centre pre-school room
601 Keefer Street, Vancouver

The National Redress Committee of the Chinese Canadian National Council
(CCNC) and ACCESS Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and
Solidarity holds this meeting to call on the federal government for a
just and honourable redress of Chinese head tax and exclusion. All
head taxpayers, spouses and descendants who share CCNC's position on
redress, along with our supporters, are invited.

CCNC and ACCESS believe the priority of redress is individuals and
families who paid the tax and suffered the hardships of exclusion. A just
and hounourable redress will include individual recognition/head tax
refund, community amends/commemoration and a willing and sincere apology
There will also be a short video presenation.

The CCNC is a national non-profit organization working to promote social
justice, equality and civic participation for all Canadians. CCNC was
formed in 1980 and has 27 chapters across Canada.

ACCESS, the successor organisation to Vancouver Association of Chinese
Canadians, was incorporated under the Societies Act ((Number S-48757) in
British Columbia on March 1, 2005 to expand the "Vancouver" geography of
the membership and better articulate our mission:

Jia Zhangke

The spring season is full of cinema to be discovered, with
the films of emerging master Jia Zhangke.

Unknown Pleasures: The Films of Jia Zhangke

Not since Hou Hsiao-hsien has an Asian director produced
such a complex and commanding body of work as Jia Zhangke.
This young director, the first featured in our inaugural
"Film Now" series, has already perfected his style.

Be sure to catch the limited run of his latest film, THE
WORLD, which interweaves the stories of several young
people who work at the World Park on the outskirts of
Beijing (Friday, March 18, 2005, 8:15 PM, Saturday,
March 19, 2005, 8:15 PM, Sunday, March 20, 2005, 3:00 PM
and Thursday, March 24, 2005, 6:30 PM). Zhangke will
be in attendance at the March 18 screening only, so be
sure to get your tickets!

Also screening in this series is XIAO SHAN GOING HOME
(Tuesday, March 22, 2005, 6:30 PM), PICKPOCKET
(Tuesday, March 22, 2005, 8:15 PM), UNKNOWN PLEASURES
(Saturday, March 26, 2005, 8:30 PM), and PLATFORM
(Sunday, March 27, 2005, 1:00 PM). See the future
of world-class film, now, with these superb films.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit the
Official website at http://www.bell.ca/cinematheque
call the Bell Infoline at 416-968-FILM, or visit us in
person at our year-round Box Office, located at Manulife
Centre, 55 Bloor Street West (main floor, north entrance).
Screenings are restricted to individuals 18 years of age
or older, unless otherwise noted, and take place at the Art
Gallery of Ontario's Jackman Hall Theatre, 317 Dundas
Street West (please use McCaul St. entrance).

That Takes Ovaries!

Rasik Arts will be performing scenes from That Takes Ovaries! on March 24 for the Alliance for South Asian Aids Prevention’s Annual Gala Fundraiser “Sa Re Ga Ha 3”, at the Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W. (one block W. of Dufferin St.) Starting at 7pm, it’s a whole evening of dinner, entertainment, raffles, and after party with DJ Amita. Entertainment includes Kathak dance, That Takes Ovaries! scenes, and the Samba Squad. Tickets are $35 in advance; $40 at the door; $10 for the after party. Call ASAP at 416-599-2727 for tickets and info. Their website is www.asaap.ca. A great evening for a great cause!

Rasik Arts - devoted to South Asian Theatre
406-580 Christie St.
Toronto, ON M6G 3E3
tel. (416) 654-9231; Fax (416)-654-5129; www.rasikarts.com
Sally Jones, Artistic Director
Sheila Sky, General Manager

Urban Legends

Westender, March 10, 2005

Urban Legends

Photo: Long-time Eastside activist Sid Tan
took his grandfather's advice to heart.

Sid Tan, on head tax and being a good-time man
By Elaine Corden

Who: Sid Tan

What: President of the Vancouver Association of Chinese Canadians

Roots: Born in China, Tan came to Canada as a 'paper son' - under falsified papers that showed him to be the son of his grandparents. Tan and his family were affected and separated by exclusionary government policy which was in place as recently as 60 years ago. Today, Tan works as a social activist, fighting for an official apology from the Canadian government, which would include a redress of the $500 'Head Tax' once charged on Chinese immigrants.

In brief: "I'm from East Van, formerly out of Saskatchewan. I'm a good-time man. That's why I'm known around the world. I'm a Gold Mountain dragon and a Rocky Mountain warrior. The other day, my friends and I had a contest to see who could eat a live rat the fastest, and I won. I've got steel wires for guts, concrete in my bones and fire in my blood. I've been called a Navajo, I've been called Juan from Mexico, I've been called Carlos the Filipino, but my favourite is still 'Good Time Joe.' I can cook better, eat faster, love longer, yell louder, shout and act dumber than anybody I know, with the exception of my Uncle Bing. There's not a woman alive that can't make a fool out of me, that's how tough I am."

Knowing his roots: "To live is hope. In the great scheme of things, I have two kids, they're both full-grown. My son's a lawyer in Sydney, Australia, and my daughter's a professional poker player. I'm a grandfather. So what are you going to do? I have to try to make a better world. That's hope. I get pensive, but you get to choose, and I choose to participate. I choose to participate because my grandfather didn't have the chance to participate when he was my age, because he was a second-class citizen. It was not until 1947 that he could actually vote [as a Chinese-Canadian]. He always impressed on me the importance of that."

Go left, young man: "Even as a kid, I was pretty politicized. One of the first battles I fought in and won was Medicare in 1962. I mean, who would have thought we'd ever have that? When I was a kid, somebody threw a rock at me and I was blinded in one of my eyes and I had to go to University Hospital in North Battleford. I seem to recall that it was $1,300 that my grandfather had to pay. I remember I had to write out the cheque for him, and that was a tremendous amount of money, that was all his savings. You never forget that."

Some things never change: "I graduated from the University of Calgary with an arts degree, and that and two bucks will get you a cup of coffee. I was supposed to be a lawyer, but I got busted. I was named after a lawyer, actually, a man called Sidney Waterman... my grandfather, knowing a bunch of important people, and wanting to bring us kids over, knew that this man was responsible for helping make that happen, so he decided to honour him."

Some things never change, part II: "This is my claim to fame in my hometown: I was the first person busted for hash possession.... We were at the University of Calgary, and we had this massive amount of hash and we brought it back to Battleford. Big mistake.... We got busted, and I had to spend a night in jail and think I had to pay a $500 fine, and I think my tuition for school was only $300, so it was a lot. These are things you look back on and, they weren't funny at the time, but you look back and you see that it's kind of funny, and this is the way heaven's meant it to be - just like my grandfather getting his citizenship in 1947 and the
Communist Revolution happening in China in 1949. Some things are meant to happen."

Present-day upstanding citizen: "I think [in regard to recovering the head tax] there's no use negotiating numbers until the government decided to come to the table to negotiate. I've talked to the survivors - and remember, we're talking about a handful of people. There's only three head-taxpayers that I know of in Canada, and I've been working on this 20 years. There's some spouses, women that were separated from their husbands during exclusion from 1923-1947. I believe that they should get some sort of individual recognition and compensation. As for the descendants, the
sons and daughters, they can decide what they want, but I think that many of them would be happy with some sort of larger community redress."

Correcting the future: "What we're having trouble with is the recognition. They haven't apologized or anything, they're just throwing money out there and letting us fight for it.... How come the Japanese have received redress? The head tax and exclusion is more current. I don't care about compensation; I'm going after the principle of the tax refund. I believe the 81,000 people who paid the head tax should be commemorated. Because a hundred years from now, their descendants will be claiming, like Americans do with their ancestors who came on the Mayflower: 'My ancestors paid the head tax, and my ancestors got justice.'"

Remembering the past: "Both my grandparents are buried in Battleford,Saskatchewan. I don't really have any loyalty or patriotism to the old country. I was born there but I've never been back... I'm a proud Canadian. One of the reasons I do this is because I'm interested in the story. I don't care about the money, I don't care about the compensation. I want to put the story right. That's what I feel I have to do, as a Canadian."

International wisdom: "This is my grandfather's, but I'll put it in a more literary way: when you exercise your muscles, you build your body; when you exercise your brain, you strengthen your mind; and when you exercise your rights, you reveal your soul."

WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS needed at TSV

We are currently looking for people to teach the following workshops:

CRASH COURSE CAMERA WORKSHOP - Find out how video cameras work. Learn about the difference between analog and DV, Timecode, Irises, gain settings, F-stops, lens and filters. Story boarding and frame set up will also be discussed. After this workshop, you'll be ready to start shooting.

MUSIC/SOUND/VIDEO - Sound is an important part of the video making process and often gets overlooked. Knowing how to work with different sound elements, filters and effects can dramatically help enhance the mood of a video. Find out what you can do to make your soundtrack kick. Explore a number of different software programs including Soundtrack and Garage Band, while learning about the range of different music and sound options available for video. Worst case scenarios will also be covered; for example, what to do when the sound is recorded badly and how to get rid of high frequency hisses and other related problems.

WOMEN WORKING IN VIDEO EVENING-. Find out about opportunities and programs that are out there to help encourage women in the industry. Explore some of the challenges that women in the business face and how they manage to overcome them. An essential discussion for the serious female professional.

THE STRUCTURE OF EDITING- This course will focus on the technique, structure and theory behind video editing. Discussion on various examples, will help participants understand how to create a mood and communicate with different styles of picture cutting. Learn to speak the often secret and mysterious language of visual communication.

The rate of pay is $25 an hour. If you feel you have the skills necessary to instruct one of these courses, please contact ian@trinitysquarevideo.com

HONGBU & NOLBU: THE TALE OF THE MAGIC PUMPKINS

A hilarious re-telling of the Korean folktale about sibling rivalry and the rewards of sharing. By Jean Yoon. Featuring Nina Lee Aquino, In-Surp Choi, Richard Lee & Jane Luk

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