FREE Bilingual and intercultural Version française au verso Local designers experiments with fabrics and colours Page 6 Since 1999 Vol 15 No 15 | March 10–24, 2015 www.thelasource.com Francophone arts, culture and Vancouver: education expand to new audiences an eclecticelectic city by E R by E R undled up well in my win- The francophone community Bter clothes, I arrived in in British Columbia is growing, Vancouver on the April 18, 2014, with roughly 70,000 people having more or less made it whose first language is French, through a Montréal winter. almost 30,000 of whom live in Despite spring’s imminent Vancouver, according to the Fé- arrival, the thermal contrast dération des francophones de between the two cities was la Colombie-Britannique. impressive. The first thing that hit me was, quite literally, With the Journée Internationale the rain. It was a fine refresh- de la Francophonie (Internation- ing mist on my face – nothing al Francophonie Day) coming chilling. The second thing that up on the 20th, March is an im- struck me was all the green – portant month to celebrate and the green of the grass, the promote the francophone com- green of the trees, the green munity. Many events will take of the flowers and the green of place all around the world, as the plants. After four months well as in the Greater Vancou- of a uniformly white land- ver area. This is an occasion to scape all the greenery seemed show off the major actors of the unreal to me. francophone community and Staying with the green their missions throughout the theme, one of Vancouver’s year. most unheard of events was, Photo courtesy of CJFCB for me as a French woman The Britsh Columbian team during the Jeux de la Francophonie Canadienne in 2014 in Gatneau. A blend of tradition little accustomed to Canadi- and modernity all over the Lower Mainland and Many francophone cultural or- audience’s experience by dis- an ways, 4/20 or the April 20. In Metro Vancouver, franco- features artists such as La Bot- ganizations look to engage other covering a different repertoire,” While I was wandering down- phones have a network that tine Souriante, Lennie Gallant, De cultural groups. says Esther Duquette, commu- town along Robson Street, I provides a meeting place for all Temps Antan and Vishten. Théâtre la Seizième, a unique nications and administration found myself in front of the forms of expressions of the fran- “We are really satisfied. Every French-language professional director/associate artistic and Art Gallery of Vancouver in cophone culture. year we notice that the anglo- theatre group founded in 1974, managing director of Théâtre la the midst of an entrancing Fitting the cultural man- phone community shows interest creates French-language produc- Seizième. cloud of smoke that instantly date is the Festival du bois de in our culture, food and music. tions accessible to non-French André Lamontagne, a litera- relaxed anyone walking by. Maillardville, which celebrates Approximatively 55–60 per cent speakers with English subtitles. ture professor at UBC, and direc- And even under Vancouver’s French-Canadian traditions. of our audience is anglophone, “We want to expand the ac- tor of Centre de la Francophonie grey and misty skies, to see Festival du Bois is produced and this year again we consider cess to our performances like À de UBC and treasurer of La So- such a low, dense cloud is a by the Société francophone de that our mission is accomplished – toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou ciété historique francophone de la curiosity. I had originally set Maillardville and is the largest all the poutine is gone!” says Jo- by Michel Tremblay, a famous Colombie-Britannique, confirms out in search of chocolates to francophone event west of the hanne Dumas, executive & artis- Quebecois playwright, rarely that students from all origins mark the Easter Sunday tra- Rockies. The festival brings to- tic director of the Société franco- performed in Vancouver. Also show interest in French studies. dition, but now found myself gether over 15,000 people from phone de Maillardville. it is important to improve our See “Francophonie” page 3 surrounded by sweets and chocolate cake of a whole other sort. 4/20 is the amaz- Also in this issue ing get-together of militants in favour of legalizing canna- bis, a celebration where both occasional and frequent users can buy and use cannabis in Educatng young girls A modern all its forms under the watch- ful eyes of the police detailed across the world approach to to the event. That year 30,000 Page 7 foral prints people gathered to create the Page 10 infamous cloud. In spite of the apparent openness of spirit of Vancou- verites, I heard many criti- See “Verbatm” page 10 h ourc Vol 15 No 15 | March 10–24, 2015 Upintheair Theatre presents rEvolver Theatre Festival May 20 - 31, 2015 @ The Cultch Empowerment and enlightenment Upintheair Theatre presents its third annual rEvolver Theatre Festival, devoted to showcasing new works from emerging theatre artists at The Cultch (1895 Venables Street, for women in Afghanistan Vancouver) from May 20 to 31, 2015. Early-Bird six show passes by R are available now for $66 (plus tax) at www.upintheairtheatre. com/Buy-tickets. Single tickets will Be available March 15 A society with an educated at The Cultch Box Ofce www.tickets.thecultch.com or population will find the tools 604.251.1363. and agency in itself to flour- ish. That’s the belief that moti- vates the Canadian Women for Vancouver’s premiere annual event for discovering the next Women in Afghanistan (CW- wave of new and emerging artists, the rEvolver Theatre 4WAfghan), a non-profit orga- Festival will present a series of original works from May 20 to nization, to work towards the 31, 2015. With eight main-stage productions at The Cultch, attainment of universal edu- the program features an eclectic mix of up-and-coming solo cation in Afghanistan. artists, collectives and theatre companies from Toronto, For the past 15 years, Canadi- Vancouver and Victoria. ans in the organization have dedicated themselves to en- 2015 REVOLVER FESTIVAL MAIN-STAGE PROGRAM: lightening Canadian citizens on the state of human rights in The Art of Building a Bunker**, By Adam Lazarus and Afghanistan and advocating for Guillermo Verdecchia (Toronto) the realization and implemen- tation of education as a solid Balls*, Groupe Ad Hoc and Stages Theatre Co. (Vancouver) foundation for social develop- Caws & Efect, Mind of a Snail (Victoria) ment. With over 13 chapters in the spread across the country, DouBle Recessive**, By Jordan Lloyd Watkins (Vancouver) CW4WAfghan’s mission in es- sence is to enlighten Canadians, Hell of a Girl, Jef Gladstone & The Bad Ideas (Vancouver) empower Afghan women and Mr Snortoose and the Machine-Children’s Machine*, By Elysse evolve the social landscape of Afghanistan. Cheadle (Vancouver) “Our experience has been that The Peaceful Sea, Theatre Elsewhere (Vancouver) it is not about Canadians being do-gooders and giving to char- The Progressive Polygamists, Pippa Mackie and Emmelia ity and/or hand outs, but about Gordon (Vancouver) working together in solidarity, as partners, with Afghans that *World Premiere defines global citizenship,” says **Western Canada Premiere Janice Eisenhaur, executive di- Photo courtesy of Lauren Oates Literacy – a tool for equal opportunites. rector of CW4WAfghan WeBsite: A developing country’s need basic life skills as well as open www.upintheairtheatre.com/revolver-festival Universal education as for outside assistance becomes access to community libraries a tool and sustenance much less pressing if the local for academic support. These or www.revolverfestival.ca Women and men in developing population is given access to programs reinforce the CW- nations do not always receive developing mental skills and at- 4WAfghan’s mandate of “[pro- FaceBook: www.faceBook.com/UpintheairTheatre equal opportunity to receive taining knowledge in a variety viding] the same rights we have YouTuBe: www.youtuBe.com/UpintheairTheatre an education. Therein lies CW- of realms. Oates believes provid- in our society; to go school, to 4WAfghan’s primary mission of ing these opportunities can em- have a livelihood and to live in providing an education for girls. power the citizens of Afghani- prosperity,” Oates says. Twitter: www.twitter.com/UITATheatre Lauren Oates, program director stan to solve internal problems. of CW4WAfghan, says educa- CW4WAfghan also acts as an or or inoration on SUPPORTED BY tion is a very deliberate central educator in terms of overturn- th organiation, or any Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, British ColumBia Arts Council, focus of the organization. ing the perceived view that sur- upcoing nts isit City of Vancouver, Province of British ColumBia and The Georgia Straight “[Education’s] where we rounds Afghanistan as an in- c4aghanca start – the right to education, herently backwards country. the right to read, which opens “The public has a tendency the door to other rights. There to want to simplify the story, is now a wealth of evidence to make it all good or all bad, from research demonstrat- when the process of rebuild- ing the link between women’s ing a country is more nuanced: education and empowerment, it’s a gradual, complex process as well as the status of wom- with both good and bad co-ex- en and things like state sta- isting,” says Oates. bility and economic growth,” she says. CW4WAfghan’s work The special status that educa- In Afghanistan, the organiza- tion demands is a result of its tion runs two programs, In- compelling correlation to eco- vesting in Basic Education and nomic development. Afghanistan Reads! The for- “Research tells us that coun- mer focuses on grades 1–12 and tries will not leave behind ex- looks to provide equipment and treme poverty until they reach resources that schools are in a national literacy rate of at need of, such as textbooks and least 80 per cent,” says Oates.