Festival where worlds meet Report indiansummerfestival.ca 2013 150 10 7 9 500 million ARTISTS DAYS SOLD-OUT FREE PUBLIC EVENTS TV VIEWERS WATCH SUPERCHEF SHOWS SANJEEV KAPOOR’S SHOW 37% 1.5 million 4 GROWTH IN TICKET PEOPLE REACHED THROUGH DECLARATIONS OF LOVE FOR SALES SINCE 2012 MARKETING CAMPAIGN SHABANA AZMI DURING Q&A 2037 LIKES ON FACEBOOK 37 WORKSHOPS, PERFORMANCES & EVENTS 1 NEW INDIAN SUMMER COCKTAIL Indian Summer Festival 2013 Vancouver’s third annual festival celebrating It is the vision of a creative, INDIAN SUMMER the arts, ideas & diversity inclusive, collaborative, warm and diverse society that drives us 2013 The 2013 edition of Indian Summer was defined by our new slogan: all at Indian Summer. Where Worlds Meet. For ten days this summer, ideas, literature and geopolitics went together with fine food, music and celebration. Vancouver engaged with South Asia as our diverse audience forged friendships, listened to new voices, and shared in the feast for the mind and the senses that has become Indian Summer. The core of the festival was immeasurably strengthened this year, and “Indian Summer rocks! What a the festival saw record attendance, extensive media coverage and keen fabulous festival. I just loved it. audience engagement. Indian Summer will always be about dialogue, The vision that inspires the team about worlds mingling, and about taking a creative journey to understand and the rest of us is strong and the world we live in, and how it might be—if we shaped it together. here to stay!” —Deepa Mehta Oscar-nominated Director “Vancouver can be guaranteed at least ten days of sunshine every year, during the Indian Summer Festival!” —Philip Steenkamp Vice President External, SFU “I could see immediately the multi- level value that a festival like this creates. We are proud to be a founding cultural partner.” “The sun was out and spirits were high for the third annual Indian Summer Festival, a 10-day —Dr. Arun Garg cross-cultural showcase of food, music and ideas. The strongest lineup to date featured President, Canada-India Network more than 150 artists to make up the ‘Where Worlds Meet’ program, comprised of Society everything from food tastings and Bhangra dancing to exchange-of-ideas forums.” —Fred Lee, The Province 2013 Artists & Speakers Curtis Andrews Yeva Glover Tarun Nayar Gurpreet Singh Mohamed Assani John Helliwell Dr. Kanwal Singh Neel Nathu Lal Solanki Shabana Azmi Lucy Hyslop Mike Nichols Amrita Sondhi Satwinder Bains Anosh Irani DJ Nils Ashwin Sood Shauna Singh Baldwin Zaccheus Jackson Ingrid Nilson Gurpreet Sian Christie Baumgartner Jas Johal Sirish Rao Shiamak Vancouver Dance Team Laurin Boyle DJ Jason Kamoh Nirmala Raniga South Asian Arts Dance Team Sudeep Chakravarti Sanjeev Kapoor Anoushka Ratnarajah Nish Thaver Victor Chan Chanan Khan Suragini Ravindran Jeet Thayil Siddharthas Chaudhary Chugge Khan Mustafa Reza Shelley Tomszyk Josh Chen Gulam Khan Abhishek Roy Neelam Toprani Jillian Christmas Gule Khan Lopa Roy Michael Turner Rohan D’Silva Salim Khan Sanjoy Roy Kelly Urquhart Saugat Datta Geoff Mackenzie Inder Sahans Vikram Vij Chris Duggan Yogacharini Maitreyi Renee Saklikar Shivani Wells Sharada Eswar Deepa Mehta Anakana Schofield Sara Fitzpatrick Charles Montgomery Abi Sharma Naveen Girn Moru Rup Sidhu Gastronomic Journeys Opening Gala & Dinner by Starlight The stunning Dr. Sun Yat-Sen INDIAN SUMMER Chinese Garden was the setting for For our Opening Gala, Vancouver’s culinary magician Vikram Vij (one of the festival’s Founding Leaders) curated a culinary journey through South our Opening Gala. 500 special 2013 Asia, featuring some of the city’s favourite restaurants. And then there was guests wandered its walkways and the exquisite Dinner by Starlight, our signature culinary event, where Indian bridges as they caught up with old superchef Sanjeev Kapoor and Vikram Vij created a menu that paid tribute friends and made new ones. to the magical combination of India and British Columbia. “The opening gala is the place to pose and be snapped in Vancouver during July. Designer and Indian Summer Sunset heritage saris, sunny weather maxis, silk kurtas, sparkling lehengas, luxe anarkalis and dapper suits Cocktail Recipe were on the fashion menu this year.” • Amrut Single Malt Whisky —Manjot Bains, Jugnistyle.com • Chai-infused Syrup • Blood Orange Juice “How brilliantly alive our city was for the first two weeks of July! Since Indian Summer ended, I wandered downtown aimlessly every evening, trying hard to recapture those exhilarating highs and the full import sank in of how valuable Indian Summer is to the cultural and intellectual life of our city.” —Anil Patade Cuisine Film industry professional Deepa Mehta Jeet Thayil Vikram Vij Dr. Arun Garg Sanjeev Kapoor Johanna Wagstaffe & Lien Yeung Music Magicians Rajasthan Josh with Vancouver friends When half of the audience ends INDIAN SUMMER up crowding the stage for the East Van met Western India at our sold-out concert featuring Rajasthan Josh from the desert town of Jaisalmer and Vancouver musicians Ashwin Sood, finale, and a quiet dinner for the 2013 Rup Sidhu, Sara Fitzpatrick and Tarun Nayar. Their electric and magical musicians turns into an afterparty collaboration brought the house down, and had Mayor Gregor Robertson with 70 people, you know and Consul General Ravi Shankar Aisola take to the dance floor. something’s right. “These guys are insane!” “Indian Summer is the ability to celebrate as a Canadian —Ashwin Sood everything about my culture— a civilization that’s 3000 years “Vancouver, we feel the love.” old— and the ability to celebrate —Chugge Khan in the context of Canada. It’s a Consul General Aisola Mayor Robertson chance to celebrate both cultures.” –Jas Johal, Senior Reporter, Global TV “A wonderful way of showcasing India’s diversity and creating new linkages between Canada and India.” —Ravi Shankar Aisola, Consul General of India in Vancouver “A remarkable meeting of East and West.” Chugge Khan & Rup Sidhu —The Georgia Straight Nathu Lal Solanki Tarun Nayar Sara Fitzpatrick Ashwin Sood Music Moru Desserts by Nanak Foods Well-being Weekend Yoga, heath talks & wellness workshops It was all about well-being of the INDIAN SUMMER body, mind and soul. By combining Over a beautiful sunny weekend, attendees of our yoga and well-being workshops stretched their spines and calmed their minds with some of the thousand year-old teachings with 2013 best teachers and speakers from Vancouver and India. With several forms modern discoveries, the well-being of yoga on offer, talks on health, nutrition, de-addiction and Ayurveda, weekend pointed to what an head massages and delicious organic snacks by Nature’s Path, it was food intelligent way of life might be. for the soul and the body. “The Well-being Weekend was beyond perfect. I was really “Put on those sheer Lululemon pants and break out the moves for a hip- blown away by the quality of the teachers that were there. hop yoga class. Or… treat yourself Thank you so so so much, it really was such a gift to me.” to meditation classes, listen to some —Sara Nares, Yogini sacred sounds, and sample several types of yoga, including laughter.” ­­—Shawn Conner, The Vancouver Sun “Indian Summer brings together leading thinkers and artists in collaborative dialogue about Well-being contemporary issues and bridges the diverse cultures of India and Canada.” —Gregor Robertson Mayor of the City of Vancouver, BC Ideas Series Talks, debates & dialogue At the core of the festival is the INDIAN SUMMER exchange of ideas. Powerful Brainy, electric and creative, the Ideas Series saw some of the finest minds from Canada, the US and South Asia coming together. Twenty five thinkers thinkers, filmmakers, actors and 2013 explored everything from hidden histories, hybrid cultures, and happy cities to wordsmiths conversed, as ideas geopolitics, literature and urban underbellies. What was particularly heartening clashed and sparkled on stage. was the audience – at the end of each talk, an engaged, garrulous crowd lingered on, proving that the art of conversation is alive and well. “I have no right to miss Vancouver, but I do, I do, I do... “ —Jeet Thayil Award-winning poet & novelist Naveen Girn Ideas “Where worlds meet is a clash of ideas – hopefully those that are opposing – with a level of conflict, provocation, and disturbance. From this, one comes out with more questions, not necessarily answers, but a feeling of digging deep.” Dr. Neel Renee Saklikar Gurpreet Singh —Anosh Irani Acclaimed novelist & playwright “I want Vancouver to be part of a global dialogue and for all of us to be fully engaged with Asia.” —Sandy Garossino Jeet Thayil Deepa Mehta Founding festival patron “Indian Summer has developed a reputation for attracting some terrific writers and this year is no exception.” —Charlie Smith, The Georgia Straight Sudeep Chakravarti Jas Johal Lucy Hyslop Victor Chan Charles Montgomery Dr. John Helliwell Shabana Azmi Sanjoy Roy Michael Turner Anosh Irani Anakana Schofield Rup Sidhu Shauna Singh Baldwin Satwinder Bains Curtis Andrews Mohamed Assani Anoushka Ratnarajah Sharada Eswar Jillian Christmas Zaccheus Jackson Community Engagement Indian Summer in the Park Historic Victory Square Park INDIAN SUMMER came alive on a July summer This year we took the festival to the people with a full evening of free outdoor programming including Laughter Yoga and Bollywood Dance classes, and a evening, once more becoming 2013 screening of the award-winning film Little Zizou. It was important to have a free the heart of Vancouver. The celebration in the heart of the city, offering families and communities a chance to energy was palpable, inviting celebrate. We welcomed residents of Gastown, the downtown Eastside, tourists everyone who passed by to be and casual passersby to share a laugh, a dance, and our common space. Some 1,000 people flowed through the event, making it a roaring success.