First of all, it’s not just for the denizens of the stage anymore; the bums in the seats are invited to take part as well. “We want it to be for anyone who loves theatre,” Sue Porter, executive director of the GVPTA, explained. “Audience members, volunteers, board members, and people whose kids are taking theatre classes and who are worried about their futures.…Anyone who is passionate or cares about the arts in B.C.

“This event presents an amazing opportunity to showcase the power of how people can collaborate and what they can create with computers, when you completely remove interface barriers to rely only on human motion,” said Andrew Tschesnok, CEO, Organic Motion. “This performance emphasizes how technology brings society closer together – even across geographical boundaries – and how it can be the foundation for creating exciting ways for us to communicate and experience things together.”

The free conference takes place this Friday and Saturday at the Civic Centre and is being sponsored by the Prince George and District Community Arts Council and the 2010 Legacies Now program.

WHAT: Two days in which YOU design the programme and set the discussion topics which matter to you.
WHERE: W2, 151 W. Cordova St, Vancouver BC (the old Storyeum space)
WHEN: Friday November 26 & Saturday November 27, 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (PLUS special party/reception from 5:30 – 8:30pm on Friday night)
WHO: For anyone who cares about theatre! Whatever your connection to theatre; on stage, back stage, off stage, on a board, in the audience – you are invited. All sectors and genres; Fringe, Regional, Indy, Commercial, Large, Small, Community, Touring, TYA, etc. You are ALL invited.
WHY: Because the really juicy part of any conference happens in the coffee breaks! So, if there are things you are passionate about or things you are ticked off about, projects or proposals you need support on, or if you simply want to connect with your community, all are possible – because at this event you set the agenda. Nothing is off limits. If you feel that the issues that affect you or your sector never get discussed so what’s the point of turning up? This is the event for you.

Registration fees have been kept deliberately low ($50- $75 for two full days!) so EVERYONE can participate: http://www.gvpta.ca/conference-registration

Gathered in the Streaming Café on Leon Avenue Wednesday morning, the local organizing committee and a representatives of the Western Canadian Music Alliance, who are responsible for the event, tried to provide a taste of what’s to come.

Running Oct. 21-24, the event includes a festival, conference and music award show and Kelowna is proving the perfect setting for the extravaganza, organizers said.

On your own? Moving in together? What do you need to know about buying buildings and sharing spaces? Join a diverse gathering of not-for-profits, funders, investors, government and real estate professionals working together to find solutions that provide quality, secure, mission-enhancing workspace for community organizations.

Registration Opens September 2010  - only 200 seats available

Sessions include:
– Real Estate Planning Fundamentals: Learn about the planning process for acquiring and developing a facility
- Financing your Project: Explore financing options and what you need to prepare for and to access financing
- Readiness for Co-Location: Top 10 strategic questions to consider
- Finding Partners and Building Intentional Communities: How to identify the right partners and tenants for co-location
- Sharing Programming and Services…or not: The benefits and challenges of shared services
- A dynamic “Investors Forum” where investors, funders and experienced not-for-profit leaders assess and advise on actual projects currently underway.

Who should come?
- Not-for-profits who want to acquire and control their facilities or co-locate and share services with other not-for-profits
- Foundations, philanthropists, and government funders interested in generating not-for-profit equity with real estate grants or loans and learning about innovative land use partnerships underway in Vancouver, Denver, Calgary, and Toronto
- Lenders and real estate professionals interested in a potential new customer segment and the value gained by partnering in not-for-profit real estate ventures.

Bursary Opportunity – Apply before September 20, 2010
The City of Vancouver is offering up to ten bursaries to assist individuals in attending both days of the conference, November 8 & 9, 2010 in Vancouver. The OUR SPACES, OUR PLACES! Bursary is open to Vancouver-based professional artist /creators, individuals representing Vancouver arts and culture organizations, and others involved in creative space development. For more information on bursary eligibility and the application process visit: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/cultural/gasp/grants/facilities/SPRE.htm

Presenting Organizations
Our goal is to build community assets through unique partnerships and investments that create a blend of real social, environmental and financial returns.

Vancity, Central City Foundation, The Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia, City of Vancouver, Tides Canada, Renewal Partners, Presented in Partnership with The NonprofitCenters Network

Watch for upcoming announcements on Registration and Program information, along with Sponsorship opportunities.

With about 200 people in attendance, including over 40 panelists, there were four days of workshops, and live music each night.

Workshops about radio, songwriting, producing, touring, music laws, and everything in between, were filled with aspiring artists, young and old, picking the brains of industry professionals. Song critique sessions also happened periodically throughout the weekend, where songwriters could get advice on their songs.

Susie McGregor, event co-ordinator for VIMBC, said this conference is the only one on the West Coast of B.C., since Music West stopped happening in Vancouver this year.

“The appreciation for culture seems to have increased a lot faster than the infrastructure has,” said Michael Audain, chair of Polygon Homes.

Audain made the comments on June 26 during an Alliance for Arts and Culture Arts Summit 2010 panel discussion that explored the need for arts facilities beyond just theatres, galleries, and museums.

In discussing the importance of arts and culture in society, Audain compared how cities historically formed in B.C. to what happened in ancient Greece.

“It’s a healthy gathering because we don’t have everyone just nodding their heads. We’re being challenged on some of our assumptions that we might have,” Alibhai told the Straight.

Alibhai said arts funding was “top of mind” for many who attended the Alliance-organized summit, held June 24 and 25 at Surrey’s Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre.

Anger continues to simmer over the loss in the past year of B.C. Arts Council and gambling-grant funding for many groups.

A morning panel discussion, Cultural Assets and Infrastructure, looked at recent and future residential development projects that incorporate public arts facilities. Architect Richard Henriquez, whose firm oversaw the $330 million Woodward’s re-development, said he looks forward to beginning restoration of Commercial Drive’s historic York Theatre (which the Vancouver East Cultural Centre will manage.)

While Henriquez also sees promise in the Great Northern Way Campus and Coal Harbour Arts Complex developments, he is concerned that plans for the North East False Creek and Plaza of Nations sites do not currently include any cultural amenities.

Singer Susie McGregor and her partner, former Prism guitarist Andy Lorimer, put the VIMBC together.

“It’s where music meets business and business meets music,” says McGregor. “It’s where we come together to discuss the present state of the music business; how it’s changing, how the Net is affecting things and more.

“It’s what kind of a sustainable cultural future do we want in B.C.? What are our B.C. residents’ right to culture?” Catherine Murray, codirector of SFU’s Centre for Policy Studies on Culture and Communities, told the Straight. “I think we need to look at cultural issues in different ways, and a cultural policy allows you to actually do that,” she added.

Murray, B.C. Arts Council acting director Gillian Wood, and B.C. Federation of Labour director of campaigns, community and social action Jessie Uppal are set to discuss the issue on June 25.

The panel discussion, moderated by Mark Marissen, a lobbyist and consultant, is part of the Alliance for Arts and Culture’s Arts Summit 2010.

A diverse group of regional, national and international music industry panelists will present information in various workshops throughout the Comox Valley event, covering such topics as songwriting, music publishing, production, marketing and promotion, legal issues affecting musicians, and funding resources. Delegate passes are available online which give the participants access to workshops, performances, and socializing events including a concert by Chilliwack. Executive delegate passes are also available and include a round of golf at Crown Isle Golf Resort as well as exclusive networking opportunities.

For information or to register: http://www.vimbc.com/

Fibre artists will be given the opportunity to promote and encourage the lively fibre arts of Vancouver Island, home to a thriving community of creative artists who work with yarn, fibre, textiles and fabric.

What is a fibre artist? Not someone who extolls the virtues of breakfast cereal. Instead, visualize fleeces from sheep, alpaca, llamas, goats and rabbits. Imagine luxurious mohair, cashmere, and rare qiviut from the elusive musk-ox.

Books of any genre that demonstrate excellence and contribute to an appreciation and understanding of Vancouver’s residents, history, or unique character are eligible to apply for the $2,000 award. The winning book must also exhibit excellence in content, illustration, design and/or format.

An independent panel of judges will choose the winner. The shortlist of finalists will be announced in early September, and the award will be presented in October by Mayor Gregor Robertson.

To be eligible, books must be published in 2009 or 2010 and meet the application criteria. All entries must include: four copies of the book, a $15 submission fee, and a completed entry form. Entry forms and guidelines are available from the Cultural Services Department at 555 West 12th Avenue, East Tower, Suite 310, Vancouver.

More information and forms are also available on the City’s website at: http://vancouver.ca/bookaward.