Artistic Director and cultural leader Rohit Chokhani is pleased to launch Diwali in BC – a new provincial initiative aimed at making Diwali celebrations province-wide over the next five years.
During its launch year, Diwali in BC will explore the artistic theme of Shakti – feminine power – through theatre, dance, film, and culturally specific workshops. The programming will feature works primarily created by women, including Academy Award-nominated Canadian director Deepa Mehta, Dora Award-winning playwright Pamela Mala Sinha, Dr. Aparna Sindhoor along with her pioneering South Asian Contemporary Dance Theatre company Navarasa Dance Theater, rising South Asian award-winning actress Dipti Mehta, and classical dance theatre artist Arno Kamolika.
The inaugural Diwali in BC will feature the following programming:
Encounter
October 17-22 at the York Theatre | Presented with The Cultch
Navarasa Dance Theatre’s Encounter is a provocative performance blending daring physical theatre with bold storytelling. Tickets at http://bit.ly/2fUewIx
Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan
October 20-November 4 at Vancity Culture Lab at The Cultch | Presented with The Cultch
In this one-woman play, award-winning actress Dipti Mehta transports us to Mumbai’s red-light district to spotlight the plight of those trapped in the world of sex trafficking. Tickets at http://bit.ly/2yJaiuW
Anatomy of Violence
November 4 at Cineplex Odeon International Village | Co-presented with Vancouver Asian Film Festival
Deepa Mehta’s film Anatomy of Violence examines one of the country’s most internationally notorious crimes: the 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman on a Delhi bus. Film screening followed by panel discussion, “Sparking Celluloid: Filmmaking for Social Change”, comprised of local filmmakers, artists, and social justice workers. Tickets available October 5 at www.vaff.org
Happy Place
*October 19-29 at Firehall Arts Centre | Presented by Touchstone Theatre in association with Ruby Slippers Theatre and Diwali in BC
Written by Dora Award-winning actress and playwright Pamela Mala Sinha, Happy Place takes us into the experiences of seven women in an in-patient care facility, living together in the most extraordinary circumstances. It is a glimpse into lives filled with courage, compassion, humour, and startling surprise. *Preview on October 19; Production Run, October 20-29. Tickets at http://bit.ly/2hzf22c
Shyama
November 16 at the York Theatre | Co-presented with Vancouver Tagore Society
A Bharata-Natyam interpretation of Rabindranath Tagore’s epic dance drama ‘Shyama’. Tickets at www.thecultch.com
Project SAT Workshop Series
Various Dates at Various Venues | In collaboration with New(to)Town Collective
Workshops with Anosh Irani, Dipti Mehta, Rohit Chokhani, and New(to)Town Collective. Schedule details at www.projectsat.ca
Diwali at Evergreen
November 5 at Evergreen Cultural Centre | In collaboration with the TriCity India Heritage Network
Diwali in BC is proud to bring the Diwali celebrations to Coquitlam. This South Asian, cabaret-style evening features classical, Bollywood, and contemporary dance as well as classical live music performances. Tickets at http://bit.ly/2xNgTXo
For more information on Diwali in BC, visit www.diwalibc.ca
Image by Jessica Mentis