The New Moon Festival is celebrating its fifth year of Asian arts and culture on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 1 p.m. to dusk at Dougall Park. Come join in for this all-day family event of exciting performances, Asian food, arts and crafts, martial arts demonstrations, and the popular lantern procession at dusk.
This year the festival will feature the Japanese drumming group Chibi Taiko from Vancouver, Tandava (Asian fusion combining tabla, marimba, erhu, flutes, guitar and vocals), Xtreme Soul Style hip hop dance (at 3:50 p.m. with a free workshop to follow) and a new shadow play by Mind of a Snail puppetry. Admission is $10 to $15 sliding scale for adults, (kids 12 and under are free). This is an all-weather event, so please bring warmer clothes for the evening. Non-perishable items will be collected for the food bank. For more information, see www.newmoonfestivalsociety.org.
The festival is also looking for volunteers - it's an excellent way to meet and socialize, plus it entitles you to free entry.
They especially need three volunteers who have valid first aid certification and one firefighter for the lantern procession (7 to 8 p.m.) For a description of shifts, see http://sarju.ca/NMFS.htm or contact Sarju by email: [email protected], or you can call Marje at 604-885-6464.
Coffeehouse
The Artesia Coffeehouse is back for another fall to spring season of live entertainment brought to you by the volunteers at Coast Cultural Alliance, starting Friday, Sept. 24, at Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt and will follow on the last Friday of each month.
Last year the first event featured the grand piano. It was so popular it will once again be the season kick-off featuring the talented and dynamic piano duo of Julie and Valerie Rutter of Gemini joined by special guest, poet Richard Austin in a readings/performance of Gerard Manley Hopkins. Doors open at 7; show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door with proceeds going to the performers. Reservations may be made on-line [email protected] and must be picked up by 7:30.
Water film
A compelling and relevant Gemini-nominated documentary, Water on the Table, follows activist Maude Barlow in her quest to have the UN declare water a human right. This feature-length film, from award-winning Canadian Director Liz Marshall, will be shown on Monday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. at Gibsons United Church and again on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m., at St. Hilda's Anglican Church in Sechelt. Director Marshall will be in attendance for both screenings and she will also be screening a 10-minute segment entitled The Privatization of BC Hydro: the Glacier-Howser Story, filmed in the Kootenays. A 30-minute question period will follow. Suggested donation is $5.
Auditions
St. Bart's Players will present the full-length comedy Angel in a Ball Cap for its Christmas production scheduled for Dec. 9 to 11. Open auditions for the play will be held at St. Bart's Anglican Church Sept. 20 and 21 at 7 p.m.
The play features Peggy Angel, known around Heaven for always wearing a ball cap. She is very shy but when she learns that an upcoming audition for a heavenly messenger is open to all angels, she decides to try out.
It's a funny, yet thoughtful play with an important message: no matter our station in life, we can all make a difference. The play, directed by Rev. Peter van der Leelie, also features an angelic choir.
Theatre by satellite
Last Saturday, I sang along with an estimated million viewers around the globe while the Last Night of the Proms played live by satellite at the Raven's Cry Theatre. American soprano Renee Fleming sang Rule Britannia, if you can believe it, along with other selections, and the 5,000-audience in the Royal Albert Hall joined 30,000 people in Hyde Park and other parks around Britain to sing along. Though the National Theatre Live series from London may not attract quite so many viewers, it does have a star-studded cast of Helen Mirren and Dominic Cooper for its performance of Phedre on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. Check out www.ravenscrytheatre.com for ticket availability.
New gallery
Artist Doris Biddle will hold a show of her art in a new store in Sechelt next to the Old Boot Restaurant on Friday, Sept. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Slo Art Craft and Design Gallery.
Harbour Gallery
The Artists of the Harbour Gallery in Madeira Park are holding a silent auction from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3. The resulting proceeds will be going to their Ada Priest Memorial Art Scholarship Fund. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during this time.
Dance class
Registration for classes by local dancers Deborah and Gerry Pageau in one step and jive starting Sept. 23 and tango starting in October is now available through the Sunshine Coast Regional District. Book online at www.scrd.ca or call 604-885-6801 and press one.
Arts Building
The Arts Building fall sessions are starting up again with something creative for all ages. This month includes after school programs of comics, puppetry and a multi-media mash up. For youth and adults there is visual storyboarding, improv theatre, printmaking and letting loose on paper. For the little ones, Shake, Rattle and Roll and Little Hands Explore begin again. Most classes change each month and there is still time to join in. For more details, visit www.artsbuilding.org or phone 604-740-7790.
Let me know about your arts event, but keep it brief and email [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692 before 5 p.m. Tuesday.
