Namastay! S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and VAHMS Director Yühan Yu are offering two virtual Yoga sessions. Stay safe and practice Yoga in the convenience of your home. These gentle Yoga poses will focus on breathing, relaxation and stress relief and are Geared for beginners with some variations given, so that more advanced participants will also enjoy the class.
Time &Date: Tuesdays (March 15th, 22nd & 29th) 5:00pm to 6:00pm Thursdays (March 17th, 24th & 31st) 7:00pm to 8:00pm
In 2017, my oldest sister and I set off on our first-ever trip to China to connect with our long lost, but not forgotten, older brother. He still lives in the village that our mother was born in—San He Chang in the township of Shen Jing, city of Taishan, province of Guangdong—and was forced to flee during the exodus from Communism in the early 1950s.
“My Mother Was Born Here” is a photographic series captured during our 11 days in this village. There are no family pictures included here. Instead, these are images of the local folk I met during my daily walkabouts and the fleeting moments of life in a place connected to my history and somehow a part of my blood. I felt a sense of familiarity in this place—the land I trekked, the air I breathed, the food I ate, the faces I encountered. As if I had always been in this village. And though I was welcomed by all whom I met, I was still an outsider looking in.
The life of my mother’s village imprinted on the faces of these people drew me to creating these images in black and white. There are no distractions—just the essence of joy, hardship, pride, and contemplation reflected in the human experience.
Since the age of three, Vincent L. Chan has held a camera in his hand. Intrigued by both the art and science behind photography, Vincent learned his trade from the bottom up, developing his craft through years of apprenticeship with leading photographers in Canada and the United States.
For most of his photographic journey, he concentrated on commercial work while honing his expertise in black and white portraiture. Vincent draws his inspiration from the works of George Hurrell and the great Canadian portrait photographer Yousef Karsh, as well as from classic painters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.
From left to right, VAHMS Directors Valentine Ostaszewski, Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan, Leticia Sanchez and Fred Soofi.
Every year, VAHMS honours three individuals, community organizations, or educational institutions representing Pan-Asian communities that have made significant contributions to VAHMS’ vision of fostering, promoting and celebrating the arts and cultural diversity that Asian-Canadian communities bring to Canadian society and we need your help! If you know of an individual, community organization, or education institution that deserves recognition, we want to hear from you! You can submit your nominations by clicking through the link below. Nominations close April 15.
We’ll have exciting news about the event soon – stay tuned!
In light of what has occurred over the last few weeks, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society is reminded of the cost of war. Too often in history, conflict has displaced loved ones and destroyed lands, nations, and countries around the world, including the lands and nations we live upon.
During these troubling times, we at VAHMS call for dialogue, unity, and peace not only around the world, but also within our own communities. The world, including its peoples, languages, and cultures, is one to be loved and respected by all. It may be difficult to move forward and see the light at the end of this tunnel, but Mahatma Gandhi’s words may inspire us to take that first step forward: “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
explorASIAN and Story Money Impact are pleased to present a virtual screening of The World is Bright! When you register for this event, you will be emailed a link and password to the film which can be watched on your own time. There is also a scheduled discussion and Q&A on March 10th at 4pm PST.
When Qian Hui Deng and Xue Mei Li are notified by the Canadian government about their son Shi-Ming’s sudden death and burial on Canadian soil, they decide to travel from Beijing to Vancouver to search for answers. The documentary film The World is Bright chronicles the journey of the grieving parents as they navigate a new culture and a complex web of bureaucracy to uncover the truth behind their son’s death by suicide.
Join the expert panel to discuss some of the themes explored in the film, such as the stigma surrounding mental illness, resources available to immigrant families, the dislocation and disconnection arising from global migration, and the importance of cultural competence in mental health care.
In his new exhibition “For the Land and Its Memories”, Edward Fu-Chen Juan is returning to his roots to advocate for the importance of environmental conservation in this contemporary time.
Utilizing native plants of British Columbia for printmaking and papermaking, Edward Fu-Chen Juan’s work reflects a two-year exploration of the culture bridge between his Taiwanese indigenous identity and his Canadian immigrant experience. The exhibition includes three components, a series of calligraphy prints each depicting a single native plant of Canada; a series of “paper money” ??, spirit money traditionally burned at temples to memorialize ancestors or passed loved one; and lastly, a continuation of his collaborative experiment with a lantern artisanal intergenerational family in Taiwan.
Edward Fu-Chen Juan
Edward Fu-Chen Juan is a contemporary visual artist based in Vancouver, BC, the unceded territories of the xwm??kw?y??m (Musqueam), S?wx?wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel?íl?witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. He identifies as a queer Taiwanese Canadian with ethnic roots from the Hakka and the Plains First Nation People of Taiwan. His art practice is printmaking on paper with water-based ink extracted from plant and insect ingredients. Presently, he has expanded his process to papermaking with unconventional plant fibres of significant cultural importance.
The PoMoArts gallery is open daily for visitors with COVID-19 protocols in place to protect visitors and staff. Gallery exhibitions are also viewable on the PoMoArts website, allowing the public to still view the artwork even if they are unable to visit the gallery in person. The Opening Reception and artist talks for our exhibitions are held as a live stream to PoMoArts Facebook page. The public is invited to tune in virtually to meet the artists and learn more about the exhibition.
Registration is still open for the Support Network for Indigenous Women & Women of Colour’s upcoming Black History Month Event on Thursday, February 24th, 2022 from 6pm to 7:30 PM PST. The theme for 2022 focuses on the importance of Black Health and Wellness. Please join them for an evening of Black history shared by Black women to honour the Black women in history that impacted these issues in Canada. This event is FREE and open for anyone.
Below, you will find the results of over a year of intensive advocacy work undertaken by the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, the Racial Equity Screen Office and the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC BC YT NWT supported by National) regarding the outcome of a recent racial equity audit of the Knowledge Network. While the results of the report itself are disheartening, it is encouraging to see that The Knowledge Network, which is a crown corporation, is willing to take the necessary steps publicly examine their own behaviour and begin the process of change. We applaud the hard work and dedication undertaken by VAFF, RESO and DOC to bring this report to light and catalyze progressive change in this space for underrepresented filmmakers in Canada.
Equity Audit by Knowledge Network reveals depth of Racial Inequities
After over a year of intensive advocacy work, the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, the Racial Equity Screen Office and the Documentary Organization of Canada are pleased to see the public release of the racial equity audit of British Columbia’s Knowledge Network (KN). The report provides stark quantitative evidence to what many have experienced personally: the gross racial inequity in funding at British Columbia’s sole provincially funded broadcaster.
“These numbers implicate Knowledge Network in a system of racial injustice that has hampered the careers of a generation of Indigenous, Black and racialized filmmakers. Knowledge Network has centred white-led narratives in a brazen dismissal of the Indigenous lands that we occupy and the Indigenous, Black and racialized peoples who live here. It is time to centre work owned by Indigenous, Black, and racialized creators, and to invest in the Indigenous, Black, and racialized producers,” states Nilesh Patel of the Documentary Organization of Canada’s British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories Chapter and Interim Executive Director of the Racial Equity Screen Office.
In the seven year period covered by the report – from fiscal 2015/2016 to 2021/2022 – only $34,150 (1.7%) of the $2.054 million dollars of prelicense funding was spent on commissioning works from majority racialized owned production firms. Zero percent of commissions went to Indigenous majority owned production firms. This seven year period saw Knowledge Network invest 98.3% of its prelicense funding, equal to approximately $2.02 million dollars, to white-owned, non-diverse production firms.
Of the fifty 2nd window prelicenses funded by Knowledge Network from fiscal 2015/2016 to 2021/2022, only 18% supported majority racialized owned production firms. Additionally, only 4% of second window prelicenses supported majority Indigenous owned production firms, with 78% of prelicenses given to non-diverse production firms. Adds Barbara Lee, Founder of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival and the Racial Equity Screen Office: “We are heartbroken for all those filmmakers from the BIPOC community over these 7 years and without a doubt the years before that who were made to feel their voices and stories were not valued or compelling enough by their own broadcaster. We know that Knowledge is not alone in this, and we do credit Knowledge Network for having the courage to uncover the depths of the damage they have inflicted. This is just one example of systemic racism in action where the blame can not be cast on one, but everyone in the system should be held responsible and accountable for the harm done to underrepresented communities. The only path forward is for municipal, provincial, and federal broadcasters that receive government support to set specific equity targets for commissioning, prelicensing and acquisition.” – Barbara Lee, VAFF and RESO
Equity Audit by Knowledge Network reveals depth of Racial Inequities Knowledge Network’s racial equity audit is accompanied by a plan of action that will be implemented this year, in order to begin to address the distressing findings of the Report. This includes:
? 25 % of Knowledge Original documentary features and shorts will be commissioned from B.C. independent Indigenous production companies ? 50% of Knowledge Original documentary features and shorts will be commissioned from B.C. independent Black and People of Colour (BPOC) led production companies ? Intersections of additional equity deserving groups will be applied across all of Knowledge Network’s commissioning efforts to ensure representation of women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ ? Prioritizing better accessibility for viewers with disabilities, including visual impairment.
? Collecting race-based and other disaggregated data (e.g., age, gender, disability status)
“This report is the result of an enormous amount of labour by the Vancouver Asian Film Festival’s Barbara Lee, and myself along with my Board at the Documentary Organization of Canada’s BC, YT and NWT Chapter with the support of our National DOC office and the CMPA-C. This is certainly a beginning but there is a long road ahead to dismantle the systemic forms of injustice we have been living with in the production industries in Canada” says Patel, who adds that numerous other organisations supported this important work. “Our efforts have benefitted from the invaluable support of the Black Screen Office, BIPOC TV & Film, Coalition M.E.D.I.A, the Racial Equity Media Collective, and Creatives Empowered, who are part of a broad coalition toward racial equity in our industry.”
For more information please contact: info@reso-ca.org
If you’re looking for ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year either at home or in-person, then why not head over to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. They have so much on offer to celebrate the year of the Tiger, just take a look for yourself!
FEBRUARY 5TH AND 6TH
PLEASE NOTE: Our ability to accommodate walk-ups will depend on space and availability as we have limited capacity. We appreciate your understanding.
Festivities will continue on Saturday February 5th and Sunday February 6th, with live storytelling(12pm and 3pm both days), calligraphy demonstrations (Saturday 10:30am-11:45am / 12:30pm – 1:45pm and Sunday 10:30am / 11:45am) as well as family-friendly activities across multiple craft tables in a safe and inviting environment.
Weather permitting we are delighted to welcome City Opera Vancouver for a performance February 5th at 4:30pm as well.
Due to public demand we are adding another Lion Dance performance by Hon Hsing Athletic Club on Saturday, February 5th at 1:30pm!
Entry by donation (suggested $5)
Garden Hours: 10am to 5pm (last entry time at 4pm)
We have partnered with some amazing artists and instructors to offer a wide range of free experiences! The Garden encourages you to participate and celebrate Chinese New Year with us!
Songs & Rhymes to Welcome the New Year
Join us and Eveline Yu next Saturday, January 29th at 11:30am for a fun session of songs and stories to welcome the New Year. Eveline Yu will be leading classic Chinese New Year songs such as ???? (Gong Xi Gong Xi) and ??? (coi4 san4 dou3), as well as new songs she’s written for her music classes. She will also be reading a story about the Chinese zodiac animals.
Feel free to show off your New Year’s outfit (or wear anything red) as we celebrate together online!
All families are welcome, especially children from ages 2-8.
The session will be in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.
Poetry to Welcome the New Year
Poetry enriches the soul, it nurtures our minds and connects our spirits.
Let’s bring in the Year of the Tiger with Vancouver Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam and a roster of amazing local poets on Sunday, January 30 for an hour of engaging poems about family, feasting, culture, ancestors, and home.
There will be time for discussion and sharing at the end.
Find our more info about the poets and event here.
Did you know that in 104 BC, during the Han dynasty, a fixed date on the traditional Chinese calendar was decided upon to mark the start of the year and since then, festivities and celebrations have been held on this day?
Visit our Online Learning page for a chance to have fun while learning more about the unique history, traditions and delicious food that embody this joyous celebration!ONLINE LEARNING WEBPAGE
Have you ever wondered why there are so many red decorations around at New Year and why it is such a noisy time of year?
Did you know we honour a different animal at New Year according to the Chinese Zodiac?
We have asked Keann to narrate The Story of Nian and The Great Race.
One day, the Jade Emperor, ruler of all gods within Chinese mythology, announced to all the animals on the planet that he will host a race. The first 12 to finish the race will be chosen to join him in the imperial palace…
Carefully curated by our Educational Team, we have developed Chinese New Year Lesson Kits and Chinese New Year Props Kits to help you recreate all the excitement and joy this celebration is all about!
From teaching plans to decorations and crafts, your classroom will be bustling with creativity!CHINESE NEW YEAR FOR TEACHERS
As the first Ming Dynasty-style garden-home built outside of China and located right in the heart of Chinatown, we are the perfect setting to learn about the traditions and stories of this exciting festival.BOOK A FIELD TRIP
This Lunar New Year ushers in the Year of the Tiger, and specifically, the Water Tiger. Though the pandemic continues to overshadow the occasion, with public festivities once again pared down or canceled in many cities, millions of families around the world will still be celebrating at home. One of the positives of the Water Tiger year is that it represents strength in the arts, technology and design sector. VAHMS hopes to hone in on these strengths this year and focus on our mission to foster, promote and celebrate the arts and cultural diversity that Asian-Canadian communities bring to Canadian society.
Happy Lunar New Year to all!
**The Lunar New Year banner above was drawn and provided by one of our hardworking volunteers, Avery Go (Instagram here).
