By: Marco Ovies, Peak Associate, Winona Young, Head Staff Writer, and Alison Wick, Arts Editor
Trottier Observatory Starry Nights
If you ever wanted to learn more about space, look no further than Starry Nights at the SFU Trottier Observatory on Burnaby Mountain. At these evening star parties, you will be able to discover many of the wondrous celestial objects that inhabit our solar system. You can even bring your own telescope and have experienced astronomers teach you how to use it and what to look for.
The next star party to be held will be on May 31 at 9 p.m. weather permitting. Check out @sfutrottobs on Twitter for up to date information on the status of Star Parties.
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival
The Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is being held at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, inside the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema. The one-day festival will consist of two film programs, an awards ceremony, and an after-party.
Skoden is an Indigenous slang term for “let’s go then” and reflects the festival’s intentions to bring people together to celebrate Indigenous-centred filmmaking of the Pacific NorthWest, and Indigenize SFU. The festival will be within Musqueam, Sḵwxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh territories, with the family screening at 1 p.m, followed by the adult screening at 4 p.m. Both showings will require separate tickets.
The Skoden Indigenous Film Festival on Saturday, June 1, 2019. The event has a sliding scale for tickets which consists of: Salmon $0 / Bear $5 / Raven $10 / Coyote $20. Separate tickets are required for the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. screening. The awards ceremony requires no tickets but has limited seating.
Indigenous Voices Awards 2019 Gala
This is the second year of the annual Indigenous Voices Awards, which seeks to highlight, celebrate, and award the literary accomplishments of emerging Indigenous writers. This year there are 14 finalists in seven categories, and a total of $1,400 dollars will be awarded to the different writers at the gala on June 4. The IVAs are not just about prizes, however, as they also seek to foster relationships and create connections to reject the individualism and lack of support of prize culture.
The gala will be held at UBC this year and will feature performances and readings in addition to the awards themselves. Spearheaded by SFU’s own Dr Deanna Reder (Cree/Métis), the Indigenous Voices Awards 2019 Gala is the perfect opportunity to learn about, experience, and celebrate the variety and talent of Indigenous voices.
The Gala is being held June 4 at UBC. Tickets are free, and you can RSVP through Eventbrite.
Shadows, Strings, and Other Things at the MOA
Think Potter Puppet Pals, only from different countries and centuries and even better at storytelling.
Theatrical takes on a new meaning with the Museum of Anthropology’s exhibition of Shadows, Strings, and Other Things: The Enchanting Theatre of Puppets. With 250 handcrafted pieces from all over the world, including Portugal, China, and the UK, this puppet exhibition is bursting with a diverse array of art styles. As curator Dr. Nicola Levell of UBC insists, “no matter the origin, size, or medium, puppets are powerful conduits of creativity, activism, and social commentary.”
Shadows, Strings, and Other Things is being exhibited from May 16 to October 14, 2019 in The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Tickets are $16 (without tax) for students, $10 on Thursday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m, and are free for Indigenous peoples.
