QAF welcomes new staff
The festival staff is growing! We have recently welcomed Meagan Thomas into the role of Administrative Assistant, and Kathy Atkins as our Volunteer Coordinator. Meagan is the Arts Director of CiTR radio, and a long time supporter of the arts. We are happy to have her on board!
Kathy is a former PiA Board Member and has been a featured visual artist at the festival as well. Her dedication to the festival now gets to shine as she corrals all of our enthusiastic volunteers. That’syou, right? Come on, you know you wanna! Email Kathy at volunteer@queerartsfestival.com
George Stamos and Liklik Pik
For this month’s featured festival performer, we would like to introduce you to contemporary dancer and choreographer George Stamos. Coming from Montreal, George will be bringing his provocative duo piece, Liklik Pik, to QAF 2013.
Photo by Johnny Ranger
Liklik Pik is an intimate male dance duet emphasizing empowerment of the human body while following imaginative impulses and queer tangents along the way. George Stamos and his dance partner Dany Desjardins explore the animal urges in men, combining references to children’s stories, pets, lounge lizards, and gay “pig-boy” culture while toying with male sensuality in a body-based somatic score. July 26, 7:30pm, in the Roundhouse Performance Centre.
The following day he is offering a Contemporary Dance Improvisation and Technique workshop. Says George, “The way I teach is designed to develop the critical eye and awareness of methods for creating spontaneous, mindful movement in performance. This includes teaching the student how to auto tune their senses and engage their intellect and body systems. I am committed to providing a workshop environment that is a safe, mature, and queer place to learn skills and strengthen abilities.”July 27, 2-5pm.
Queer Public Art
QAF Artistic Director SD Holman’s newest work, BUTCH: Not like the other girls, will have 20 select portraits displayed as public art in transit shelters throughout Vancouver. So be on the lookout for some sexy Butches at a bus shelter near you. If you see one, snap a photo and share with us on Facebook!
A gallery exhibition of BUTCH: Not like the other girls will be shown with different pieces at The Cultch April 9 – 25, 2013, with an Art Party! on April 10, 6 – 8pm. Consider yourself invited!
Poet Recognized
Canadian poet Rachel Rose‘s latest book, Song and Spectacle, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry, presented by the Publishing Triangle.
Song and Spectacle is the third collection by Rose, whose craft as a lyricist intersects with a deep notion of the world around her. Her words provoke an awareness of one’s self and, at the same time, create a sense of intimacy with the greater world.
Rose is the librettist for Canada’s first lesbian opera, When the Sun Comes Out, premiering at this year’s festival, August 5, 7, and 9.