Music: The Black Crow Project Presents 4 Evenings in May

A Fundraiser for the Portland Hotel Society

Location: Rime, 1130 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Tickets: $10 at the door

Dates: May 6, 13, 21, 27 – 8:30 pm.

Featuring musical performances by: Mark Berube, Cora Fields, Jess Hill, Sarah MacDougall, Corbin Murdoch and the Nautical Miles, Parlour Steps, Pawnshop Diamond, Jessie Turner

You can hardly pick up a newspaper today in the Lower Mainland without reading about the dismal conditions of the homeless and hard to house. In fact, the region’s homeless population is on the rise, with the income gap between Vancouver’s rich and poor among the worst in the country. Aren’t you glad you have a safe place to sleep?

The Black Crow Project, developed in response to the basic needs of shelter and community for the less fortunate, is organized around a central belief that music is a powerful tool to reach across social boundaries. The arts, according to the organization’s founders, help communities find focus and belonging so they can constructively move towards common goals.

Katie Ormiston and Jessie Turner are the driving force behind the project. Last November, they, along with co-founder Nina Fleming, successfully launched “The Black Crow Project” as an arts fundraiser event for the Portland Hotel Society (PHS), one of Vancouver’s longest running and most respected organizations. It provides housing, service and advocacy for those in need. Says Ormiston, “I wanted a way to contribute positively to the issues surrounding homelessness. I often think about my own brother who suffers from a mental illness and where he would be if he didn’t have family. The Project also released a compilation CD by local musicians about the crows that fly over Vancouver.

Why the crows? The crows that fly together across East Vancouver each morning and evening have captivated Ormiston for years. “They are a symbol to me of all the potential Vancouver has to offer. More than the mountains or the ocean, when I watch these crows come together to fly home every night I am inspired to take part in this community and make it my home.”

For the month of May, the Black Crow Project will be “Artist in Residence” at East Vancouver’s Rime. Musicians from the project will perform along with a short talk by a Portland Hotel Society spokesperson. Fifty percent of cover and one hundred percent of profit from the compilation CD will be donated to the PHS. To find out more about the PHS call: 604-683-0073.

The Black Crow Project recording, rated as one of Highlife World Music’s Best of 2006, is also available for purchase at Highlife World Music, 1317 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.