Special Event: Summer Dreams "Comes Home" to Trout Lake!

Barbara Adler & Fang are this year's headliners at Summer Dreams

The biting humour of Barbara Adler's "Fang", is just one highlight of this year's Summer Dream Literary Arts Fest.

When you look at past rosters for the Summer Dreams Literary Arts Festival, you quickly realize that the  "grassroots" used to describe it could easily be the grass of East Vancouver's Trout Lake,  the heart of the trendy neighborhood where many of the performers live and work.

Besides being only a few blocks away from the home of the city's and one of the country's oldest slam poetry venues, Cafe Deux Soleils and the Rio Theatre (which played host to a packed house for the finals for this year's Canadian Festival of the Spoken word), Trout Lake is a jewel in the neighborhood.

As in the past, the headliner for the event will be a familiar name to East Vancouverites, Barbara Adler and Fang. The accomplished spoken word artist cut her teeth at the local slam and has made a successful go of combining her poetry with her other passion, music.

This festival is not just slam based though. It truly lives up to its name of  a literary festival by having such literary greats as Joe Rosenblatt, Bryant Ross, Dennis E. Bolen, Daniela Elza and Heather Haley, just to name a few. There will be free workshops running throughout the day as well. 

For the festival to make the switch from it's long-time Stanley Park location is an important step for the festival's founder and executive producer, Bonnie Nish.

“Trout Lake has always been our ideal spot for the festival, “Nish states.
“While Lumberman's Arch obviously has a lot going for it too, East Van really is a huge centre for the city's writing scene. So many of our performers consider this (Commercial Drive) to be home, and because Pandora’s Collective - the non-profit literary organization which created and runs the festival – has put on so many events on the Drive, we can't help but feel like we are coming home as well.”

As one might expect, putting on a big event with 3 stages, a children's area, a market place and 90+ performers is a lot of work, so the more help the festival can have the better.  Volunteers are needed. It’s a great way to meet people and learn more about event planning and Vancouver's vibrant writing community.  Those interested can sign up on The website at www.summerdreamsfest.com.


For more information about the festival, including complete directions and line up, check out our website: www.summerdreamsfest.com or email srduncan@shaw.ca or call 604-788-8340

Performance Camps for Kids @ the Rio

Michelle D’Hersey and Jodi Derkson join forces to bring you The Summer Performance Camp at The historic Rio Theatre.  We offer an amazingly creative and exciting week for all those involved.  With dance, song, and acting the students will develop a play together and learn the true meaning of creative collaboration.  Spirits are sure to soar when participants reach their final goal of performing on the stage, lighting and all, for their friends and family to enjoy.  In one full week the students will play drama games, hone improvisation skills, practice dance by learning routines, create scenes/skits on a desired theme, and rehearse all elements together to create their original final product.  It is time to Hit the Big Stage this Summer!

Price:$200

Hours: 9am - 3pm Monday to Friday

Final Performance/Reception: Fridays at 4pm

Two age groups: 8-12 or 13-18

Weekly sessions:

July 9-13

July 23-27

Aug.13-17

Aug. 20-24

Info:

Michelle Hersey

604-765-4980

michelle_hersey@telus.net

Register at: www.dhercy.com