The FEARLESS FESTIVAL

2008 Schedule of Events

2008-08-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

MAIN STAGE
3:00 PM	Blessing by Sam George and introduction by Emcee
3:15 PM	PAWNSHOP DIAMOND
4:15 PM	HEIDI MORGAN
5:15 PM	CITY OPERA
6:15 PM	ROCKING GUYS
7:15 PM	MONICA LEE

BLACKWATER CAFÉ
3:30 PM	Introducton by emcee Diane Laloge
3:45 PM	Debbie Blair
4:00 PM	Rick Lavalee
4:15 PM	Vancouver Storytellers (Mary Gavan)
4:45 PM	Jason Kechely
5:00 PM	Max Tell (Robert Stelmach)
5:15 PM	Michael DeYong
5:30 PM	Eva Waldauf
5:45 PM	Downtown East Side Poets
6:15 PM	Michelle Richard
6:30 PM	John Cote
6:45 PM	Fearless Writers' Group
7:15 PM	Aural Heather


INTERURBAN GALLERY
4:30 PM	Twane Asian Dance
4:40 PM	Kozue Matsumoto
5:00 PM	Tone Indbryn
6:00 PM	Maggie Winston

Schedule subject to change without notice.

We Made The Front Page!

2008-08-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

See the full story here >>>

You're Invited - Fearless Faces Meet-Greet/ Cabaret

2008-08-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 22
5-7 pm Meet & Greet
7-9 pm Cabaret featuring RC Weslowski and Michelle Richard w/open mic.

Click on image for a larger version

Art Auctions! Cash Bar!
Come join us for this great little event with donations going to the Fearless Festival and the Constant Arts Society.

For more information about the exhibit go here>>> http://fearlessfest.blogspot.com/2008/08/fearless-faces-interurban-aug-14-24.html

Fearless Faces @ the InterUrban - Aug. 14 - 24

2008-08-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Pastels by Felicity Don
Photos by participants in the
Constant Arts Society's
Through Our Eyes, Streetfront and BritLit projects.

This year, the festival is delighted to be expanding into the visual realm by presenting this important exhibit by two of Vancouver's most influencial artists and mentors.
Felicity Don has been facilitating life drawing sessions at Carnegie for years and has sketched a vast number of the local community. She also has the distinction of being a respected courtroom sketch artist, who's work has made it to the covers most of the nation's main newspapers, most notably for her renderings of mass murderer Robert Pickton, the Coquitlam serial killer who confessed to kill 49 women, many of them from the Downtown Eastside.

The irony that she has had the unique opportunity to see this community from two very different perspectives is not lost on us.

The portraits here are filled with both heartache and hope.

We purposely hung many of her works in the windows facing Pigeon Park and along Hastings Street so that the work would be visible even when the gallery wasn't open. Almost immediately, we had people wanting to come in and look around.

Christine Germano, founder and Executive Director of the Constant Arts Society, has found a need in many First Nations communities, including ones here in East Vancouver, for First Nations kids at risk to express themselves while empowering them with the skills to show their community what they see and think is important.
Through projects like Brit Lit, Through Our Eyes and the StreetFront program, Germano gets kids to take photos, write stories or poetry and then she teaches them how to effectively create and display print documents of their work.
The pictures are powerful and inclusive.

FESTIVAL NEWSFLASH: Pawnshop Diamond to Headline

2008-08-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Including: Members of
the Downtown Eastside
BLACK CROW PROJECT:

PAWNSHOP DIAMOND
Katie Ormiston- guitar/vocals, Nina Fleming- piano/vocals, Dave Taylor- electric guitar, Lynn Saffery- bass guitar, Lucas Schuller- drums

After years of hanging around musicians, Katie Ormiston finally picked up her brother's guitar and started strumming the chords herself. Based in Vancouver, she always knew she belonged near music, but didn't expect to actually ever be on stage as a performer. That was for other people, not her. Writing music began when some hard times hit and she needed to find a way to deal with it. In his lyrics, John Prine talks about having to work things out in a song. She can relate. As far as musical influences go, her precious vinyl collection includes classics like Neil Young- Harvest Moon, Paul Simon- self-titled, JJ Cale- Naturally, Joan Armatrading- Show Some Emotion... and so on.
Living in the East Van musical community, she was fortunate enough to have friends that shared her passion for original music rooted in tradition. In fact, thier first show was the result of a promise she had made to herself for her 30th birthday. That was it! She was going to do what she had always dreamed of. Perform. Thanks to that night and many other living room jam sessions with friends, Pawnshop Diamond evolved.
When it comes down to it, they love live music.
Listen to them here:

http://www.myspace.com/pawnshopdiamond

For a full schedule of this year's performers, go here >>>

Or, become a subscriber and get as-it-happens updates via email as things progress. Just fill out the quick application at the left of this blog.

Volunteer Application

2008-07-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here's your opportunity to get involved in this fun and meaningful project!

There are lots of ways to help, including:

Event set-up and take down
Public Safety
Audience Services
Volunteer Services
Publicity and Marketing

We now have a handy online volunteer application.

Please take a few moments to fill it out and help us make this great event happen!

All volunteers are invited to an exclusive after-party on the night of the festival to chill, chat and celebrate your hard efforts.

Fearless Fest Wishlist

2008-07-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Supported in part by the BC Arts Council, the City of Vancouver and the Hamber Foundation, Fearless has big plans but, frankly, not so deep pockets. We are asking for help from the community to provide us with some key resources which will keep operational costs down, provide free food and entertainment for the day’s events and allow us to pay performers and entertainers (most who live and work in the Downtown Eastside) for their time and talent.

This is a wish list of what we need:

Art Supplies
Food
Coffee
Soft drinks
Juice
Bottled water
Heavy duty rubber gloves
Truck and driver
Banner fabric
Two-way Radios
Tables
Chairs

If you have any of these items and can give us access to them or donate them to us for the festival, please contact Steve Duncan at srduncan@shaw.ca or call 604-788-8340.

What is Fearless?

2008-05-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

The Fearless Festival is the best-kept secret in Downtown Eastside Vancouver.
A dynamic celebration of art, theatre, music, diversity, history and hope in and around Pigeon Park.
Take a minute to watch this video highlighting some of last year's event and decide for yourself how you can become involved.

Here are just some of the cool activities which took place during the event

2007-07-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

2007 Schedule

2007-06-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

Fearless Mainstage			Coop Radio Courageous Words Stage
Pigeon Park			Columbia & E. Hastings
Hosted By Michelle Richard
3pm	Opening Ceremonies	4pm	Introduction by Hostess Leanne Sjodin
3:30pm	Genetics	4:10pm	Roger Blenman and Chris Perrotte
4pm	City Opera	4:20pm	Anne Miles
4:30pm	Storytelling	4:30pm	Bryn Williams
5pm	Dalannah Bowen	4:40pm	Kagan Goh
5:30pm	Heidi Morgan	4:50pm	Kevin Wilkie
6pm	Storytelling	5-6pm	Theatre in the Raw
6:30pm	Poco Locos	6:15pm	Peter LaGrand
7pm	Rockin' Guys	6:25pm	Brendan Mcleod
7:30pm	Nightlife	6:35pm	Sean McGarragle
		6:45pm	Adam Sheepbelly
		7pm	Open Mic (if time permits)

Other Activities
4pm	Break Dancing @ the Interurban Gallery
3-6pm	Lux Paint-In
	All Day
	Kid Stuff & Clowning with the Faithful Fools
	Bike Decorating with the Bicycle Bee

Funders and Sponsors

2007-06-22T11:26:00.001-07:00

The Fearless Festival is proudly brought to you by:

the Downtown Eastside Community Arts Network
and
the

Funding for Fearless has also been provided by

and

We would also like to thank the following organizations and individuals for their help and support in making this festival happen:

National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre
Charles Barber and City Opera
Vancouver Moving Theatre
Carnegie Community Centre
The Cleaning Solution
Potluck Cafe
Army & Navy Department Stores
The Interurban Gallery
Portland Hotel Society
Sara Spearman
Daisy Chin
Dave Rieberger
Storm Brewing
LandPower Developments
Debbie Blair

Terminal City Rollergirls Are Being Fearless!

2007-06-18T23:51:00.000-07:00

Andi Struction (Andrea Fraser), Machine Gun Sally (Sonia Nielsen), Candy Scrapple (Tonee Venittelli) and league president Micki Mercury (Michelle Lamoureux – pictured below) of the Terminal City Rollergirls don the Fearless Fest brand in preparation for the July 1^st festivities. Photos: Manuel Avila

Vancouver, BC

In a bold move, the Fearless Festival - held on East Hastings St., in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside - asks members of the Terminal City Rollergirls to head up Security for the Canada Day event.

“The organizers of the festival were adamant that Security not be dealt with in a heavy-handed or militaristic kind of way,” coordinator for the event, Steve Duncan said.

“While they recognise personal safety and security are important issues, particularly in that neighbourhood, they saw no need to deal with it in a way that would be intimidating to the people who make the area their home. When one committee member suggested an all-girl security team, the first thing that popped into my head was ‘Who are more fearless than the Rollergirls?”

“I think having them on board sends out a really good message to the community …and to other people who might be considering volunteering but may be concerned about safety, too.”

“I was glad that they could fit us into their busy schedule,” Duncan said. The East Vancouver flat-track derby league has lots of events underway, including their own benefit on July 4^th at the Marine Club, to help send the members of the league to a bout in Edmonton.

When concerns were voiced that the Rollergirls might not be trained to deal with the numerous possible problems that could present themselves, Duncan agreed.

“That’s why we are bringing in experts from Carnegie Community Centre for several years and who know what to expect. They’ll be speaking at the volunteer orientations, and answering any questions people might come up with. Besides, we’re not asking anyone to do the police’s job. They’ll be close at hand - if we need them.”

For more information about the Terminal City Rollergirls, check out their website at www.terminalcityrollergirls.com.

If you are interested in helping out and being fearless like the Rollergirls, come to one of our Volunteer orientations at Carnegie Centre either on Tuesday, June 19^th at 7pm or Saturday, June 23 at noon, or email Barb Fairbrother at barb.fairbrother@gmail.com .

Michelle Richard to MC at Fearless

2007-06-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Fearless Festival – Vancouver’s newest, wildest Canada Day party - is proud to welcome local Acadian vocalist, Michelle Richard as host for the main stage at Pigeon Park on July 1st.

Richard’s broad repertoire includes jazz, R&B, dance music and French songs. Her voice has been compared to Sade and Norah Jones, and strong influences include Billie Holiday, Edith Butler, and Sarah Vaughan. Michelle sings in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese, and composes in French and English. She has a Diploma in Contemporary Voice.

Since 1992, she has performed in many settings including the Yale Pub, Place Malardville, Vancouver City Hall, Cityfest, the Cellar Jazz Café, and the Black History Month Market and Festival. This May she was featured twice on CBC Radio-Canada for her performances and compositions in French. When Michelle isn’t singing she is a supporter and fundraiser for Canadian Students for Darfur (www.csfdarfur.net).

Ms. Richard says she is thrilled to MC the event. In fitting with the holiday, she will be kicking off the day’s festivities by singing Oh Canada and finish off the day playing with her dance band, Nightlife.

Courageous Words Stage Finds a Coordinator

2007-06-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

Poet Leanne Sjodin has taken the driver's seat for the Fearless Fest's Courageous Words Stage which will be happening at the Radio Station Café from 4-7pm and will be broadcast live on CFRO 102.7fm. She welcomes your inquiries at lanicobb@telus.net.

Her biography follows.

A humanist with flare, Leanne Sjodin is an emerging poet and fiction writer who finds her inspiration through the beauty and heartbreak of our everyday lives. She spends her days as a high-school English teacher and reports that it is the young who keep our pulse on reality. In pursuit of a vibrant life, she has recently taken up hula hooping.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Barbara Fairbrother takes on the role of Volunteer Coordinator

2007-05-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Festival Coordinator Steve Duncan and the planning committee for the new event happening on July 1^st, Canada Day, are very excited about Fairbrother’s addition to the team.

“I’ve worked with Barb before and know that she is calm under pressure, manages people well and brings with her a large pool of experienced volunteers. I think we’ll make a great team!”

Fairbrother has been working for 2 years running, including as volunteer coordinator with the successful Vancouver Celticfest, has worked on event coordination and operations with the Vancouver Whitecaps, and was event coordinator for last year’s World Urban Forum's Youth Forum.

She is looking forward to hearing from anyone interested in being a part of this great event.

She can be reached at barb.fairbrother@gmail.com .

Call For Submissions: Fearless Festival Needs Your Talent

2007-05-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

The 1^st Annual Vancouver Fearless Festival is looking for live entertainment to perform at one of our venues in and around Pigeon Park and up Hastings to Carnegie Centre on Canada Day (July 1) from 3-9pm.

We will be celebrating the people, the history, the music and art of the extraordinary people of the Downtown Eastside.

We want musical groups, theatre, dance, spoken word, children’s performers and entertainers of all types to help us turn the Downtown Eastside into a fun party for people of all ages.

Please send any promotional material to Steve Duncan, Event Coordinator either by email at srduncan@shaw.ca, or by dropping of attention of Steve Duncan at the 3^rd floor administration office,

Carnegie Community Centre
401 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2T7

We will be offering a limited number of small honorariums (yet to be determined) for acts used on our stages, but we also are encouraging talent come out and try busking along Hastings street and join us in the day’s festivities.

For more info call 604-788-8340, email srduncan@shaw.ca or check out the Fearless Festival blog at http://fearlessfest.blogspot.com.