Transition Towns Comox Valley presents a discussion of art, celebration, and homegrown entertainment on Wednesday, March 27.
You're invited to the Venue Formerly Knows as Joe's Garage for an exploration of the role of creativity, joy, and community expression in building a resilient culture of transition.
This meeting is intended to foster a creative community interested in transition principles and to showcase the vibrant response of the Valley's arts community to the challenges we face.
The arts have a vital role to play in bringing people together to prepare for a prosperous, inspiring, and beautiful post-carbon world.
The need for creative and innovative solutions has never been greater. Alternatives to global mono-culture and the pursuits that endanger our future are within ourselves and our communities.
Art creates spaces in which we can explore possibilities and engagement. It delivers practical projects that enliven, revitalize and empower culture and expression.
Creating new paradigms, new stories about ourselves, about how we live, and the actions we take to develop true sustainability is the art of social change.
• Drawing from his own productions, festival creator and cultural activist Dan Vie of the Community Arts Workshop Society will share a variety of community-engaged methods that anyone can do.
From creating our own "annual traditions" to reclaiming the commons through participatory parades, giant puppetry, and all-ages marching bands, our communities can nourish the roots of a transition culture and make the revolution fun with colour, costumes and bold creativity.
• Roberta Meilleur will touch on two methods for cultural transitioning and resilience — one through creative thinking and the other through celebration and living one's joy.
• Benjamin Dunstan of Pomfennworks will present a community-wide mural project featuring the downtown core of Courtenay, and speaking about working with youth, starting public arts initiatives, artistic expression to promote culture.
Benjamin emphasizes revitalizing the places we live, and taking part in the growth of community through education, arts, and cultural exchange,
• Sharon Karsten of the Comox Valley Art Gallery will share some of the work done by the Youth Media Project — a community action initiative designed to enable youth in the Comox Valley to share their visions of change through creative learning and video production.
You're invited to join in to experience the passionate, and responsive artworks that are co-creating a culture of transition in our valley.
The event happens March 27 at 115 Fifth St. in Courtenay from 7 to 9 p.m. All ages are welcome.
— Transition Towns Comox Valley