Spatial Poetics, the Powell Street Festival Society’s annual evening of experimental performance pieces, returns July 8, 2017 for its sixteenth year with “Spatial Poetics XVI: KIYO 生き残り (Honouring the living memory of invisible lives).” In Spatial Poetics, artists are invited to create new performances together and encouraged to work beyond their usual disciplines.
Spatial Poetics XVI: KIYO生き残り is a multi-disciplinary, one-on-one performance commemorating the lives of the invisible. Using the little-documented life of picture-bride Kiyoko Tanaka-Goto as a starting point—and considering the time and space that their own bodies occupy on unceded Coast Salish territories— artists Ayumi Goto, Mark Haney, Lisa C. Ravensbergen and Julie Tamiko Manning invite the audience to witness their tribute to Kiyo’s untold, but familiar story of determination and survival through her defiance of cultural, gender and societal expectations.
If you are interested in volunteering with Spatial Poetics, please email Louise Ma, Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer [at] powellstreetfestival.com.
Announcing the Powell Street Festival Line up!
11:30 am to 7 pm
August 5 to 6
Oppenheimer Park and Surrounding Area
Celebrating Japanese Canadian Arts and Culture
This year’s lineup of dozens of performers is an eclectic mix of local and international talent. One of the many highlights include performances from the dynamic duo George & Noriko – a Japanese blues cowboy and Tsugaru shamisen player from Melbourne, Australia who will play an additional performance with local musicians Bernie Arai and Brian Minato. Other acts include Ensemble Liberta who will bring their classical Japanese instruments all the way from Japan, live calligraphy by Kisyuu, and a mix of Taiko groups including California’s JODAIKO.
Literary events will include a special presentation by iconic Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s key translators Jay Rubin and Ted Goossen, the return of author and translator Sally Ito, who will read from her new book Are You an Echo? and performances by Joy Kogawa and Soramaru Takayama.
Film screenings at the Firehall Arts Centre, co-presented with the Hapa-palooza Festival, will include the award-winning short film Born With It and a screening of episodes from Almost Asian – a web series created and starring Katie Malia, who will be in attendance from LA.
Tracy Moromisato
Production Coordinator A recent graduate from the Arts and Entertainment Management Program at Capilano University, Tracy Moromisato is hoping to further contribute to Powell Street Festival as Production Coordinator. She aims to bring her passion for the arts to culminate camaraderie, to unite the community with arts and culture.
Anna Alger
Production Associate Anna Alger is an Interdisciplinary Studies BA and Arts Co-op student at UBC, going into her last full year of courses. She is passionate about music, politics, theatre, and environmentalism. This will be her first Powell Street Festival, so she is excited to help make it happen!
Louise Ma
Volunteer Coordinator Louise Ma is a 3rd year UBC Arts student, pursuing a double major in Psychology and Music. She loves the Japanese culture, especially the food! She is enjoying her time at Powell Street and is very excited to work with volunteers to ensure a fun-filled and smooth Festival!
Michiko Naito
Administrative Associate Michiko has lived in Vancouver for one year as an ESL student. She still can not believe she is working for the Powell Street Festival because she is so impressed by this high quality summer festival!
I am looking forward to share the great event with everyone!
Owen Cameron
Communications Owen handles our communications, media sponsorships, marketing and social media. He is celebrating four years working with the Powell Street Festival. Through Spoke PR, his boutique public relations company, Owen has promoted Broadway productions, dance, film festivals, visual arts, concerts and over 500 feature films! He thrives at shining a light on our local cultural institutions and considers PSF to be one of his “favourite gigs.” Photo by Ryan Walter Wagner
The Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall are hiring an Executive Director
This new position is a unique opportunity to be an integral part of a growing and vibrant cultural organization whose mandate is to support staff and volunteers in providing outstanding programs and services to our member, students, community partners and the public at large.
The ED will work closely with the Board of Directors to develop organizational capacity and strategic objectives and to manage VJLS-JH’s operations, programming, human resources, finances, and community relations.
All questions regarding the position can be addressed to: board@vjls-jh.com. The deadline for application is June 16.
Carnegie Centre – Oppenheimer Park is hiring a Community Programmer
Reporting to the Director of the Carnegie Community Centre, the Community Programmer supervises programs, develops, implements and coordinates community oriented programs of an educational, cultural, social and recreational nature at the Carnegie Centre and particularly at Oppenheimer Park. The programmer assumes responsibility for particular program areas, makes program recommendations, recruits and instructs program staff, schedules, evaluates and reports on programs, performs moderately complex administrative duties and is personally involved in program leadership. In addition, the programmer liaises with various internal and external contacts and provides support to individuals.
Do you have a Japanese Canadian or Downtown Eastside community related event? Powell Street Festival Society is pleased to offer our community partners the opportunity to submit their own special events. We will publicize suitable events and activities. It’s our little way of saying thank you for your hard work in our community! Send us via Community Event Submission Form.
A recent graduate from the Arts and Entertainment Management Program at Capilano University, Tracy Moromisato is hoping to further contribute to Powell Street Festival as Production Coordinator. She aims to bring her passion for the arts to culminate camaraderie, to unite the community with arts and culture.
Anna Alger is an Interdisciplinary Studies BA and Arts Co-op student at UBC, going into her last full year of courses. She is passionate about music, politics, theatre, and environmentalism. This will be her first Powell Street Festival, so she is excited to help make it happen!
Louise Ma is a 3rd year UBC Arts student, pursuing a double major in Psychology and Music. She loves the Japanese culture, especially the food! She is enjoying her time at Powell Street and is very excited to work with volunteers to ensure a fun-filled and smooth Festival! 
Michiko has lived in Vancouver for one year as an ESL student. She still can not believe she is working for the Powell Street Festival because she is so impressed by this high quality summer festival! 
Owen handles our communications, media sponsorships, marketing and social media. He is celebrating four years working with the Powell Street Festival. Through Spoke PR, his boutique public relations company, Owen has promoted Broadway productions, dance, film festivals, visual arts, concerts and over 500 feature films! He thrives at shining a light on our local cultural institutions and considers PSF to be one of his “favourite gigs.” 
