The latest arts, culture and other happenings in Vancouver this May, 2023. Have a tip? Email kristi@looselipsmag.com.
ExplorASIAN Festival: We are thrilled to share the arrival of our 27th explorASIAN Festival! We invite you to celebrate the month of May with 60+ Asian Heritage Month in-person and virtual events and exhibitions presented by our various community partners.
Date: All of May
Location: Various, program guide here.
LiterASIAN Festival: Finding Our Voices: Telling Our Stories, featuring authors and writers whose craft span print, stage, and the screen. In finding our voices, the festival counters the anti-Asian racism that has sought to silence the contributions and dignity of Asian Canadians.
Date: May 4 – 27
Location: Various venues, tickets here.
DOXA Documentary Film Festival: Western Canada’s largest documentary film festival, returns to present the 22nd edition, screening in theatres May 4 through May 14, 2023. DOXA will screen its roster of crucial and thought-provoking documentaries in theatrical venues across the city, bringing filmmakers and audiences together for a communal cinema experience.
Date: May 4 – 14
Location: The Cinematheque, VIFF Centre and SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
Untitled Peter Tripp Project: Peter Tripp, a once-celebrated radio DJ, performed a publicity stunt in 1959 wherein he broadcast continuously for 201 hours from a glass booth in Times Square. Pi Theatre, as part of its Provocateurs Series, presents the performance at a secret location which will be announced to ticket holders only days before.
Date: May 4 – 6
Location: Secret Location
Unexpecting: Set in East Van, married couple Annie and Josephine have been trying to start a family for the past five years. Annie, a struggling writer with one, decade-old bestseller to her name, and Jo, a painter who longs for motherhood, start to second-guess themselves and their relationship as their patience and finances reach rock-bottom. Complicated by the presence of Annie’s brash, lifelong best friend, Pam, the couple are tested when suddenly given the opportunity to adopt a baby.
Date: May 5-21
Location: Studio 16
Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice: Inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, South Africa’s award-winning choreographer Masilo roots her powerful rendition of this ballet classic in the rituals, rhythms, and sounds of Botswana – including the traditional dance of Botswana called Tswana.
Date: May 5 and 6
Location: Vancouver Playhouse
A Small but Comfy House and Maybe a Dog: This solo exhibition by Amy Ching-Yan Lam explores how our daily experiences reflect on the historical trajectories of money, class, and capitalism. The title of this show comes from a childhood letter that Amy wrote to her future self, describing the comforts of domestic stability that come from “a small but comfy house and maybe a dog.”
Date: April 22 – June 11
Location: Richmond Art Gallery
The Children Have To Hear Another Story: Alanis Obomsawin: In a survey of the breadth of filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin’s lifework from the 1960s to the present, this exhibition demonstrates her remarkable achievements in education, music, documentary cinema and activism that have mobilized Indigenous voices and ideas to transform society.
Date: April 7 – August 7
Location: Vancouver Art Gallery
Matriarchs Seen and Unseen: Featuring over 20 striking portrait photographs of matriarchs of the Northwest Coast by Nuu-Chah-Nulth photographer Melody Charlie, the exhibition celebrates and honours the work of these women, showcasing their strength, wisdom, leadership and deep connections, while documenting ceremonies and traditional cultural practices.
Date: March 29 – June 25
Location: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Femme Festival: With seven performances from women in music, theatre, dance, comedy, and circus, The Cultch’s Femme Festival will fill three stages in East Vancouver this April and May.
Date: April 15 – May 14
Location: All The Cultch venues | Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables | York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr. | Vancity Culture Lab, 1895 Venables | RE/PLAY, online
TRANSFORM Cabaret Festival: Watch nine groundbreaking, collaborative works by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists for FREE! TRANSFORM Cabaret Festival is unlike any other festival in the world. With a focus on empowering Indigenous artists and encouraging collaboration with non-Indigenous artists, this festival brings communities together to create lasting social change and groundbreaking performance.
Date: Until May 28
Location: Online via The Cultch
Bright Futures: This group exhibition examines the lasting influence of Bill Reid’s iconic art on the development and creation of contemporary Northwest Coast art today. Bright Futures will feature works by fourteen emerging and established Northwest Coast artists alongside a selection of works from Bill Reid Gallery’s permanent collection.
Date: April 26, 2023–January 14, 2024
Location: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
BC Distilled Festival: After three years of postponed and modified events, BC Distilled brings its annual tasting festival back to full strength with 40 distilleries, and hundreds of locally produced, artisan spirits.
Date: May 13
Location: Croatian Cultural Centre
Mother’s Day Arts Market: Sip a mimosa while perusing locally made art and crafts. Meet local artists, enjoy art demos, and enter to WIN the Mother’s Day Prize Bundle!
Date: May 14, 1-5 PM
Location: Pacific Arts Market
Mother’s Day Traditional Pow Wow at Trout Lake: This year’s theme is Strength in our Braids. The 2023 Mother’s Day Traditional Pow Wow will be a three day event, Friday through Sunday. It is organized by a community-led committee and executed with the help of volunteers. More here.
Date:May 12 – 14
Location: Trout Lake Community Centre
