From the Intern Desk

Greetings, my name is Nicolas Lay and I am an intern for the Firehall Arts Centre.

My experience at the Firehall has been one of the most thrilling ones I’ve had since moving here 3 months ago from a small prairie town in Alberta. I’ve never worked in a performing arts theatre before and now I don’t ever want to stop working in one. I love how the overall atmosphere of the Firehall is about having fun and not taking things too seriously. In my mind the Firehall has been a positive and uplifting experience. I could never stress enough about how grateful I am to have been chosen for this internship. The people are great; whenever I needed help, no matter what I am doing, they always have my back.

The work itself is a pleasure as well, mainly because I’ve never done anything like it before. Working stage production was probably one of the easier jobs I’ve had here because manual, labor-intensive, jobs have always been my forte. Marketing was something that was completely foreign to me, but when I was chosen to help promote the Ubuntu, I tackled the challenge head-on, and discovered that marketing wasn’t all that difficult after all. Front-of-House was another job that I had no prior experience in but when I job-shadowed FOH last week I found it to be fun and rejuvenating, with exception to the prospect of a FOH speech (which fortunately I didn’t have to do that day). The Bar shadow was equally as fun as working FOH had been and is maybe something I’d consider trying outside the Firehall as a potential part-time job. Box Office training (yet another first) was interesting, though I did not enjoy it as much as working FOH or the Bar. Maybe I just found the memorization of all those policies to be the most intimidating part of the job, but come what may, I wouldn’t mind trying it again.

Things are shaping up to be rather busy; with BC Buds coming in a few weeks I’m expecting a larger than usual work load. I’m not too sure what fate has in store for me in the coming weeks, but one thing is certain: I am ready to meet these challenges head on and I hope to do my absolute best in getting the job done.

 

Kudos & Cocktails May 9th

The Firehall Arts Centre is pleased to announce its annual ‘Kudos & Cocktails’ tribute and fundraiser will take place on Wednesday May 9 at 7pm at the Firehall Arts Centre. The celebratory event fetes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Firehall and the artistic community in Vancouver.

For 30 years, the Firehall Arts Centre has produced and hosted award-winning, cutting edge theatre, dance, and inter-disciplinary works while contributing greatly to the heart of the arts in the Downtown Eastside.

Its ability to carry out this important work is enhanced greatly by a large circle of artist, volunteer, and donor supporters. To acknowledge this group’s incredible commitment, the Firehall honours five individuals and their contributions to the various fields of theatre, dance, sponsorship, and community activism/volunteerism with the Firehall’s Standing Ovation Award at a special ‘Kudos & Cocktails’ event each spring.

“We are a small albeit strong arts community here in British Columbia,” said Donna Spencer, Artistic Producer of the Firehall, “and these five wonderful people have really made a difference to us and to the larger arts and cultural community.”

This year’s honourees include:

Patron Category: Marlie Oden and Bonnie Allen of Bridge Communications
Theatre Category: Barbara Clayden, Costume Designer
Dance Category: Chris Randle, Photographer
Community/Volunteer Category: Sid Tan, social justice, environmental and human rights activist

Kudos and Cocktails will also include performances from local artists as well as a silent auction. Tickets are available by donation, with a suggested donation of $50/$25 for artists/students. Tickets are available through the Firehall Box Office at 604.689.0926 or firehallartscentre.ca. Proceeds will go to benefit the Firehall Arts Centre’s emerging artists programs.

This year’s Honorees:

Bonnie Allan
Bonnie Allan has been a partner in Bridge Communications for the past eleven years and possesses a broad range of experience and expertise in marketing, sales, communications and public relations in the arts and entertainment.
Not new to the theatre world, Bonnie trained as a classical ballet dancer, resided in New York City and performed in a number of Broadway musicals and toured throughout the United States and Canada.
She has served as a board member on the Board of Directors at Park Royal Mall, a member of the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance and on the board of Vancouver TheatreSports League.

Barbara Clayden
Barbara Clayden has been a theatre artist for over 30 years, designing costumes and sometimes sets for various theatre and dance companies around Vancouver, including the Arts Club Theatre, Blackbird Theatre, Carousel Theatre, the Firehall Arts Centre, Neworld Theatre, Presentation House, Pi Theatre, Rumble, and Theatre Replacement.  She has been nominated for numerous Jessie Awards and won a few along the way. Most recently, her work was seen in the Firehall Arts Centre’s Chelsea Hotel – featuring the songs of Leonard Cohen and the Arts Club Theatre production of Scar Tissue.

Marlie Oden
Marlie is well known for her creative marketing programs, and since founding Bridge Communications in 1995 has had the opportunity to undertake successful communications programs for dozens of organizations and businesses. She is very proud of the work that she has undertaken with many arts organizations – in particular the Firehall Arts Centre.
An active member of the cultural community, Marlie has served on the Boards of The Stanley Theatre Society, BC CH.I.L.D. Foundation, The Arts Club Theatre, The Fringe Festival and the BC Wine Institute. She is currently the president of the board of Vancouver TheatreSports, and a member of the Board Telefilm Canada. In 2007 she received the patron of the Arts award at the Jessies and in 2011 she was the recipient of the Mayor’s Arts Award for Board Member of the Year.
Marlie’s proudest achievement is her family who are all active in the cultural communities in which they live.

Chris Randle
In the mid-seventies, Chris began to shoot dance and has photographed and videoed the dance community since then. Acclaimed as one of Canada’s finest dance photographers, his work has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines. Chris is the resident photographer for the Vancouver International Dance Festival, and shoots on a regular basis for the Dancing on the Edge Festival, the Chutzpah! Festival, the Talking Stick Festival and for the Scotiabank Dance Centre. Music and theatre are other areas where Chris ventures into with pleasure.

Sid Chow Tan
Sid Chow Tan is best known for his over two decades of work in community media and redress for the Chinese head tax and exclusion laws. His media work and politics are informed by a life of anti-racism and social justice activism and he has help found and build many organizations in Vancouver and across Canada to fill community and personal needs. Also a traditional and new media producer as well as a community organizer, Sid’s current community service includes: national chairman of the Chinese Canadian National Council; founding co-chairperson of Head Tax Families Society of Canada; a founding director of the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council, W2 Social Enterprise Café Society, Community Media Education Society, W2 Community Media Arts Society; and a director of five other not-for-profit societies.

 

Thank you!

We would like to thank everyone who donated to the Firehall Arts Centre’s $30 for 30 Campaign. Your gifts will help us continue the work we do and support local arts and culture in Vancouver!

And from everyone here at the Firehall, we hope you have a terrific Easter and Passover!