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.