What's On

Powell Street Festival

2018/07/20 (Friday)

THE 42ND POWELL STREET FESTIVAL 

AUG 4 & 5

POWELL STREET AREA

The 42nd annual Powell Street Festival features a wide variety of local and international talent. One of the many musical highlights is virtuoso percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani, who, along with the Nakatani Gong Orchestra (a 14-person gong ensemble), kicks off his B.C. tour at the festival. Other international guests include sadgrrlrocker Emma Lee Toyoda. Katari Taiko, Kaya Kurz, and The Sakura Singers are just a few of the local festival favourites returning this year.

Works from acclaimed visual artists Chiharu Mizukawa and Nao Uda will be on display at the Centre A gallery in its new location at 268 Keefer Street. The exhibition will feature Chiharu’s stunningly detailed paintings made using only water, paper, and fire. Nao’s artwork will include photographs of Japanese Canadian history in Canada and an interactive installation piece called “316 Powell Street.” Shaped as a map of the historic Japanese Canadian neighbourhood, “316 Powell Street” invites viewers to write their memories on cards to insert into pockets on the map.

Other special events include a presentation on Asian fetishism by writer and performance artist Sophia Akiko Stephens, and a Japanese Canadian young actors forum hosted by the Hapa-palooza festival. The panel will include Vancouver’s Koyu Rankin known for his breakout role as Atari in Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs”.

Literary events will include presentations by writer and manga translator Zack Davisson, novelist, poet, and playwright Terry Watada, and Vancouver’s own Soramaru Takayama.

For more info check out powellstreetfestival.com