THE Eighth Annual Monsoon Festival of the Performing Arts is being presented by the South Asian Arts Society from August 17-31.
The line up of entertainment at venues throughout the city will feature music, performance art, live podcasts, dance lessons, workshops, a street festival, and online visual marketplace.
To kick off the festival, an opening night reception will be held at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre on August 17 and will include sneak peeks of the performances to be presented during the festival, followed by an opportunity to mix n mingle. Food and drinks will be available.
The online Monsoon Marketplace will feature pieces of art created by the performers. This online artistic collective was inspired by the producers during the pandemic to support the artists and proved to be a popular attraction. These unique and beautiful pieces of art will be available for sale and the marketplace will be open for the duration of the festival.
One of Vancouver’s most recognized voices, Tarannum Thind brings her signature podcast, Chai With T, for a live recording at the Surrey Arts Centre Studio Theatre on August 19.
Award winning actor, writer and theatre artist Adele Noronha will be hosting “Momentum” August 20 at The Vancouver East Cultural Centre. For all theatre enthusiasts, join Adele and the team of artists as they read excerpts of three published plays from three groups of South Asian artists. Chai, snacks, and conversation will follow the readings.
Part interactive game, part social discussion, part theatrical performance, Is Democracy Dead? invites you to care and connect at the Progress Lab on August 26. This interactive documentary-style theatre workshop is adapted from Theatre Conspiracy’s international hit show Foreign Radical.
In conjunction with the Punjabi Market Collective, Vancouver’s historic Punjabi Market will come alive, August 27, with a cornucopia of, music, dance, visual art, great food, family activities and fashion. This free event is always a highlight of the festival.
The Industry Series is another free and fun community-based initiative that is an exciting opportunity to immerse yourself into the artistic process. These sought-after gatherings will be taking place throughout the festival and include dance lessons by renowned dance artists in various styles that include the popular Bhangra and Kathak dance styles, along with a writing workshop led by Zahida Rahemtulla.
For a full detailed schedule of all the activities and performances visit: www.monsoonartsfest.ca
