When journalists toss around mentions of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, they rarely go without immediately noting that it is “Canada’s poorest postal code.” The Downtown Eastside, Canada’s poorest postal code. We’ve all heard that before. If this is all you know of the neighbourhood, then it’s time you picked up a copy of V6A, a compilation of poetry and short stories from former and current residents of the Downtown Eastside - compiled and edited by John Mikhail Asfour and Elee Kraljii Gardiner. “The Downtown Eastside may be one of the most written about neighbourhoods in Canada, but how much of that writing is self-generated?” asks Kraljii Gardiner. The idea for the book came from the Thursday Writing Collective, a series of free, drop-in creative writing classes at Carnegie Community Centre for members of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The Collective is run by Kraljii Gardiner, who was inspired to create V6A after inviting Asfour to one of their weekly meetings. “John had this sparkling enthusiasm. He bonded with everyone at the meeting and told me afterwards that we must do a book,” said Kraljii Gardiner. “It wasn’t long before we were putting the call out to writers who ever had been part of the Downtown Eastside at some point in their lives. That was our only submission criteria.”

The third annual Culture Days weekend of celebrating arts and culture takes place across Canada from September 28 – 30, 2012. Members of Vancouver’s arts and cultural community are encouraged to participate and reminded that early registration of activities is now open at www.culturedays.ca. According to the Culture Days 2011 National Report, nearly 800 communities participated across Canada last year. Vancouver ranked in the top ten communities for the total number of registered events over the weekend. Culture Days is a Canada-wide volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation ...

Authors and publishers of books that contribute to the appreciation and understanding of Vancouver's history, unique character or the achievements of its residents are invited to submit entries for the 24th annual City of Vancouver Book Award. The winning book can be of any genre and will demonstrate excellence in content, illustration, design, and/or format. To be eligible, books must be published in 2011 or 2012 and meet the application criteria. All entries must include: four copies of the book, a $20 submission fee, and a completed entry form. Entry forms and ...

Hot Topics in Social Purpose Real Estate Brought to you by the Social Purpose Real Estate (SPRE) Table, a collaborative group that helps mission-driven organizations with their real-estate needs. We are The Central City Foundation, City of Vancouver Cultural Services, Downtown Eastside Planning Group and Social Development, Real Estate Foundation of BC, Renewal Partners, Tides Canada and Vancity. Read more about us and our work here. Join us for great presentations featuring local experts on social purpose real estate and illustrative case studies on buying, leasing, developing and ...

Would your Vancouver-based cultural non-profit organization benefit from new, more or better space? The Cultural Infrastructure Grant can help with: Feasibility studies Demand or needs assessments Building program plans (space planning) Fundraising or capital campaign planning Architectural or engineering drawings Renovations Expansion Accessibility improvements Electrical, plumbing, heating upgrades And more! DEADLINE -  Friday, May 04, 2012 For more information visit: - http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/cultural/gasp/grants/facilities/index.htm Contact: Debra Bodner - debra.bodner@vancouver.ca  

Imagine arriving to work at a downtown historic building, where your workspace has high ceilings, brick walls, and huge windows. You can meet with clients or have informal discussions with colleagues working in industries as diverse as software development, photography and green building; the rest of the time you work at your own desk or a hot desk space. Need to develop new marketing strategies for your fledgling business or learn strategies to foster social change? Just sign up for one of the many workshops offered at the office. HiVE Vancouver is an innovative shared workspace that fosters individuals and organizations in the sustainability and creative sectors. It’s part of a growing trend worldwide: technological developments have made working in virtual space common, and doing consulting work for multiple clients has become a widespread practice as organizations try to keep their costs down. But for small start-ups, non-profits and individual consultants, trying to find affordable office space has become increasingly difficult. Shared spaces mean shared amenities (like meeting rooms, phones and kitchens), a real plus for those that can’t spring for the overhead costs of their own offices. HiVE members have a choice of a dedicated workspace (starting at $475/month) or a hot desk space (monthly plans range from $25/month for five hours to $350/month for unlimited hours). As a non-profit, HiVE uses its member fees to lease and improve the space. But the HiVe is about more than just sharing space: members are “a community of change-makers” who thrive on collaboration, fun, diversity and social responsibility. HiVE Vancouver modeled itself after Toronto's Centre for Social Innovation, which opened in 2004 with the idea that collaboration on the complex problems facing society could produce better solutions. The Centre's founders merged the ideas of co-location (different organizations merely sharing space), community hubs (shared spaces providing direct services to their members such as job training and workshops) and social innovation. Toronto's Centre is an affiliate of the Hub Network, a social enterprise working across 30 cities and 5 continents.

NEW ARTS AND CULTURE POLICY COUNCIL Application Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2012. The City of Vancouver is looking for up to 15 volunteers for Vancouver's Arts and Culture Policy Council. If you are intersted in applying, check out the Terms of Reference/Membership Criteria. APPLY ONLINE More Information Eligibility Requirements Minutes and Agendas Background Information ***  

Request for Expressions of Interest: Calling Artists and/or Artist-Led Teams Burlington Performing Arts Centre - Public Art Opportunity, City of Burlington Burlington, Ontario, Canada BUDGET: $95,000 SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, April 13, 2012 The City of Burlington invites artists and/or artist-led teams to enter a two-stage, juried competition to create a permanent public artwork for the exterior courtyard of Burlington Performing Arts Centre. This competition is open to Canadian and International artists. The mission of The Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) is to provide the people of Burlington with a broad range of excellent performance ...

Looking to get your urban fix, 1920s-style? Check out the new exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver: Art Deco Chic: Glamourous Fashions of the 1920s and 1930s. The loose-fitting, geometrical dresses of the 1920s spoke to women's newfound freedom and allowed the quick movements characterized in dance styles like the Charleston, while more precise cutting and tailoring returned in the wake of the Great Depression. Other influences on the fashions of this era were blockbuster films, architectural innovations seen in masterpieces like the Empire ...

CULTURAL SPACES INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT – 2012 Financial support for costs related to planning, feasibility assessments, acquisition, renovation and development of cultural spaces. DEADLINE : 4:30 pm | Friday, May 04, 2012 Would your Vancouver-based cultural non-profit organization benefit from more or better space? The City of Vancouver, Cultural Spaces, is encouraging eligible organizations to submit an application to the 2012 Cultural Spaces Infrastructure Grant Program. Planning, Minor Capital and Major Capital projects are eligible. The City of Vancouver disbursed over $1.2M to 30 Vancouver non-profit arts and culture organizations under the 2011 Infrastructure Grant ...