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By Shara Lee
WHEN the athletes flock to Vancouver for this winter’s Olympic games, so too will the artists.
Because of the Creative and Performing Arts (CaPA) initiative spearheaded by
Sandy and Russ Rosen, Christian singers, actors, musicians and dancers from
Canada, the United States and even Africa will congregate in the city for an
assortment of live performances.
It started with a proposal submission to More Than Gold, an organization
mandated to coordinate and connect the Christian community during the Olympic
games.
“Our proposal was for a series of concerts, dance and visual arts displays
throughout the games,” said Sandy Rosen.
“We were part of the group at the Athens games, and saw what kind of impact this
kind of initiative could have.”
To gather artists, the Rosens sent out emails and capitalized on the personal
connections they had made as discipling artists themselves. With a budget of
zero dollars, the organizers of CaPA were able to convince a diverse group of
40 performers to sign on for this unique arts enterprise.
“All artists are paying their own expenses,” said Rosen. “And these are people who are used to being paid for their performances.” The performers hail from Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick, the U.S. – and one group is coming from Rwanda.
While creativity is at the core, it is the potential for personal connections
that some of the artists are most enthusiastic about.
Stephanie Mainville, a fiddler and singer from New Brunswick, expressed
excitement about bringing the sounds of the Maritimes to Vancouver. “I’ve got the whole Atlantic region in my blood,” she said.
When asked what she was hoping for most during the Games, Mainville stated: “I’m looking forward to see how God will stir my heart, and the relationships that
will be formed with other artists . . . I’m interested to find out how God will knit us together for future partnerships.”
Stephanie Sonchen, organizer of the Watoto Children’s Choir, echoed similar sentiments:
“We’re really excited to partner with CaPA, to create a network of Christian artists
to promote Christianity during the Olympics.”
Although planning for smaller events is still in progress, the three confirmed
highlight performances hosted by CaPA are a concert series, a play and a dance
production.
The AHA! Concerts are an eclectic showcase of various artistic styles, scheduled
February 17 – 20 at the Pacific Academy auditorium in Surrey. The concerts will feature a
rapper, a poet, a jazz singer and break dancers, as well as a symphonic piece.
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The second big event is Hockey Dad, by James Popoff and Stephen Waldschmidt. The play is about a father’s dilemma, when he must choose between his love for his daughter and a vow he
made never to skate again.
This play will be performed at the Pacific Theatre, located on 12th Avenue in
Vancouver, from February 17 – 27.
Hockey legend Paul Henderson is said to be making plans for an appearance on one
of the nights.
The third event will be a dance production, also at Pacific Theatre, on February
13 and 16th.
It will feature a production called This Way, by the Mirror Dance program grads from Dance Barn Studio.
Playwright and actor James Popoff saw this as an appealing opportunity to
showcase his one-man Hockey Dad.
“The audience is larger,” said Popoff. “And it’s during a time where there’s lots of people to communicate with.”
For Darlene Ketchum, a CaPA co-organizer, this is an opportunity to share God’s love with the community.
“I really feel we need to build some bridges in the art community, and create
connections between Christian artists.
“This is a way to share art, in a different way that’s not just worship. It is art that can impact and touch something deeper.”
January 2010
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