Series Season: 2023

Jhankaar – Aesthetics of Ghungroo explores the dynamic artform of kathak for a dance performance that fuses traditional percussions indigenous to India with Spanish dance and movements, jingling ankle bells and the nagada, tabla and pakhawaj instruments. Raaga-based vocal compositions will mix with the sounds of ghungroos for a sound that marries Indian classical and […]

Facing the water and singing a song—it’s like sending a message in a bottle. Because the distance is unknown, it’s more about letting emotions overflow into the sea. You see yourself in the waves, and you hear yourself in the song. A well-known folk song, “Reminiscence of Anping,” is the first thought of many elders […]

From our eyes, to our mouth, to our hands… to our favourite things, our clothes, and our surroundings. All of these things make up who we are. But how do we really see ourselves?  When the great Dutch painter Rembrandt went bankrupt, he chose to save one thing from his seized possessions: the mirror. He […]

Xinpu, Taiwan is a place dubbed “The Town of Persimmons.” The climate allows the fruit to grow in abundance. Persimmons are harvested during peak growth, then processed and dried to eat year-round.  Persimmons are a traditional harvest, with many elders working in the persimmon factories. One day, as these senior workers were climbing to their […]

Many Minnan women in Taiwanese society traditionally followed the path of marriage and relocation. From the perspective of folklore theory, unmarried women, after their passing, are considered taboo subjects, as they have not acquired social status and are seen as potentially threatening, requiring proper handling. Numerous legends of female ghosts echo this same viewpoint, suggesting […]

Both Canada and Taiwan are modern independent countries transformed from the status of colonies of Japan, China, and the British Empire after World War II.  Cities and buildings are physical representations and extensions of corresponding social, cultural and government systems. Hence It is a meaningful topic to compare the different contexts and phenomena of architectural […]

Catch this fascinating talk that weaves stories, theories and images, to connect continents and centuries using Irwin’s own Dutch family’s stories. With the recent Dutch King’s apology for slavery on July 1, 2023, the public dialogue in the Netherlands is catching up on Canada’s efforts at reconciliation, but who can teach who?  We explore how […]

“Why can’t electronic music merge with Indigenous music?” This question spins like a record in Dungi Sapor’s head. And so, Dungi began experimenting with electronic music as the background, inviting the elders of her tribe to adapt and re-interpret the traditional melodies of their ancestors. This became the first single of great significance in her […]

Want to delve into the stories behind Chinese orchestral music?  Curious about how Taiwanese Chinese music has developed its unique identity?  The National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan (NCO) will personally share their journey, from its establishment to the present, and how they have incorporated Taiwan’s diverse cultural elements through innovative approaches. They have created a distinctive […]

Join us as we explore the cultural treasures of the National Palace Museum and contemplate its significant role in crossing borders through sharing and innovation. This presentation, led by Lin Cheng-yi, delves into the profound meaning of the museum’s localization process within Taiwan’s cultural and societal context.  Discover how the National Palace Museum intertwines with […]

What is the purpose of human migration?  Is it for seeking better living conditions?  Is it for escaping political persecution, racial discrimination, religious persecution or social injustice?  Or is it for pursuing happiness and opportunities that the heart yearns for?  Dr. Shu-Ming Chung’s book “Taiwanese in Nanyang during the Japanese Colonial Period” filled in Taiwan’s […]

In the Canadian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale, fertile women are sacrificed as tools of pregnancy for those in power to ensure the survival of humanity. In the Taiwanese new comic, Tan-Tsiu-Niu, women in Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty desperately seek ways to bear children in order to carry on the family bloodline. One is a […]

“A human life is my whole world, my life!” Facing the challenges of both the virus and human nature, the protagonist’s emotional outburst resonates across the screen.   The whole world is still reeling from the impact of Covid-19. Many people’s lives, work and lifestyle have encountered tremendous changes. This forces people to face the truth […]

“History is a structure, state of affairs and events formed by the interaction and interweaving of ‘people, time and space.’” Teacher Ts’ao Yung-ho recorded history with very few words on memo pads, laying an important foundation of the early history of Taiwan. This year, the theme of TAIWANfest is SELF-PORTRAITS OF FORMOSA – Reminiscing the […]

In community archives across British Columbia, local knowledge keepers are hand-fashioning a more inclusive history. Through a collage of personal interviews, archival footage and deeply rooted memories, the past, present and future come together, fighting for a space where everyone is seen and everyone belongs. History is what we all make of it. 

Set in the 90s, a Korean single mother raises her young son in the suburbs of Canada determined to provide a better life for him than the one she left behind. Riceboy Sleeps tells a deeply-moving and universal story about family, migration, and belonging

Facing the water and singing a song—it’s like sending a message in a bottle. Because the distance is unknown, it’s more about letting emotions overflow into the sea. You see yourself in the waves, and you hear yourself in the song. A well-known folk song, “Reminiscence of Anping,” is the first thought of many elders […]

Being able to sing and express one’s culture in a comfortable social environment is the most joyful thing! At the same time, language is an important carrier of culture, reflecting the values, customs, and traditions of society. Taiwan and Canada have both attracted immigrants from various countries, creating opportunities for multiculturalism. However, in the socio-political, […]

African Mask Portraits by Blank Canvases invites our young participants to make their own mixed media collage portrait inspired by African masks from various countries and based on the works of artist Sean Skeir. 

DzePasi is a Shona word which means ‘from the earth’. This is a workshop on Zimbabwean traditional music, the Mbira instrument and dance. All are welcome to learn to sing and dance to traditional folk songs of Zimbabwe. Led by Mary Anibal and Tich Maredza.  

World renowned performer Cesária Évora in a new and intimate documentary. With previously unseen footage and insights into the singer’s life, the film follows the struggles and success of the Barefoot Diva. Her voice took her from poverty to stardom, but her only dream was to be free.   Director: Ana Sofia Fonseca  Country of Origin: […]

Migration and Arts is an exhibition featuring eight craft artists from Taiwan and master craft workshops with matching local artists to understand how migration also evolves art forms as the relationship with nature changes with the movement of people. This program aims to stimulate discussion on the fluidity of culture, while also showing the inherent […]

His paintings, full of mysteries; His name is a secret that cannot be revealed! He is an artist, he is a progressive thinker of the times, and he is a lover of Taiwan! Chen Cheng-po was born in the Qing Dynasty, was baptized with the art of the Japanese colonial era, and was not able […]

Zheng He’s voyages to the West, Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe, and Columbus’s discovery of the New World… They are renowned historical explorers even before the Era of Exploration. When it comes to Taiwan, most people associate it with its relationship with China. However, if we go back to the 15th and 16th centuries, what […]