Gabriola Live is a celebration of the performing arts on Gabriola and a fundraiser for the Gabriola Arts Council. Open to ALL the performing arts and showcasing artists like you. We have funding to produce a number of events focussing on Gabriola talent from this October until March of next year. Multiple venues, a variety of ticket prices starting with some shows being free. No matter the ticket price, performers will get paid, we pay for the venue, the tech, front of house, promotion, and ticketing. You concentrate on your art form and get a guaranteed paycheque.

Gabriola artists, we want to hear from you! Musicians, actors, dancers, performance artists (jugglers, comedians, a painter creating to music, spoken word, puppetry, the list goes on).

You have to live on Gabriola (Mudge or DeCourcy) to apply and we are keen on new collaborations. But we understand that some of your act might live off island. The lead person must live on Gabriola and 50% of the performers must live on Gabriola, so if your drummer lives in Nanaimo….it is ok to apply.

If you’d like to apply to perform as part of Gabriola Live (October 2021 – March 2022), please fill in the application. We endeavour to showcase as many performers as possible.

Applications will be accepted from September 1 – 15th at 5pm. On the application you are required to give us a range, in dollars, for your performance. If you are producing a play and you have a director, 3 actors and rehearsal time….tell us that number. We cannot cover wardrobe, licensing fees, transportation, equipment (except what we have or can rent for you), or sets.

Any questions….contact the Project Manager, Dave Teichroeb dave@davet.ca  . Artists will be contacted no later that Monday, October 4th.

We are looking forward to reading what you propose!

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. Please email Dave for any questions.

NO CANDLES, NO OPEN FLAMES. ONLY LED BATTERY/SOLAR CHARGED LIGHTS.

The workshops have been successful. There is chit chat around the village that people are coming. Folks have been making lanterns on their own and shining up the lanterns they have in the garden. The community will make this even special because they will GLOW.

A little run down of how the event will unfold:

7pm
– people start arriving at the Commons and gather at the Timberframe
– the music begins with DJ Tim G
– you will find Erin Mancor offering body painting
– Trevor Gear will be juggling with various illuminated objects
-Troy Stark, new community member, will be MCing and telling some jokes
– get a free glow stick from the GAC Globe volunteers

8:15pm
– a lantern parade from the Timberframe to the South Lawn
– Bill Pope will be taking photographs and other photographers are welcome to join us for the eagle’s eye view from the balcony at the Farm House
– video footage will be attempted!
– depending on participation we will set up fun shots with various lanterns
– wander back to the Timberframe area

8:45pm until 10pm
– lanterns can be placed on the Reservoir Stage and around the perimeter of the dancing area, some can be placed in trees
– dance and socialize

This is the first GLOW, so we’ll see how things go!

The community has been rife with exciting news, so why not add to the celebration.

The Gabriola Arts Council saw a need in the community and we had an opportunity to fulfill that need, so we wrote a grant application (we do a lot of that). We are pleased to announce we were successful in receiving a BC Gaming grant ($19,700) for the purchase, transportation, and training (putting it up/taking it down/maintenance), of a 32×50’event tent to be used over the Reservoir Stage at the Gabriola Commons. The Commons is excited about the idea, but we have many details to work out – boring things like insurance and such. We all agree this will enhance the Reservoir Stage and provide a wonderful outdoor venue. The date of install is as of yet undetermined.

If you were at Cultivate you would have seen the tent installed and similar tents have been used at past Cultivate festivals. The idea is for the tent to go up on the May long weekend and come down on the Thanksgiving long weekend. Making it available not only for Cultivate, but for community use for a myriad of performances and events. We also envision a “Tent Club” of folks interested in being the caretakers of the tent, being there in May and October, checking on it during the tent season, and carrying out any maintenance or repair. If you’re interested in being in the club, give us a shout.

That was news one, news two is also very exciting and all about the performing arts. GAC had another opportunity, applied for another grant and was successful in being awarded $74,900 from the Department of Canadian Heritage –  Support for Workers in Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund. These funds will allow GAC will produce a series of live performances of Gabriola talent spanning from October 2021 – March 2022 utilizing the amazing venues on this island called Gabriola Live.  Costs covered include, but not exclusive to: project managers, performers, tech, venues, front of house. We will be working with professionals such as Dave Tiechroeb (Project Manager) and Ron Cote (Tech Director), and mentoring new talent like Samantha Walker (Assistant Project Manager).

The emphasis will be on artist collaborations and we want you to show us (and the community!) something we haven’t seen before. Think of who you would like to work with and create something together. Think artists painting to music, dancers with live music, the three best guitarists having a show down. All performing arts: theatre, music, dance, comedy, spoken word, puppetry, and so on. On September 1^st we will be accepting applications from performance artists, on our website, artsgabriola.ca. Questions will range from how many years have you been performing to what is your rate. Due to the short timeline, applications will be due September 15^th.  A committee of arts professionals and GAC staff will review the applications to create the most well rounded and inclusive series of shows possible with the funding available. Successful performers will be paid, all tech/venue/front of house/ticketing/promotion provided. The ticket sales from the events (some will be free), will be part of an Arts Council fundraiser to continue supporting the work we do, as the lion’s share of grants do not cover operations.

In light of the times we live in, all performers, all people involved in the production, and all audience members will be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of medical exemption. We are committed to keeping Gabriolans safe and providing an atmosphere with peace of mind. The fourth wave is rolling, we want to surf the wave, not feel the crash. In the event of a shutdown, we will gather talent where possible and live stream performances for free. Our goal is to get performers back on the stage with a paycheque and audience members entertained. We all need something to clap for.

Together we cultivate the arts.

Residency Period: October 22, 2021 to February 11, 2022

Application due September 3, 2021 by 12pm PST

Applicant notified September 17, 2021

Kasahara Gabriola Trust and the Gabriola Arts Council is seeking applications for the third residency program, from artists working in a wide range of disciplines. Residencies are four months in length and take place on Gabriola Island, BC, the Isle of the Arts. Gabriola Island is a Gulf Island located in the Salish Sea and is a 20 minute ferry ride from Nanaimo, BC on Vancouver Island.

Read more…