Do you write for kids? If so, then you might be interested in an ongoing Writing For Kidz group offered by the Royal City Literary Arts Society.
The group is open to adult writers working in any genre or style aimed at children.
It's facilitated by kids' writer-performer Max Tell, and it runs every other Monday at the Renaissance Bookstore (43 Sixth St., downtown).
The group gives children's writers "a safe place to meet and play creatively with writing, to share their writing, and receive valuable feedback."
The next sessions coming up are Mondays, March 2 and 16, from 10 a.m. to noon.
There's a drop-in fee of $5 at the door, which includes refreshments.
Check out www.rclas.com or call 604-525-4566 for information.
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The buzz is on about Amour Fou, the new exhibition in the New Media Gallery at Anvil Centre.
The exhibition, fittingly enough, had its opening reception on Valentine's Day evening, and it's been generating chatter around town since.
If you haven't been in, then this is what you can expect:
"Eleven international artists expose love in all its messy, destructive glory ... tied up in a big, stained bow of misbehaviour. Large-scale projections will bathe in the white glow of an off-kilter neon love note," the gallery website says. "Many of the works conjure up a potent cocktail of memory, cinematic history and celebrity identity. The gallery will be stripped back, its underbelly revealed. Deranged, dark and fertile ... filled with sound. Amour Fou charts an obsessive journey to love gone wrong."
The exhibition includes work by R. Luke DuBois, Tracey Emin, Christoph Girardet and Matthias Müller, Jillian McDonald, Tracey Moffatt, Nicolas Provost, Pipilotti Rist, Brendan Van Hek, and Angela Washko.
It's running at the New Media Gallery until April 12.
You can stop in to the third floor of Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St., anytime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, or 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays.
See www.newmediagallery.ca for more details.
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It's the history of New Westminster in song - and it's being preserved as a legacy to the city.
City Stage New West held a launch party Jan. 21 at the Anvil Centre to celebrate the release of its new Stump City Stories CD - a recording of the original musical by George Ryan, commissioned by City Stage in 2009, that chronicles the history of New Westminster.
The CD was made possible thanks to a crowd-source funding campaign through Kickstarter.
Renee Bucciarelli, artistic director of City Stage New West, sent an email to let us know about the successful launch party. She noted that City Stage New West formally donated the rights of the CD to the City of New Westminster, giving Rob McCullough (the city's manager of cultural services) and the New Westminster Museum and Archives a "starter kit" of 50 CDs plus copies of the book and music signed by the author and cast.
On hand were local VIPs, including MP Peter Julian, who presented a certificate of congratulations to City Stage and thanked them for providing a cultural legacy to New Westminster.
Also joining in the celebrations were Bucciarelli, author-composer George Ryan and City Stage treasurer Pansy Jang, plus performers Sean Allan, Dora Brooks, Jeremy Lowe and Damon Calderwood, Coun. Lorrie Williams and project partners Christine and Dennis Magrega, along with dozens of other supporters and donors.
The new CD features cover art by Kaitlyn Hunter.
Check out www.citystagenewwest.org for more about the project.
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Free your poetic heart with a little help from the Royal City Literary Arts Society.
The group holds a free monthly drop-in series, WordPlay, that's designed to help participants generate poetry.
The session, guest hosted by Elaine Woo, offers up writing prompts to help get writers going on some first drafts. It's not a critique group - just bring your own writing tools and paper, and get ready to let the words flow.
The group next meets on Thursday, March 6 at 7 p.m. in the back room at Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia St.
Check out www.rclas.com for more details.
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Here are a couple for the wordsmiths and literary types out there ...
First off, don't forget that the Royal City Literary Arts Society is inviting submissions for its 2015 Write On! contest, which is open until March 15.
You can enter non-fiction or fiction of up to 1,500 words, or poetry of up to one page single-spaced.
There will be three cash prize winners in each category, as well as honourable mentions, and the first-place winners will be invited to read at the Lit Fest New West gala showcase in April.
Entry is $10 per entry for society members or $20 per entry for non-members, and multiple entries are allowed.
Check out www.rclas.com for all the details, or email [email protected].
Second, don't forget your chance to share your work with other word-lovers during the monthly Short Story Open Mike sessions hosted by Margo Prentice.
Writers are invited to drop in at Renaissance Bookstore, 43 Sixth St., from 7 to 9 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month to share short stories or excerpts from books, journals or essays. Storytellers are also welcome.
The next session is Wednesday, March 11.
Or, if you prefer, you can turn out just to listen. Refreshments will be available at the bookstore coffee bar.
Email [email protected] for details.
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Are you a Massey Theatre kid?
If you have had any involvement with the Massey Theatre over the years - performing there, watching performances there, enjoying your grad ceremony there - or are just plain interested in its history and future, then be sure to get involved with the Massey Theatres' 65th anniversary celebrations this year.
Join in the fun at www.facebook.com/masseytheatrekid to stay updated about what's happening all year long.
Among the upcoming events are a filmmaking competition, Action : Take 65!, which is seeking works inspired by or documenting the Massey Theatre. Submissions will be due March 31.
Later in the year, a homecoming performance - featuring favourite moments from the Massey stage - is set for June 14, while a Great Pairings: Eyes on the Future event in October will pair senior and emerging performing artists.
Keep watching these pages as dates approach - and don't forget to make yourself an official Massey Theatre Kid on the Facebook page!
Do you have an item for the Lively City? Send arts and entertainment suggestions to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
