What’s Going On: February 1 to 14, 2017

Arts February 1, 2017

Wednesday, February 1
Strongerthans
John K. Samson of Winnipeg indie rockers The Weakerthans is returning to town with his new project, the Winter Wheat. Northcote opens; the show will set you back $20. See sugarnightclub.ca for more info.

Saturday, February 4
Drum bangin’ and general boogyin’
A drum and dance festival will be held in the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre at Oak Bay High School (2121 Cadboro Bay Road), from 1 to 9 pm on February 4. For more information, visit vaccsociety.blogspot.ca. Tickets are $20 to $25.

Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5
Tam plays Sibelius
Victoria Symphony concertmaster Terence Tam will be performing Violin Concerto of Sibelius at the Royal Theatre. Originally written by Jean Sibelius in 1903, it was revised in 1905 before it was officially premiered. Attendees are invited to join music director Tania Miller one hour before the show starts for a presentation about the concert. Tickets range from $32 to $82; see victoriasymphony.ca for info.

John K. Samson (middle) and the Winter Wheat are playing on February 1 (photo provided).

Sunday, February 5
Exploring early music
In honour of Black History Month, the Early Music Society of the Islands is bringing their new project to the Alix Goolden Hall on February 5. Tickets for the concert—which focuses on the music of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier Saint-Georges—cost between $26 and $35. More details can be found at earlymusicsocietyoftheislands.ca.

Monday, February 6 and Tuesday, February 7
The power of words
There’s a big difference between having someone read to you and reading a book to yourself. Come get read to when Open Space hosts author Jordan Tannahill for three readings across two days. Venue and other details can be found at openspace.ca; entry is by donation.

Tuesday, February 7
Get fired up
The documentary Fire at Sea will be screened at 7 pm in Young 216 at Camosun’s Lansdowne campus on February 7 to celebrate International Development Week. The movie looks at the European migrant crisis; admission is free.

Wednesday, February 8
Stopping stigma
Camosun students put together this presentation about substance use; the event will also feature a live forum about students and substance use. Camosun instructor Mary Harber will facilitate the presentation, which is the final feature of the Living in Our Shoes stigma reduction project. The event runs from 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Library Learning Centre, Lansdowne campus; see camosun.ca for more info on the project.

Wednesday, February 8 and Thursday, February 9
New year, new volunteers
Volunteer Victoria is hosting a volunteer fair February 8 and 9 here at Camosun, in the foyer of the Fisher Building. Email Jingwen Tang at jingwen@volunteervictoria.bc.ca or visit volunteervictoria.bc.ca for more info.

Thursday, February 9 to Saturday, February 18
The other slaughterhouse five
Gut Girls is a new, historically inspired play focused on a group of women who work in a cattle market’s slaughterhouse. After a rich lady closes down the slaughterhouse, the rude girls are trained as maids for the one who closed up the slaughterhouse. Gut Girls goes down at UVic’s Phoenix Theatre; tickets range in price from $15 to $26. See phoenixtheatres.ca for more info on this and other events.

Thursday, February 9
Stopping the dam
This public forum about the Site C dam will look at what will happen if the dam is built; the project infringes on aboriginal rights and is not economically sound. If this is something that strikes a chord with you, head on down to room A120 in UVic’s David Turpin Building from 7 to 9 pm; see canadians.org for more info.

Saturday, February 11
The perfect anti-Valentine
Intrepid Theatre is hosting its annual post-apocalyptic dance party on February 11. Dress code is prom attire or post-apocalyptic; all proceeds go toward Intrepid. Tickets are $10; the event starts at 8 pm and goes down at Intrepid Theatre, located at 1609 Blanshard Street. For more info visit promlove.eventbrite.ca.