Arts

“Monsters aren’t born, they’re made.” So says Jason Stevens, the sole actor/director/producer of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, which will run through October at Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria’s only 130-year-old fourth-floor ballroom. “It’s mesmerizing,” says Stevens of a good monster story. Stevens studied acting in London and worked as an actor in New York, and he has […]

The Victoria Festival of Authors is Vancouver Island’s largest celebration of books and book lovers. This year, it’s celebrating its fifth anniversary, it’s all online, and it’s all free. “It was really important to us that it was free,” says festival producer Laura Trunkey. “We just want to reach as many people as we can, […]

During these dark times, British Columbia’s cultural art community has become one of our most essential sources of entertainment. This is mainly because art is one of the most important parts of our culture, one that shines a light on the human sprit and offers hope. This year, BC Culture Days’ virtual celebration aims to […]

The Victoria Symphony has announced that it is moving all of its concerts online during the COVID-19 crisis. Starting October 1, a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons can be streamed on the symphony’s website. “We’re trying to continue to evolve with the way the world is working,” says Victoria Symphony director of marketing Jill Smillie. […]

Lola Parks No Apologies (Independent) 4/5 Vancouver-based singer/songwriter Lola Parks’ new release, No Apologies, is no dearth of honest ultimatums. Parks—real name Sandy Powlik, who formerly called Victoria home—is truly gifted, with a beautiful voice and the ability to create melodic hooks and insightful yet buoyant lyrics. As euphonious as they are memorable—the folk/blues/jazz/country blend […]

The latest exhibit at Deluge Contemporary Art is a collaborative labour of love. Artists Alex Tedlie-Stursberg and Callum Monteith approached Andrea Valentine-Lewis to curate the exhibit, UTOPOS, and together they designed a show that feels completely relevant for our times. Both Tedlie-Stursberg and Monteith “grapple with ecological themes” in their work, says Valentine-Lewis; she says […]

The sound of indie band Sister Speak—who have members based here in Victoria as well as California—is a fusion of many different musical styles. Ecology and Indigenous issues are thematically central, as are themes of love and hope. “I’m definitely influenced by BC’s roots scene and the ’90s rock I grew up with,” says vocalist/guitarist/songwriter […]

“Lighght.” American poet Aram Saroyan was paid $500 USD (in 2020 dollars, roughly $4,125 USD) for the publication of this one-word poem in the early 1960s, and to date no poem has netted as much for its author per word. At the time, the payment and the publication of the poem were controversial, but sometimes […]

Brothertiger Paradise Lost (Satanic Panic) 4/5 Brooklyn-based electronic pop musician John Jagos explores longing and contentment in Brothertiger’s fourth album, Paradise Lost. The 10 songs follow a journey that starts in the discovery of serenity and ends with the realization that “home” is, perhaps, a fluid term. Jagos acknowledges that things aren’t always as they […]

When Morgan Waters attended the Applied Communications program at Camosun College in 2001, he never imagined that, a few short years later, he would be the director, co-creator, star, and writer of a web series that would be nominated for an International Emmy, take home a couple of Canadian Screen Awards, and get picked up […]