festival of ideas and creation this weekend at canadian stage theatre berkeley street

Sunday May 16, 6 p.m.

In Conversation: Adapting in a Global Context; Politics, Revolution and Culture in Contemporary Translation
Free

Does the act of translation have political implications? This roundtable will look at the importance of process, collaboration and artistic license in contemporary adaptations, examining appropriation and redressing imbalances through reinterpretation.
Sunday May 16, 7:30 p.m.

New Creations: Yoruba Storytelling by Bamidele Bajowa
Free

Born into the Royal House of Rebuja Ruling Dynasty in Igbotako, Osooro, Ondo State, Nigeria, Bajowa embraces traditional folk music and storytelling of the Yoruba people of western Nigeria. His traditional songs and chants are in praise of the Yoruba Orishas (Shango, Oya, Egungun, Ogun, Yemoja, Oshun). Bajowa has played and recorded with the world music Juno Award-nominee Andrew McPherson of EccoDek, Dennis Gaumond of the Bhadra Collective. He composed and played for Adwoa Badoe's Griots Journey: DVD of African storytelling with songs, chants, drums, and dances in 2006. He has performed at many Canadian festivals including: Duncan Music Festival, Filberge Music Festival, Muhtadi International Drumming Festival, Hillside Festival, Vancouver Sacred Music Festival, Spirit of the Earth Festival playing music and conducting drumming workshops.
Sunday May 16, 8 p.m.

New Creations: word! sound! powah! by d'bi.young anitafrika
Free

word! sound! powah! is the final episode of d'bi.young anitafrika's seven-year-old biomyth trilogy three faces of sankofa. blood.claat is the first and benu the second. The trilogy charts the journey of three generations of afrikan-jamaican- becoming- afrikan-jamaica- canadian womben in one family: mudgu sankofa, her daughter sekesu sankofa, and sekesu's daughter oya sankofa. In word! sound! powah!, the grand-daughter of mudgu negotiates her own identity to the backdrop of a mythologized revolution and the birth of dubpoetry in jamaica.

Monday, May 17, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Artist Intensive: Bio-Mythology and Creation with Bamidele Bajowa and d'bi.young anitafrika (A)
$20

This special workshop for creators explores the Yoruba pantheon and archetypes in the development of new work as a lens for approaching inter- and cross-cultural performance. Participants will explore the Yoruba symbology with Nigerian master storyteller/ drummer/babalao Bamidele Bajowa, and learn the 'biomyth orplusi principles' for creative interpretation and adaptation with acclaimed dubpoet/monodramati st/educator d'bi.young anitafrika. This hands-on and immersive class will look at pathways for integritous trans-cultural creation and how to approach cultural adaptation with honesty, respect, accountability and artistic ingenuity.