Maia Cassie from Queen Margaret’s School won first place at the Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie’s 2023 National Finals on April 20.
Cassie, who is from Salt Spring Island, was judged the winner in the English Stream, which involved three recitations in English and came with a $3,000 grand prize.
“The Poetry in Voice National Finals were an absolutely unforgettable experience, and I’m so honoured to have had the opportunity to go,” said Cassie. “My time in Calgary was packed with fascinating workshops on everything from changing the world through poetry to making paper by hand, and I got to meet so many talented, passionate poets and performers. I could’ve never anticipated what a welcoming and inspiring community I would discover through this competition.”
The prize was decided by the jury of poets Richard Harrison, Micheline Maylor and Titilope Sonuga. Finalists recited works by heart from both classical and contemporary poets. Cassie performed ‘She Said’ by Robert Bringhurst, ‘Regardless’ by Aisha Sasha John and ‘The Ghosts of Women Once Girls’ by Aja Monet.
The audience included Calgary Poet Laureate Wakefield Brewster, Bertrand Bickersteth, Tamara Lee-Anne Cardinal and Rita Wong, as well as founders Scott and Krystyne Griffin.
The event also included French and bilingual categories.
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The Clay Hub studio located at Cowichan Station is holding its Spring Pottery Sale Saturday, April 29.
The event will take place in the gym at The Hub from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Clay Hub members will have work for sale and will answer questions from the public. Entry is free and the café will be open for refreshments.
The Cowichan Station Area Association is in the process of doing upkeep and renovations on the old school house building. The Clay Hub Collective Society is a non-profit that help to assist with funding through classes. Classes range from those for kids through teens and specialty workshops.
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Everyone is invited to celebrate Cinco De Mayo at the Osborne Bay Pub in Crofton on May 6, as Supernatural - A Tribute to the Music of Santana takes the stage.
“Santana’s music crosses cultural boundaries and excites audiences world wide,” says a press release for the event. “He is an architect of latin rock and a true guitar hero. Supernatural honors the man and his music.”
The show features as six piece band, and will have music spanning Santana’s 50-year career.
“This is an unparalleled career faithfully reproduced by musicians of the highest calibre,” said the release.
The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. They are available on eventbrite.ca
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Comedy is coming to Riot Brewing on Saturday, May 6.
At 8 p.m. Ed Hill takes the stage for one night only. Hill is fresh off his one hour comedy special Candy & Smiley, which played on Amazon Prime. The show will also feature Lukas Purm.
Tickets are $27.96 and are available on eventbrite.ca
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Vancouver Rage-Funk band Raincity is touring Vancouver Island with a stop at the Duncan Showroom on May 7.
The show will also feature guests Chase the Bear and So-So Romeo.
A press release for the event says the band has just finished their first cross-Canada tour and are celebrating the release of their second studio album ohyeahnofursurebud.
Raincity is made up of Clare Twiddy on vocals, Kaylar Chan on saxophone, Ryley Kirkpatrick on guitar, Sheldon D’Eith on drums and Carson Webber on bass.
They claim as influences Moon Hooch, Amy Winehouse, Queen and Rage Against the Machine, and are described as “an acid trip struck by lightning” and “the rebellious daughter of goth and ska.”
Doors open at 7 p.m., with Raincity taking the stage at 8:50 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.showroomproductions.ca/buy-tickets
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Also headed to the Showroom is Sail Cassady, a Victoria band that will be celebrating the release of their new single in Duncan on May 12.
The band is described in a press release as “flamboyant LGBTQ2A indie rocker[s]”, whose music features themes such as sexuality, mental health and consciousness.
“Like The National with a dash of Lou Reed, their music documents the torture and delights of the artists’ own grueling process of self-discovery, and gives you a glimpse into the subterranean realms of the Sail Cassady consciousness,” said the release.
Their new single is ‘Lefty’ and it takes on the topics of perception and mental health.
Tickets to the show are $25.
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Imagine That! gallery in downtown Duncan is hosting the works of a member in their main window for the month of May, while the other window will mark the 50-year anniversary of a local guild.
From April 28 to May 26 the work of artist Robert Andrews will be featured in the gallery’s main window in Wooden Boxes & More.
He hand crafts boxes from hardwoods found on Mayne Island, as well as charcuterie and cribbage boards and accent furniture pieces.
“His boxes are finished in a variety of ways: a smooth velvety touch on the exterior, a superb use of live edge features, or a special colour enhancement,” said a press release.
In the other window the Tzouhalem Spinners & Weavers Guild will showcase their work as they celebrate 50 years in Cowichan.
“They had a shared passion for weaving and spinning and wanted to create a place where others could gather,” said a press release. “Now celebrating its 50th anniversary year, the guild has 70-plus members who weave, spin, knit, crochet, felt, dye, make baskets, and create using fibre in all its forms.”