HOUSE AWAKE Artist Bios: Bekka Rose/Yuki Ueda,Paul Talbot, Alison Denham

BEKKA ROSE and YUKI UEDA are Vancouver based jugglers, who, independently from one another, spent time in Europe where they were inspired by the creative and fluid European style of juggling. They have been performing together for just under a year and have collaborated on numerous projects, including shows performed at The Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics Torch Relays, the Vancouver International Children's Festival 2010, the Seattle Juggling Festival 2010 and Vaudevillingham 2010. In June 2010, they, along with the MadSkillz Crew, organized MadSkillz Vancouver: Flow, Juggle, Spin!, the first Vancouver juggling and prop manipulation festival. They are currently busy with preparations for next year's festival.

PAUL TALBOT is a talented new singer- songwriter based out of Vancouver. Born in Haiti, Paul moved to Vancouver at a very young age and has been playing and creating unique, fresh music ever since. He has staged and performed shows around the city at venues such as Nyala restaurant, The Naam, Greedy Pig, Wired Monk, Luggs Coffee, Raw Canvas, The New Bohemian, Cafe Montmartre and many others. Paul writes music that captures the imagination and hearts of all who listen to it.

Originally from the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, ALISON DENHAM moved to Vancouver to attend the dance programs at Arts Umbrella and the Ballet British Columbia Mentor Program. From 2000-2005 she danced with Dancemakers under the artistic direction of Serge Bennathan. Ali has worked with many choreographers in Toronto and Vancouver including Wen Wei Wang, Alvin Erasga Tolentino, Lola Maclaughlin, and Peggy Baker among others. Most recently she performed with Out Innerspace Dance Theatre (Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond) and is currently involved in projects with Simone Orlando, Shannon Moreno, The Plastic Orchid Factory (James Gnam), Susie Burpee and Tribal Crackling Wind (Peter Chin). She is the 2006 recipient of the Isadora Award for Excellence in Performance.

HOUSE AWAKE Artist Bios: Leah Abramson,Jacci Collins,Edmond Kilpatrick

LEAH ABRAMSON is a singer-songwriter-musician-sound-experimenter from Vancouver. After spending her youth playing traditional old-time music and indie rock with Dyad, The Crooked Jades and Octoberman, she now creates her own folk-noir music under the moniker "The Abramson Singers" and is working with Portico on an album of songs about Louis Riel. When Leah is not playing or writing music, she is collaborating with other artists, baking cookies and scheming.

myspace.com/leahabramson

JACCI COLLINS is an independent dance artist, choreographer and dance educator based in Vancouver. After completing studies in dance at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton and receiving her BFA in dance from Simon Fraser University, Jacci traveled to Johannesburg to work with the performance company, Moving Into Dance Mophatong. Since returning to Canada, she has continued to perform and teach throughout BC and Alberta and has had the pleasure of working with Joe Laughlin, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, Kokoro Dance, Jennifer Clarke and Linda Turnbull. Jacci is thrilled to be working with Kirsten Wiren, her longtime friend and colleague.

EDMOND KILPATRICK is an independent dancer, teacher and choreographer based in Vancouver. A graduate of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, his dance career began in Montreal with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Edmond moved to Vancouver and danced with many local and national contemporary choreographers. This led to him joining Ballet BC where he remained for 9 seasons.

Edmond has taught his Boys Only program at Arts Umbrella for the last 7 years and recently taught a semester at SFU. He has taught both ballet and contemporary dance extensively since 1994 teaching both young students and professional dancers. He has choreographed for both stage and film and is currently dancing with Wen Wei Dance.

Art for Impact officially announces its 5th event, entitled HOUSE AWAKE! We hope you will join us for an exciting evening of multidisciplinary performance installations, featuring acoustic and experimental musicians, circus artists, dancers, filmmakers, actors, poets, and media artists. Featured artists include Leah Abramson, Marc Arboleda, Sammy Chien, Craning Neck Theatre, Alison Denham, Edmond Kilpatrick, Paul Talbot, Kirsten Wiren, and many more....

It's all in support of RainCity housing, a grassroots organization built around compassion, purpose and a commitment to delivering progressive housing and support solutions for people living with mental illness, addictions and other challenges.

Drinks and appetizers will be on hand for you to enjoy as you explore the event in any way you choose...those who want to can stick around for an awesome afterparty with music and dancing.

....please check back soon for featured artist bios in the days leading up to the event.

all media for this event has been designed by Andrew Haw, www.ah-on.ca

Art for Impact at Chapel Arts in December!

Plans are underway for Art for Impact's next event, a dynamic, multi-disciplinary "moving gallery" of performance installations at the elegant Chapel Arts in East Vancouver. We're very excited about this incredible venue, and our chosen beneficiary organization, RainCity Housing-www.raincityhousing.org. Art for Impact is currently in the process of curating artists and recruiting volunteers for this exciting event. For more information, please see our pages on how to get involved as an artist or volunteer. To find out about Chapel Arts, visit www.chapelarts.com.

ART for IMPACT IV is over.

Thank you so much to everyone who came!

Please check the Art for Impact 4 page for details about the fantastic evening!

ARTIST BIOS- Justine A. Chambers, Laura Hicks

Justine A. Chambers is a Vancouver-based independent contemporary dance artist. She was a principal dancer with Desrosiers Dance Theatre, a member of Diavolo Dance Theater in Los Angeles and has worked with a number of independent choreographers worldwide including: Kota Yamazaki (Japan), Julia Sasso, Turbo Bonz Dance Projects, Atlas Moves Watching Dance Projects, Vicki St.Denys, Sonya Biernath, Roxanne Huilmand (Brussels) Princess Productions, Heidi Strauss, Conrad Alexandrowicz, and Darryl Tracy. In addition to being on faculty at Ryerson University, Dance Teq, The Quinte Ballet School, and the Teacher’s Collective in Toronto, she was invited to hold master classes at McMaster University, Park Avenue Dance Company (Rochester, NY), and Victoria Danceworks. Chambers is currently on faculty at Arts Umbrella and is currently artist in residence to the dance program. She also teaches at Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver. She also works actively as a rehearsal director, and has notably directed a remount of James Kudelka’s Soudain L’Hiver Dernier and the Autumn movement of John Alleyne’s Four Seasons. Chambers has been commissioned to create work for the Music Gallery, Ryerson Dances, Quinte Ballet School, Series 8:08 Season Finale, Arts Umbrella Dance Company, Dances for a Small Stage, Contingency Plan, SFU Contemporary Dance and Elev8 in Victoria. She has also collaborated on theatre projects as a movement coach and choreographer. In 2007, she was artist-in-residence at Colour School where she created a solo work in collaboration with conceptual artist and arts educactor, Kristina Podesva. Chambers was featured in David Bowie’s music video Dead Man Walking, and has appeared in Canadian television specials, films and in international industrial performances. In February 2010 she and co-creator Deanna Peters presented a full length duet One + the Other at New Dance Horizons in Regina. She has recently performed in 'this time', a full length duet created by Heidi Strauss for Chambers and Brendan Wyatt. Chambers and video artist, Josh Hite, are currently creating "Copy" a multi-disciplinary and participatory work that explores duplication, mimicry, degeneration and repetition by allowing dancers and viewers to simultaneously co-create the piece as a whole.

Laura Hicks is a dancer, choreographer, improviser and teacher with strong interests in multidisciplinary work, community outreach, contact improvisation, and pilates. Based in Vancouver since 2005, Laura has danced for Claire French/Restless Productions since 2007 and has also worked for MACHiNENOiSY, the Body Narratives Collective, Jennifer Clarke, Justine Chambers, Julie Lebel, Sara Coffin, Kathleen McDonagh, and Chick Snipper. Her own work has been presented by; In the House Festival, Dancing on the Edge, 12 Minutes Max, and as part of Artistic Residencies across BC. Laura organizes and dances with No Hitting, a performance collective that brings together some of Vancouver’s most striking improvisers in sound and movement. Laura is an emerging Artist in Residence with the Dance Centre for 2009/10 and was recently awarded the Holy Body Tattoo BC’s Emerging Dance Artist Award.

ARTIST BIOS- Meredith Kalaman, Bekka Rose

Meredith Kalaman is a Vancouver based dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Meredith has performed and toured with Movent, the Karen Jamieson Dance Company, Judith Marcuse Projects and Cori Caulfield, as well as understudied with Dancers Dancing. Meredith's own work has been presented at Dancing on the Edge 2009, the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival 2008 & 2009, BC Buds 2008 & 2010, Dances for a Small Stage 14 & 20, Winterfest, 12 Minutes Max both in Vancouver and at On the Boards in Seattle and the In the House Festival. Meredith is a graduate of the Ballet BC Mentor Program.

Bekka Rose was first introduced to juggling when her parents enrolled her in Cirkids, a Vancouver based circus for kids, at age 7. Juggling soon became her passion, and this passion lead her to numerous juggling festivals and workshops throughout Europe and North America. In Europe, she studied under the

renowned Russian juggler Sergei Ignatov at the Jonglierkatakomben in Berlin, and with Jay Gilligan (USA) and Luke Wilson (UK) at Cirkus Cirkor, the circus school in Stockholm. Inspiration from this wide variety of techniques lead her to her own poignantly poetic style of juggling and movement.

ARTIST BIOS- Ndidi Cascade & Deanna

Ndidi Cascade and Deanna are Vancouver based Hip Hop Soul artists. Known for their powerful vocals and lyrics, these talented women intend to empower and inspire

using music. Having shared the stage with artists such as Femi Kuti, Collie Buddz, De La Soul and K'Naan and K-os, Ndidi Cascade and Deanna are proud to represent Vancouver on a global stage. These two best friends are also Hip Hop workshop facilitators who enjoy engaging and inspiring individuals to discover and develop hidden talents.

ndidicascade@hotmail.com

goatsinthemist@gmail.com

ARTIST BIOS-SOULdiers Company, Mike Averill

The SOULdiers Company is a group of semi-professional dancers that share an interest in studying hip hop culture. Under the direction of Kim Sato, the company hopes to inspire the community through their performances around the city and show that hip hop can identify with and be a very positive influence on today's youth. The company currently has 31 members who are studying the history of movement behind hip hop dance, the influence of video dance on hip hop culture and training in the funk styles, especially locking and popping.

www.projectsoulproductions.com

Mike Averill

Mike Averill has rapidly been gaining notoriety among the community of Vancouver and beyond. Growing up tiptoeing the hot sands of Okanagan beaches served as the foundation of Averill’s edgy, yet chill internal manner, and his move to Vancouver in 2001 catalyzed the songwriting/performing beast we see before us today.

Focusing on positivity and inclusion has always been the backbone structure to Averill’s grooves, and crowds can attest, he wields these values any chance he can get. Recently, he launched a fundraising project he spearheaded for the international humanitarianism organization, Right To Play, to help raise money with his music to encourage sport and play in countries all around the world.

Art for Impact Invite!

We are thrilled to announce the 4th edition of ART for IMPACT, an evening of live music, dance, and theatre featuring work by Amy Meyers, Billy Marchenski, Bekka Rose, Claire French, Justine Chambers, Meredith Kalaman, Megan Johnson, Mike Averill, Ndidi Cascade/Deanna, SOULdiers Dance Company, and The End Tree (Joanna Chapman-Smith, Elliot Vaughan, Martin Reisle & Aiden Brant-Briscall).

Don't miss this opportunity to experience these fantastic artists while supporting two wonderful causes. We'll also be holding a raffle with a number of fantastic prizes including gift certificates to Havana and The Foundation restaurants, unlimited monthly passes to Semperviva Yoga, and more! Drinks and goodies will be available as well, with all proceeds from this event going to Jugamos/Let's Play in Honduras, and organization promoting health and well-being for rural youth (www.jugamos.org).

Tuesday May 4th, 2010, Performance Works, Granville Island

7:30pm/ doors 7pm

Tix $15 Cash only @ the door

Advance tix/Info: art-for-impact@sfu.ca

Please check back soon for creator/performer bios, our official publicity material and other news. We're very excited for what promises to be an incredibly engaging, dynamic and fantastically fun evening!

The AFI team

Anna, Alisa and Natalie

Art for Impact News Update-#1

Lots of exciting work is happening as we prepare for what promises to be the biggest Art for Impact event to date! Make sure you mark it on your calendars now, Tuesday May 4th at Performance Works (Granville Island). The three of us are like scavengers in the city, seeking out great local artists for our lineup, hopefully what will be a solidly interdisciplinary and eclectic mix. Already, we've had some confirmations...yes! And lucky for us, I've had brilliant theatre technician (Flo Barrett) agree to head our tech team. Looks like its all coming together. Now that SFU is back in session, its time to round up a team of committed volunteers!

I think I'm in charge of the menu. Similar to our first Art for Impact, I hope to have an array of hors d'oeuvres like nobody's business.

The three of us are meeting this week to sit down for some curating discussions and artist selections. Once we begin to get that finalized, I'm hoping to start dreaming up names for the show! An Art for Impact logo is in the works as well, once that's finalized we'll be looking forward to showing off our fancy new image...please stay tuned!

-Natalie