Friday, October 5, 2007

Intrepid Reporter #1

Hi Folks! Let me introduce myself. I'll be one of two bloggers who are covering selected LIVE events. My name is Lori Weidenhammer, and I'm a Vancouver-based performance artist. I'm looking forward to be inspired by my colleagues during LIVE,and writing about the issues raised by their work. I encourage you to contribute to the online discussions as well. Don't be shy!

For those artists coming from out of town, I wanted to point out a few good places toeat, drink, and have some downtime. The other day the LIVE board held the AGM at the Rhizome Café. This is a wonderful community-oriented space that offers basic comfort food. (Yes, you can even order perogies.) Since the weather has turned our city into the cold, wet Raincouver we know and love, dress warmly in layers and bring your rain gear. To get yourself warmed up, head on down to Rhizome and have the "pay what you think it's worth" lentil stew. You choose the price, based on what you can pay and what you think the stew du jour is worth. Very cool. Rhizome is near two major intersections-- Main and Kingsway, across from the Kingsgate Mall, so it's pretty easy to find. For more comfort food in the same area, I recommend ChutneyVilla, just two blocks west, on Kingsway and Main. There is a daily lunch special with a vegetarian option, and the dosas are wonderful. All meals are served with a selection of their fantastic homemade chutneys. For a treat Aurora Bistro serves a rocking brunch with locally sourced ingredients. It's one of my favorite places to eat in the city. For the vegan performers, there is a place down closer to Chinatown that serves very good salads in a very calm setting. It's called the Rhada Café. There are many coffee shops to choose from and great restaurants.

Once the festival is up and running, please feel free to share your comments and questions with us. We love audience participation! If you'd like to volunteer for the festival, please send us an e-mail, and we'll get you behind the scenes at one of the many exciting events at LIVE.

Bio: Lori Weidenhammer is a performance-based artist, originally from Cactus Lake Saskatchewan, who now makes her home in Vancouver. In her piece called The Weidenhammer Wunderkammer she traveled to disappearing prairie towns in the Artist Run Limousine. In The Madame Beespeaker Project she channeled Madame Dolittle, a time-traveler who uses her scientific knowledge and extra sensory perception to communicate with honeybees. For the past three years, Weidenhammer has been studying and working on issues related to food security, organic farming, and creating a sustainable food culture. The Beespeaker Project.

No comments: