Firehall Arts Centre, Dancers of Damelahamid among winners in one-off Lieutenant Governor’s Arts and Music Awards
Alexandra Lainfiesta, C.E. Gatchalian, Ruby Singh, Valerie Sing Turner, Jodi Proznick, and Russell Wallace also among honourees
The Firehall Arts Centre; Ruby Singh; C.E. Gatchalian; Jodi Proznick.
THE WINNERS HAVE just been announced for the new, one-off Lieutenant Governor’s Arts and Music Awards, and the list includes several Vancouver-based leaders and organizations in the performing and visual arts.
The performing-arts category for individuals includes local winners Alexandra Lainfiesta, star of the recent Jessie Award-winning bilingual show Clean/Espejos; Valerie Sing Turner, who recently read her new play In the Shadow of the Mountain at the Advance Theatre Festival; and C.E. Gatchalian, queer-Filipinx-Canadian playwright, fiction writer, poet, editor, and teacher, and former artistic producer of the frank theatre company.
Under the music category, guitarist Don Alder, bass player and composer Jodi Proznick, interdisciplinary artist Ruby Singh, and composer, producer, and traditional Lil'wat Nation singer Russell Wallace received the provincial awards.
Among the winning performing-arts organizations are the historic Firehall Arts Centre, Coastal dance troupe Dancers of Damelahamid, and Vancouver International Bhangra Society/5X Festival.
Indian Summer Arts Society won a nod for Visual Arts, and the Jewish Community Centre’s Inclusive Services Program won the organizational prize in the music category.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Arts and Music Awards were launched in April as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the Queen. They’re designed to celebrate nominees in categories whose work strengthens cross-cultural concepts of engagement, inclusiveness and commitment. At the time, it was announced that Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, would hand out individual awards valued up to $5,000 each, and four to five organizational awards with a value of up to $15,000, depending on the nominations received.
Austin said then: "We turn to music and the arts in challenging times to replenish our sense of joy, and inspire, elevate and move our spirits. Now, more than ever, we must value, nurture, and support the brightest artists and musicians among us. I am honoured to have the opportunity to do so with the launch of the Lieutenant Governor's Arts and Music Awards."
There are more winners across the province; you can find the entire list here.
Related Articles
