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The Belfry Theatre's Manager of Artistic and Community Connections Taiwo Afolabi joins us to talk about a June 11 meeting of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPOC) Artists and Cultural Administrators in the Capital Regional District that has been in the works since April, but has taken on a new sense of urgency given recent protests and actions in North America and around the world focused on anti-Black racism. Plus a look at what we are watching (29:10), including Pacific Opera Victoria's Flight of the Hummingbird and Atomic Vaudeville's latest virtual cabaret, as well as some venues and events that might actually get you away from a computer screen (39:50), including the reopening of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Royal BC Museum, and the Vic Theatre, Oliver Swain's physically distanced outdoor concerts, and Coffeehouse Theatre's CoffeeMakers Festival.

With gatherings over 50 banned, will we see any live theatre or performance this summer? Theatre SKAM thinks so--and has some ideas in the works. We speak with Theatre SKAM's Matthew Payne (1:26) about their tentative plans for their annual outdoor SKAMpede festival, summer camps, theatre home delivery and other potential activities.  Plus what we have been watching at home, with local content from UNO Fest online and Charles Ross' One Man Star Wars as well as some national and international entertainment (21:17) and local arts news, including the AGGV reopening, the City of Victoria pondering support for the arts, why are symphonies singled out in BC's Phase 3 plan? and local performer Jimbo on Canada's Drag Race (42:14).

Our first physically distant episode. We talk to Atomic Vaudeville's Britt Small about their first virtual cabaret (1:26), what we are watching at home (26:07) and an interview with Janet Munsil about her Canadian Play Thing (42:29). With Amanda Farrell-Low, John Threlfall, Sarah Petrescu, Melanie Tromp Hoover, Briana Bock and Tim Ford.

 

We introduced Tim, our new contributor (1:00), chat about the Belfry's Spark Festival, where we managed to catch Busted Up and Destiny, USA before the fest got cancelled (8:04), and then discuss the COVID-19 outbreak and the huge impact that is having on the arts scene here and beyond (20:49). 

March 17 update: this is an edited version of the original episode that was uploaded March 15, changed to reflect event cancellations and venue closures that have happened since then as bans on gatherings of more than 50 people were put in place on Monday, March 16. Other events and seasons have also since cancelled or postponed.

We review the Ministry of Grace at the Belfry (1:08),  Phoenix Theatre's Comic Potential (11:00), The Curious Incident of the Dog and the Night Time at Theatre Inconnu (18:56) Intrepid Theatre's Outstages Festival (27:15), Dance Victoria's presentation of Kidd Pivot's Revisor (34:20), put a call for BIPOC reviewers/contributors for our podcast (40:14), plus a look at what's coming up.

We were snowed in and couldn't record our regular podcast, so revisited a few of our favourite 2019 interviews, including Lindsay Delaronde (1:47), Ingrid Hansen of SNAFU Dance Theatre (15:45), Carey Wass aka Carey-OK (28:12) and the Wonderment music series (40:57).