Asian Heritage Month runs May 1-31, bringing a host of activities around the city. Odd Meridian Arts’ 2nd ahmm (Asian Heritage Month at Morrow) festival makes its mark with a series of intimate events at Odd Meridian’s cultural space, Morrow, 910 Richards Street.
ahmm invites rupture, nurture, defiance and bows in deep reverence, to all things queer. Expect a spirited and gently subversive affair. A multidisciplinary festival with performances of dance, song and poetry; movement workshops; an exhibit of shrines; a gender non-binary lion named Fluffy; and more!
The Morrow curates a month of creative offerings of performances, workshops and exhibitions.
PERFORMANCES:
May 2 – 5: Lumulutang
Alyssa Favero, Justin Calvadores, Argel Monte de Ramos
~ Dance & Musical Theatre
Premiere of works by emerging Filipinx creators: choreographer Alyssa Favero and multi-disciplinary artist Argel Monte de Ramos. Lumulutang invites us to collectively suspend between worlds, lived experiences, and moments of subversion.
May 6: From the Lost and Found Department
Joy Kogawa & Poets
~ Poetry
Alongside the esteemed author herself, an ensemble of six poets read excerpts from Joy Kogawa’s newest publication and collection, From the Lost and Found Department.
May 10 – 11: Short Songs ?? ??
Jo Hirabayashi and Robyn Jacob with Jane Si
~ Music
A chill and meandering evening of performance by two extraordinary musical artists, Jo Hirabayashi and Robyn Jacob who co-compose for the first time, joined by percussionists Adrian Avendano and Gregory Samek. With opening act, poet Jane Si.
May 17 – 19: Ajeeb Ajeeb
Nhylar, Anjalica Solomon, Panthea Vatandoost
~ Spoken Word, Movement, Song
Farsi, Urdu and Hindi have a word in common for strange, odd, familiar, and wonderful. That word is “ajeeb”, a word that beautifully describes the poetry and prose of multidisciplinary Desi and Persian artists Nhylar, Anjalica Solomon and Panthea Vatandoost. The artists perform an evening spoken word textured with song, movement and percussion.
May 25: Fluffy Blessings
5 Blessings with Amanda Sum
~ Story-telling and Lion Dance Performance
Fluffy Blessings is a hybrid event for kids of all ages. 5 Blessings with Amanda Sum perform a story about a whimsical dragon named Faye, along with a not-so-traditional lion dance by Fluffy (a gender non-binary lion)!
WORKSHOPS:
May 5, 12, 19, 26: Spiralling Technologies
~ Movement Workshop facilitated by Lee Su-Feh
A workshop for everybody, including people with or without dance training and people with mixed physical abilities. Participants will explore spirals from Qigong and Chinese martial arts and apply them as support systems for dancing.
May 11: Movement & Calligraphy Workshop
~ Co-facilitated by dance artist Shion Skye Carter and calligraphy artist Kisyuu.
Participants will be guided through an introductory lesson on Japanese calligraphy leading into an improvised movement practice, where participants embody the brushstrokes of their calligraphy piece.
GALLERY EXHIBITION:
May 1 – 26: A Spill of Shrines
~ Gallery Exhibit featuring Kimberly Ho & Sauha Lee
Throughout May, Morrow’s gallery is home to a spill (or triptych) of shrines. Sauha Lee creates a temple from repurposed items and Kimberly Ho installs an altar from their multi-media repertoire. Ahmm’s festival team also contributes to the creation of a 3rd tea shrine that is part of an Asian Confectionery of treats, sundries, artisanal items and books.
Visit oddmeridian.ca/ahmm for more information, show details and tickets.