Vancouver Aquarium...

It's late, I'm in the offices at the Scotiabank Dance Centre here on Davie Street having just typed up a flyer advertising  a practical workshop here at the Dance Centre, to be given when we return from Penticton next week. Mary and I are offering it together - it being M's suggestion when I told her how good the meeting had been today. It's a last minute thing really but great to be able to have more time with folk in the arts/health field here. The round-table discussion with arts and health practitioners, artists, dancers and cultural planners went really well this morning. There was a lot of interest in what I had to say about my work and how it resonated with their own experiences and creative practice here in Vancouver and BC.

As I write this there is a meeting downstairs to decide what artists should do about the planned cuts to arts funding in BC province.  Both here in Vancouver and in Toronto I sense a general political trend going 'rightwards'...bike lanes to be cut, arts-funding cut. I have just read a fascinating report on the state of the arts and health generally across Canada 'Tip of the Iceberg' it's called and full of really insightful work on what's going on. Similar to the situation in the UK I think, with lots of projects springing up all across the country but lack of co-ordination at national and regional/provincial level and also it seems I am picking up a disconnect at federal level of the importance of the arts in helping support, maintain and develop what is a hugely multi-cultural and diverse society. The potential is huge that the arts contribute much more and get the recognition they deserve; especially in relation to the future need at federal and state level to do a lot more about the care of seniors and especially those with memory problems in Canadian socirty...

OOPs I forgot to say the trip to the acquarium in Stanley Park yesterday was wonderful and Amy really loved it..I shall endeavour to get different pics on here as soon as I remember to bring my camera and my body to this computer at the same time. Bye for now...