Shawn Conner outlines five reasons to check out Heart of the City Festival:

1. Year of the woman

The theme of this year’s festival is Honouring Women of the Downtown Eastside. The 12-day festival will pay tribute to women from all walks of life in the Downtown Eastside, past and present. Special events include Missing, a new chamber opera that tells the story of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women.

2. Something for everyone

… including the adventurous. The festival features more than 100 events, ranging from traditional performances to innovative art installations. One of the more unusual pieces may be Summoning (No Words). An interactive sound installation, Summoning includes recorded original sung compositions contributed by several vocalists, including Polaris Prize winner Tanya Tagaq.

3. Sawagi Taiko & Tzo’kam

In this unique collaboration, the all-women Japanese drum group Sawagi Taiko teams up with First Nations performance group Tzo’kam. A Lil-wat family group, Tzo’kam performs traditional and contemporary songs. Sawagi Taiko take an exploratory approach to the Japanese drumming tradition taiko.

4. Crow’s Nest and Other Places She’s Gone

When Blue moves to the other side, it’s up to Rose to tell the story of her friend’s troubled life. Featuring storyteller Rosemary Georgeson (Coast Salish/Dene) and dance artists Olivia C. Davies (Welsh/Metis-Anishnawbe) and Emily Long, Crow’s Nest features contemporary choreography and storytelling through an Indigenous lens.

5. Jazz Confluence

Heart of the City boasts several notable musical events, including the festival’s opening night concert Women in the Round (featuring vocalists Dalannah Gail Bowen, Renae Morriseau, Helen Duguay and Sara Cadeau, accompanied by pianist Michael Creber). Jazz Confluence features the Downtown Eastside’s own Carnegie Jazz Band playing alongside some of Vancouver’s most highly accomplished jazz musicians.