CRITIC’S PICKS
SPEAKER SERIES
What: 25th Anniversary Changemakers Speakers Series: Esi Edugyan
Where: Facebook
When: Thursday, 4 p.m.
Tickets: Free
Why: Royal Roads University’s ongoing Changemakers series for “students, professionals, and concerned citizens” continues this afternoon with an appearance by Victoria’s Esi Edugyan, the Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning author of Half-Blood Blues and Washington Black. The free virtual event (which will be hosted by university president Philip Steenkamp) allows its distinguished guests to address the state of humanity at present, and the ways in which we can forge a new path in a postpandemic world. The series, which got underway Sept. 16 with a talk from best-selling author Thomas Homer-Dixon, will come to a close following upcoming appearances by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry (June 8) and journalist Gwynne Dyer (Sept. 16). All talks are streamed live on the Royal Roads Facebook page.
MUSIC
What: The Apollo Initiative
Where: YouTube (youtube.com/ user/cmhabc)
When: Friday, 12 p.m.
Tickets: Free
Why: More than 350 student musicians from across British Columbia — including members of the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra — are banding together Friday for a virtual performance in support of Youth Mental Health Day. The ambitious performance will feature the world première of Apollo, by Vancouver-based Juno Award-winner Jordan Noble, who named the commissioned piece in honour of the Greek god of music, dance, and healing. The collective of youth orchestras from across the province will perform as the Apollo Initiative under the baton of five conductors for this unique event. Visit canadahelps.org/en/ pages/the-apollo-initiative/ to donate.
FILM
What: Koto: The Last Service
Where: doxafestival.ca/
When: Thursday through May 16
Tickets: $10 ($75 for a festival pass) from https://doxa2021. eventive.org
Why: Vancouver’s Doxa Documentary Film Festival goes online for the second consecutive year, which is good news for Victoria viewers who normally would have missed the opportunity to see this short film about a legendary Japanese restaurant in Campbell River. Koto: The Last Service chronicles the days leading up to the titular restaurant’s final day of operation after nearly 40 years in business. Co-produced by Kenji Maeda, whose parents (owners Kazue and Takeo) introduced the coastal Vancouver Island community to Japanese food in 1980, Koto: The Last Service is served up as a meditation on the importance of inter-cultural exchange.