Joyce Goodwin Mountain Mardi Gras Carnival is coming to town! Mountain Mardi Gras is coming to the North Shore! The 2010 Olympics Legacies Now is on board. In F e b r u a r y the N o r t h Shore w i l l be alive w i t h M a r d i G r a s activities leading up to the m a i n event at the C a p i l a n o R i v e r R e g i o n a l P a r k at the base of the EDITORS NOTE: let us know what activities you ot your organization are planning for the 2010 Olympics - when the eyes of the world will be upon us! WHAT: The Mountain Mardi Gras WHEN: February 25th 2006 WHERE: Capilano River Regional Park (Cleveland Dam) HOURS: 3-8pm COST: Admission $5.00 per individual, $15.00 for a family of four. WEBSITE: www.mountainmardigras.org. L i o n s M o u n t a i n s (also k n o w n as T h e T w o Sisters i n First N a t i o n s culture). T h e l o c a t i o n w a s chosen as the venue f o r three reasons: it is central to the N o r t h Shore; the C l e v e l a n d D a m crosses i n t o b o t h N o r t h a n d West V a n c o u v e r ; a n d the site embraces water, w h i c h is c e n t r a l t o o u r temperate rainforest c o m m u n i t y . M o u n t a i n M a r d i G r a s w i l l be a d i s t i n c t l y West C o a s t affair, that is site sensitive, m u l t i d i s c i p l i n a r ) ' , a n d i n t e r c u l t u r a l . A n d w h a t a n a f f a i r it w i l l be - w i t h acoustic m u s i c , c a r n i v a l dances, mask m a k i n g a n d masquerades, u m b r e l l a p a i n t i n g a n d l a n d a r t . A T a l k Tent w i l l feature story tellers a n d s p o k e n w o r d artists. M u l t i m e d i a visual projections w i l l s h o w o l d w o r l d C a r n i v a l e s q u e imagery. T h e theme is Trickster, a character c o m m o n to m a n y cultures a n d best k n o w n here i n o u r native c o m m u n i t y . Tricksters c u n n i n g l y r e m i n d us o f o u r greatness a n d o u r foibles. T h e C o a s t Salish R a v e n , w i l l reign supreme as the T r i c k s t e r host. T h i s l a n d m a r k event w a s first p r o p o s e d last J a n u a r y , by D o l l y H o p k i n s of the P u b l i c D r e a m s Society, to L i n d a F e i l , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r o f the N o r t h Vancouver C o m m u n i t y Arts Council. " T h e C o u n c i l h a d been l o o k i n g for a c r o s s - c u l t u r a l event w i t h a difference; one that w o u l d e m b o d y the spirit of the N o r t h Shore, w h o w e are a n d w h o w e are b e c o m i n g . W e are p r o v i d i n g a p l a t f o r m a n d parameters. T h e l o n g term g o a l is t o establish an internat i o n a l event that w i l l s o w the seed for the future a n d be the catalyst for o u r c o m m u n i t y to become a c u l t u r a l d e s t i n a t i o n . T h e event w i l l p u t the spotlight o n o u r artists, b o t h established a n d e m e r g i n g . " Feil says. T h i s w i l l be the i n a u g u r a l event for the P u b l i c D r e a m s Society o n the N o r t h Shore, b u t they have w i d e experience elsewhere in the L o w e r M a i n l a n d . T h e y have c o o r d i n a t e d events such as L u m i n a r i e s , C i r c u s o f D r e a m s , a n d T h e F i r e b o x . T h e P u b l i c D r e a m s Society creates p a r t i c i p a t o r y c e l e b r a t i o n events that foster safe a n d creative p u b l i c spaces. T h r o u g h o u t the m o n t h o f F e b r u a r y , there w i l l be m a n y satellite events i n c o m m u n i t y centres, y o u t h centres a n d after-school p r o g r a m s . A r t p r o g r a m s in schools are e n c o u r a g e d t o p a r t i c i p a t e . M u s i c a n d story t e l l i n g events w i l l k i c k o f f the celebrations i n N o r t h a n d West V a n c o u v e r . A n i n t r i g u i n g c o m p o n e n t - w h i c h matches the nature o f the N o r t h Shore perfectly, is that M o u n t a i n M a r d i G r a s w i l l s h o w sport a n d a t h l e t i c i s m as artistry. F o r e x a m p l e , s n o w b o a r d i n g is seen as p h y s i c a l theatre. L o c a l athletes a n d artists w i l l share their expertise a n d experience the p a s s i o n , in each other's field o f d r e a m s . A n d m a k e n o mistake a b o u t it, the M o u n t a i n M a r d i G r a s is a b o u t d r e a m s , b o t h o f i n d i v i d u a l s a n d dreams o f a future community, m o v i n g towards 2 0 1 0 , encompassing innovation in f o r m , content, creative processes a n d technology. M o u n t a i n M a r d i G r a s w i l l be the first time a r e g i o n a l arts festival has used a cross d i s c i p l i n a r y a n d n e w m e d i a a p p r o a c h , in an o u t d o o r w i n t e r event - a n event that e x p l o r e s c u l t u r a l diversity a n d c u l t u r a l unity. M a n y different w a y s are b e i n g sought to engage, i n v o l v e a n d a n i m a t e o u r c o m m u n i t y a r o u n d this huge h a p p e n i n g , w h i c h is t i m e d to c o i n c i d e w i t h B C M u l t i c u l t u r a l i s m Week a n d the g l o b a l C a r n i v a l p e r i o d . In time it is h o p e d the l o n g term benefits w i l l be o b v i o u s t o the w h o l e c o m m u n i t y a n d January | February