A community member and student, Cecelia Wang wrote a punchy song about the gentrification of Chinatown and she needs your help today!
The song has been shortlisted in a contest by the Music for Mental Health’s Songwriting Camp for a chance to win a fully paid-for professional studio recording session of the song.
The winner is determined by popular vote, and the voting deadline is tomorrow Monday, Feb 26, so Cecelia needs your help ASAP!
Cecelia’s song is a cover of “The Community of Hope” by PJ Harvey about the gentrification of Washington, DC after seeing the parallels of the gentrification of Vancouver and DC. The title of the song “Heal the Divide” is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the “let’s heal the divide” neon public art sign that hangs above 105 Keefer.
Listen to a sample of Cecelia’s song here:
Help Cecelia make a professional recording of this song on the gentrification of Chinatown. Vote by Mon, Feb 26:
Harmony in the Courtyard: Tai Chi Workshop with Mrs. Ma (Sat Mar 9)
Come get your body moving at our Tai Chi workshop led by Chinatown elder and longtime activist, Mrs. Ma!
Date and time: March 9, 2024 - 2:00PM-3:00PM
Place: Sun Yat Sen Courtyard, Chinatown
Please note that this will be located at the free Sun Yat-Sen Courtyard (not the paid Garden). The entrance is located on Carrall St.
This event is for all ages and will take place in the Sun Yat Sen Courtyard.
Interpretation for instructions will be provided in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
For this event, we’ll be donating all proceeds to our friends at Yarrow for their programming for seniors in Chinatown. We suggest a donation of $10 if you have the ability to donate, but no one will be turned away.
This event is supported by Vancouver Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants and Vancouver Parks Board.
Can’t make it to this tai chi event? Yarrow is also hosting an indoor tai chi event with Mrs. Ma this upcoming Saturday, March 2 from 2-3pm at Level 2 of the Sun Wah Centre, 268 Keefer Street. RSVP here.
Pssst….We run out of funding in July
It’s true, we’re run out of funding to put on events in July with no secured sources of funding on the horizon, so we need your help to keep things going. If you love the free and inclusive public cultural events that we host in Chinatown to push back against gentrification, please consider donating!