It’s the Vancouver Lookout’s 40th anniversary and to celebrate, they’ve partnered with the Vancouver Heritage Foundation to present Perspectives: Talks & Discussions – a five-part speaker series that sheds lights on the forgotten history of Vancouver.

Among the various topics to be covered is the fascinating story of Vancouver’s first forensic investigator, John F.C.B. Vance, who used cutting-edge scientific techniques to solve some of the most sensational crimes of the early 1900s. So effective were his methods that there were seven attempts made on his life and he and his family had to be given round-the-clock police protection.

Other topics in the series include the history of some of Vancouver’s most iconic buildings and the golden age of Granville Street nightlife as well as stories from Indigenous and South Asian communities.

The talks will take place atop Harbour Centre in the Vancouver Lookout – offering attendees stunning 360-degree views of the city as they hear stories drawn from the surrounding area.

Talks & Discussions

• Blanketing the City: Musqueam Stories
  Speakers: Debra Sparrow and Kamala Todd
  Saturday, September 23, 10:15 am-12 pm
• Cultural Landscapes: Vancouver’s South Asian Community
  Speakers: Naveen Girn, Paneet Singh and Milan Singh
  Saturday, October 7, 9:45-11:30 am
• Historic Crime: Early Forensic Investigation
  Speaker: Eve Lazarus
  Thursday, October 19, 6:15-8:00 pm
• Heritage from Up High
  Speaker: John Atkin
  Sunday, October 29, 9.45-11:30 am
• Vancouver After Dark: History of the Entertainment Scene
  Speaker: Aaron Chapman
  Thursday, November 16, 6:15-8:00 pm

To learn more and book your tickets, visit the Vancouver Perspectives website.

Campaign to raise funds for interactive sound & light art installation in Ackery’s Alley

More Awesome Now, the collective who brought Vancouver its first reimagined alleyway, Alley-Oop, is asking for the public’s help to fund an interactive art installation in the city’s next activated laneway – Ackery’s Alley.  The collective is launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise the $35K needed to secure FIELD, an interactive public art installation by renowned international artist, Alex Beim.

Once transformed, Ackery’s Alley (located off Granville Street in the alley behind the Orpheum Theatre) will be a space for public art and performance, with FIELD at its centre. The installation’s field of sensors and lights will detect the presence of a person, changing colours and emitting sounds in reaction to movement. FIELD will work like a large musical and light instrument that creates a unique composition every time someone moves through it.

“I can see people coming together and experimenting with FIELD -  dancing and creating something that is completely unexpected,” says Alex Beim, artist and director of Tangible Interaction. “I think Vancouver needs more spaces that create conversation and connection. This installation will bring people together in that way, and it would be amazing to get the funding to make this happen.”

More Awesome Now will use the funds raised through Kickstarter for the procurement and installation of FIELD.  The collective has already raised funds to transform the alleyway with artful signage, psychedelic paint, a metallic gold feature element, projection walls and a glowing orb beacon.

“Human connection is at the core of rich urban experiences.  By creating interactive public spaces, we can foster connection and social exchange,” says Charles Gauthier, member of More Awesome Now, and President and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver BIA. “We hope this project inspires the people of Vancouver and also those outside our city who want to try something similar in their own communities.” 

More Awesome Now is a collective of thinkers and doers who reshape underutilized urban land spaces into engaging, accessible public spaces.  The group includes the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA), HCMA Architecture + Design, in partnership with Vancouver Civic Theatres and the City of Vancouver’s VIVA Vancouver program.

More Awesome Now hopes that the concept of reimagined alleyways takes on a life of its own, so that one day Vancouver and other cities around the world have a connected system of colourful alleys that are places of human connection.

The Kickstarter page will be live for thirty days, ending on the 12th of July.  Ackery’s Alley and FIELD will be completed and ready for the public to enjoy by the end of summer.

This week we’re delighted to welcome our new intern, Victoria Giddings. Victoria is a Marketing Communications student at BCIT and will be spending her 9-week practicum at Elettra.

In 2015, Victoria left Smithers, B.C., the small-town in which she grew up in to pursue a career in Public Relations. She has always loved the city of Vancouver, which is what brought her to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). She is in her final semester at BCIT and is looking forward to starting a career in PR at Elettra Communications. Her time at BCIT has prepared her for the real-world, and she is so excited to bring innovative and fresh ideas into the workplace.

Before focusing on her career, Victoria worked many years in the restaurant industry and traveled extensively after high school graduation. Her passion for traveling has taken her to Europe, South East Asia, USA, and Australia. She enjoys experiencing new cultures, particularly through food, music and art. Understanding the world and what makes it tick is something that will continuously inspire Victoria to explore and communicate with people.

During her free time, Victoria can be found snowboarding in Whistler, exploring the city, or trying out the latest ethnic restaurants in Vancouver. 

We are excited to welcome our new PR Consultant Sarah Hitchings to the Elettra team this week.

Hailing from New Zealand, Sarah brings extensive PR experience, having worked in the field for more than six years on a diverse client portfolio.

Working for Vancouver Fashion Week as PR and Media Coordinator in April was a natural fit as her first PR role in Canada, after working with New Zealand Fashion Week for several years.   Prior to this, her previous role back home saw her working for one of NZ’s top not-for-profit specialization agencies, working alongside charities, social-change organizations, and top NFP clients. 

Sarah’s career has seen her launch New Zealand’s first Kickstarter campaign, she account managed Deaf Aotearoa’s New Zealand Sign Language Week and Diabetes New Zealand Awareness Weeks, and was appointed Social Media Liaison for the Rise Up Christchurch Global Telethon (after the devastating Christchurch earthquakes in 2011).  She is passionate about niche communities, evolving technologies, social good, awareness weeks, and small business.

Seeking adventure, snow, and the world’s best maple syrup, Sarah packed her bags and moved to Canada in October 2015, and has embraced the Vancouver lifestyle enthusiastically.  When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her writing, biking to yoga at Dude Chilling Park, camping, ice-skating or snowboarding. 

Sarah is excited to get stuck in and achieve great PR for Elettra clients, and we are delighted to have her at the agency.