Creative Opportunities & Events

Down below are some creative opportunities happening in the city, as well as some art and creativity events. 

Pay-What-You-Can Theatre Tickets

Pacific Theatre
1440 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver

Pacific Theatre has a commitment to accessibility. To make theatre accessible to everyone, regardless of financial concerns, they offer the following options:
  • Pay-what-you-can rush tickets available at the door on the Thursday before the opening of every mainstage production.
  • Volunteering to usher for a performance allows you to see the show for free. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, click the button below.
A number of other theatres offer volunteer positions.  If you love the arts, be sure to check these out on our Get Set & Connect Volunteering page.

​Twisted Poets Literary Salon

When:   4th Thursday of every month
Time:    7:00 - 9:30 pm
Where:  Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main St, Vancouver
Cost:     Suggested donation at the door: $5

Features poets plus an open mic.  
Open Mic sign-up at 7 pm.
​Readings begin at 7:30

Supported by the Writers Union of Canada and The League of Canadian Poets.

Contact: blnish@pandorascollective.com

The Flame Storytelling Series 

When:   first Wednesday of the month
Time:     7pm [Arrive early as they sell out by 6:30 pm]
Where:  Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main Street, Vancouver
Cost:      By donation

The Flame:
  • A fiery grassroots storytelling series where Real People share their personal True Stories in front of a live audience
Storytelling Rules:
  • Stories must be TRUE
  • Stories must be about YOU
  • Stories must be told in a FEW (8 minutes or less!)
Sharing your Story:
  • See The Flame first! Get familiar with the room, the audience and how the evening is run by attending at least one Flame event.
  • Listen to The FLAME CAST! - Story archives from previous shows: http://soundcloud.com/joelwirkkunen
  • Read “FLAME STORYTELLING” and “A FLAME STORY IS TRUE” under the FILE tab on The Flame’s Facebook page (see 'More Info' button).
  • Write your True Story Pitch!...We’re looking for a concise synopsis that clearly charts the beginning, middle and end of your story. (500 words will do.) Please include your phone number and active email address.
  • Email story pitches to: joelwirk@telus.net and deborahwilliams1@me.com


We will respond to all story submissions.

Everyone has a story to tell and we want to hear yours!

Contemporary Art Gallery

Gallery open hours:  Tuesday to Sunday 12 – 6 pm
Where:  555 Nelson Street near Richards
Cost:  Free

Free Art Tours:
  • On the last Sunday of every month at 3pm, there is a tour of current exhibits, free of charge
  • On the first Thursday of every month, there is a free lunchtime tour
Contemporary Art Gallery (CAG):
  • A non-profit public art gallery
  • The longest standing independent public art gallery dedicated to presenting contemporary visual art in Vancouver
  • Present 10-20 exhibitions and off-site projects annually
  • Extensive range of learning and public programs for adults, families and children.


They offer all programs, and entry, free of charge [they encourage donations].
Tel: 604 681 2700

First Saturday Open Studios

First Saturday Open Studios
Farah Media, North Vancouver artist
First Saturday Open Studios is a free monthly event that allows you to visit artists in their work spaces. Their goal is to build connections between artists and the public.
At this event, you can:
  • Visit working studios
  • Ask questions
  • Learn about techniques
  • Build relationships with the artists
There are 50 artists with open studios in Vancouver, New Westminster, and North Vancouver. To find the studios that are open, look for a red flag at the building.


You can read more in the Georgia Straight article.

To see which artists are open in the month you'd like to visit, and to browse some of their art at their own websites, see below.

​Atira Women's Resource Society - Enterprising Women Making Art (EWMA)

EWMA development program:
  • Introduced in 2003 as part of the Atira Women's Resource Society
  • Assists women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in creating different types of enterprise or employment that meet their specific needs and realities
Focus of program:
  • Self-employment project for women who have experienced violence
  • Challenge in finding traditional employment
  • Seeking safe and exploitative-free income-generating options
  • operates from a harm reduction, low threshold, and anti-oppressive framework
Aims of the program:
  • provide immediate income-generating opportunities to all women in Vancouver's downtown eastside who have been affected by violence
Target group of the program:
  • Aborginal women
  • Immigrant women
  • Visible minority women
  • Senior women
  • Women with physical or mental disabilities
PROVIDER PROFILE
Hours of operation :
Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday 12:00PM - 5:00PM
Email :
EWMA@atira.bc.ca
Phone Number :
604-685-8043
LOCATION
800 E Hastings St

Under 30? Aspiring filmmaker? Interested in telling LGBTQ2S stories?

TROUBLEMAKERS 7.0 Film Program:
  • Now in its sixth year
  • Program is in person
Participant details:
  • Aspiring young filmmakers and changemakers can participate in the program for free.
  • Learn filmmaking skills and produce inspiring short films about LGBT2Q2s+ troublemakers
  • Troublemakers (roughly ages 50+) get to share their stories and strength.
Premiere and film distribution:
  • Films will premiere at a public screening at SFU Woodward's, as part of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival
  • Films will also be featured on Telus' Optik TV streaming service and online.


Starts May 11, 2023.  Apply ASAP to be part of it all.

​Callanish - Creative Arts Circle

Invitation:
  • Gently explore your creative side in the art studio
Prerequisites:
  • No prior creative arts expertise is essential
  • Everyone is welcome
Costs:
  • Giving (suggested range dependent on session)
Registration:
  • Contact us if you'd like to register.
PROVIDER PROFILE
Hours of operation :
Once a month on a Friday afternoon 1:30pm to 4:30pm
Email :
info@callanish.org
Phone Number :
604-732-0633

Coast Mental Health - Art Room

Access to Art Room:
  • Clients of Coast have had access to the Art Room at the Resource Centre since 2000.
Purpose of Art Room:
  • Allows clients to explore their creative potential
  • Learn new methods for expressing emotions, dealing with pain, and increasing self-esteem and self-awareness.
Art Room offerings:
  • Variety of mediums for clients to work in, including paint and sculpture
  • All necessary supplies are provided
Volunteer involvement:
  • Volunteers, including other clients, professional artists, and art instructors donate their time
  • Provide criticism and support to help clients create
PROVIDER PROFILE
Claimed :
Coast Mental Health
Email :
info@coastmentalhealth.com
Phone Number :
604-872-3502
LOCATION
293 E 11Th Ave

Free Portraits - MPA drop-in centre

You Matter - A Photo Documentary
Thursdays, 2:00pm - 3:00pm 
MPA Resource Centre
2775 Fir St, Vancouver
Starting Feb 2nd, weekly through the end of June 2023

Showcase your strengths with a free portrait and option to express your words of wisdom. Photos to be displayed in a photo exhibit at the end of the project.

Must be a member of the MPA Resource Centre, there is no cost to register. Sign up and schedule a photo shoot in person at 2775 Fir St, Vancouver or call MPA at 604-482-3712

For more information, email Harreson: ymapd@communify.ca

Creativebug

Resource for creative projects:
  • Creativebug is available in the Digital Library
  • offers online courses on a variety of topics
Topics covered by Creativebug:
  • Leather belt making
  • Crocheted sock creation
  • Salt dough ornament production
Purpose of Creativebug:
  • Whether you want to make the perfect gift
  • or simply want to add some holiday cheer to your space
  • Creativebug can help
DATE&TIME
24/7
LOCATION
ONLINE

​The Kettle Society - Enrichment Programs

Exhibition as part of Eastside Culture Crawl:
  • exhibit over 1,000 pieces of artwork created by artists in Vancouver who have personal experience with mental illness.
Annual vacation:
  • take 50 of our customers on a 4-day camping vacation to Camp Jubilee
  • activities available include: swimming, hiking, kayaking, singing, and roasting marshmallows over a campfire
Benefit of Arts Programs:
  • Research shows that arts programs can help people with mental illness, whose voices have been silenced and stigmatized, find them again.
Writing group:
  • Expressive writing can be a means of coping with and recovering from traumatic experiences
  • Sharing experiences and expressing emotions
PROVIDER PROFILE
Email :
info@thekettle.ca
Phone Number :
604-251-2801
Eligibility :
Individuals who have been stigmatized and isolated by mental illness.
LOCATION
1725 Venables St

Mental Health Comedy Classes

Stand Up For Mental Health Program:
  • Award-winning program founded by stand-up comic and counselor David Granirer, who has bipolar disorder.
  • Teaches people with mental health and addiction issues how to perform stand-up comedy as a way of building confidence and combating public stigma.
Program details:
  • 6 months long
  • Meets on Tuesdays from 10:45 am to 1:45 pm
  • Begin on Zoom and switch to live classes once it is safe to do so
  • Participants will develop their own comedy act centered on their mental health and addiction recovery journey
  • Opportunity to meet great people
Cost:
  • Based on a sliding scale
  • No one is ever turned away for financial reasons.

To register contact David Granirer david@smhcomedysociety.org  (604) 205-9242
 
If you want to know more, here’s a five minute piece that CBC the national did about the classes.

Borrow an Instrument from Vancouver Public Library - Central Branch
Free Musical Instrument Lending Library:
  • Available at the Central Branch of Vancouver Public Library
  • Borrow a wide range of musical instruments for up to three weeks
  • Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library is a collection of instruments that can be borrowed using a Vancouver Public Library card.
  • Located at the Central Library and can be accessed by asking staff at the main floor info desk for assistance
  • Instruments can be searched for and borrowed in the library catalogue
  • Only one instrument can be borrowed at a time and must be returned during library opening hours
Collection includes:
  • A variety of instruments, such as: Acoustic bass guitar, Acoustic guitar, Banjo, Bongo, Cajon, Djembe, Doumbek, Electric guitar and amplifier, Keyboard and digital piano, Mandolin, Ukulele, Violin in four different sizes and Xylophone
  • Each instrument's borrowing page includes links to resources for learning how to play it and a video on how to care for and store it.
  • Online tutorials and lists useful websites available to help learning how to play.
Additional resources:
  • Wide selection of books, DVDs, and magazines available to help you learn how to play.
  • This is a great resource for musicians.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, some events and opportunities in the list below may not be running, or not running at full capacity. Contact the site directly or speak to your coach about your interests.

The Gathering Place Music Jam

When:   Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 noon - 5pm
Where:  The Gathering Place, 609 Helmcken Street, 
                at Granville
Cost:      The art and music programs are open to everyone with a current membership card and recreation pass.   Recreation passes cost:
  • $1.00 for a monthly pass
  • $5.00 for an annual pass

Bring your instrument and come out to one of the casual jam sessions. A sound system and some instruments are available. 

Call for info - 6046652391

Inspiration Lab Drop-In:  Video Recording

Where: Central Branch, Level 3, Vancouver Public Library
When:  Held regularly; call the library for the next                     date!
Time: 11am - 12pm
Cost:    Free [registration required]

Video Recording equipment:
  • Learn about the Inspiration Lab's video recording equipment
  • Find resources and get help with your digital project from library staff
Further information:
  • For more information on the video recording and lab equipment, click on the link provided.


For info about registering for the event, call the main library number at (604) 331-3603.

Inspiration Lab Drop-In:  Sound Recording

Where: Central Branch, Level 3, Vancouver Public Library
When:   Call the library to find out next date,
              and to register
Cost:     Free [registration required]

Audio Recording equipment:
  • Learn about the Inspiration Lab's audio recording equipment
  • Find resources and get help with your digital project from library staff
Further information:
  • For more information on the audio, video recording and lab equipment, click on the link provided.
Event registration:
  • For info about registering for the event, call the main library number at (604) 331-3603.
Accessing the lab:
  • Using the lab is free
  • Check out the amazing sound recording equipment via the provided link

Expressive Arts at Gallery Gachet

​Gallery Gachet is a unique artist-run centre located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Gachet is a collectively-run exhibition and studio space built to empower participants as artists, administrators and curators.
 
When:   every Monday (except civic holidays) 
Time:     1pm – 3pm
Where:  Gallery Gachet; 9 West Hastings, Vancouver
Cost:      Free.  If you are interested in attending,
              please call 604-687-2468.
Expressive Arts Group:
  • Program began through the West Coast Mental Health Network
  • Operates on the belief that engaging in creative activities is physically and emotionally healing
  • Group meets on a drop-in basis every Monday afternoon and is open to approximately 30 participants.
Activities offered:
  • Participants can engage in activities such as painting, making collages, using mark-making tools, doing print-making, and/or sculpture
  • No previous art experience is necessary to participate in the group
Group support:
  • The group provides art materials, instruction (if needed and desired)
  • Support provided in an inclusive, accessible, and safe atmosphere.
 

Book Talks Book Club
When:   4th Wednesday of each month
               6:30pm - 8:30pm
Where:  Britannia Library, Gallery Room, 1661 Napier Street

Book Club:
  • Bring your favourite passages, points of interest, and share your reading experiences with us.
  • Admission is free
  • Registration not required
Reading Material:
  • Each person is responsible for either borrowing or buying their own copy to read.


Presented by Britannia Branch and Pandora’s Collective
​
Questions?  booktalks@pandorascollective.com

Word Whips Writing Series
Word Whips Vancouver

Where: Britannia Library, Gallery Room
             1661 Napier Street by Commercial Drive
When:  3rd Tuesday of each month
             [except December]
Time:    6:30 - 8:30 pm
Cost:     Free

Writing Challenge:
  • Bring yourself, your imagination, and something to write on
  • We provide the writing prompts and the opportunity for sharing
  • 10 -15 minutes to write to each prompt
Hosts:
  • Bonnie Nish and Sita Carboni
Word Whips Vancouver East 

Where: Vancouver Library--Hastings Branch
            2674 E Hastings St, Vancouver
When:   Every 2 months - 2nd Tuesday of
              Jan, March, May, July, Sept and Nov
Time:    6:30 - 8:30 pm

Hosts: Bonnie Nish & Jami Macarty
Supported by the Writers Union of Canada and The League of Canadian Poets.

Grind Writers Group, Vancouver - Main Street

Where:   4124 Main Street near King Edward
When:  Meets every 2 weeks on weekends, 
             on Saturdays or Sundays
Time:   10am - 12:30pm
Cost:    Free

All levels, genres, outlooks, orientations, ages.
**Please email grindwriters@gmail.com and introduce yourself before you attend the first time – we sometimes have out-trips and meet at various places.

Facebook
Blog
Grind Publications on Issuu 

Pottery at Gathering Place
Learn the basics of pottery
  • Wheel throwing
  • Hand building
  • Glazing
  • Firing techniques
Open Pottery Studio
  • Tuesdays: 1pm-6pm
  • Thursdays: 1pm-6pm
  • Enrollment ongoing, welcome to all levels (beginner to intermediate)
  • To register: drop by, bring a community card (membership is $2 per year)
Class Fees
  • Clay: $1.75
  • Glazes: additional cost

​The Gathering Place is at 601 Helmcken Street.  
To learn more, call 604-665-2391 or visit.

Knitting Circle

Knitting Circle
This lively, friendly group of volunteers makes hats, scarves, socks, and sweaters for the homeless. All levels are welcome, wool and knitting needles are provided, but you may bring your own.  All ages welcome.

INSTRUCTOR: volunteer run and operated

DATES & TIME: ongoing, every Friday from 1pm - 3pm

LOCATION: Kits House Seniors Resource Centre,
​                   2425 Vine Street (corner of 8th & Vine)

COST: FREE with Kits House membership ($10 once a year)
Everyone is Welcome!   All ages and knitting abilities.

What type of yarn do we need?
  • wool mix, medium weight
  • dark colors for men’s winter wear (blue, green, red black, & brown)
  • light colors for baby clothing
​
For more information please contact 604-736-3588 ext. 602.