(This story is sponsored by Vines Art Festival.)

As we adjust to a reality riddled with uncertainty from the pandemic, many of us are yearning for a lighthearted distraction as an escape from this nightmare.

The Vines Art Festival (Vines) will do just that.

From August 5 to 15, the sixth annual festival will infuse Vancouver communities with creativity and imagination. This year’s free festival is comprised of online and limited in-person events that can be easily accessed at green, natural public spaces. By livestreaming over its social media platforms, people will be able to view the interactive art displayed at local parks while staying safe at home.

Vines presents the work of BIPOC and LGBTQIA2s+ artists—virtually and in the community—demonstrating their passions for storytelling and movement. These talented artists will undoubtedly foster intense discussion about critical social issues, like climate justice and sustainability, between festival attendees.

“Art will always remain a necessary conduit for our experiences, we’re making it inherently political for our artists who use their body, mind, and soul to create constant paradigm shifts,” says jaye simpson, communications director for Vines. “These shifts drive us closer and closer to a more environmentally sustainable future while also prioritizing Black and Indigenous lives, culture, and expertise.”

Many of the festival events explore pressing challenges that are currently impacting our society and environment.

At 7 p.m. on August 7, for example, people are invited to tune in to Freedom: Stories of Black Liberation, a Facebook and YouTube livestream featuring Afro Van Connect. The performance includes drumming, dance, and spoken word that will highlight the Black voice and existence.

The Eco Mini Ball with Van Vogue Jam on Tuesday, August 11, will celebrate Mother Earth and include a discussion about sustainable art practices. The Eco Mini Ball is a submission-style event with prizes for dance performances and can be watched over Zoom. Vancouver-based nonbinary dance group The Darlings and drag artists Skim and Dong will be performing at the sensational must-watch event. To submit your artistic vogue piece, click here.

On August 15 at 7 p.m. the Resilient Roots Project will return to the festival to showcase art created by emerging voices in Indigenous arts, activism, and community. Resilient Roots will feature a performance by Bo Dyp, a nonbinary drag artist from the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Nation, as well as other dancers, singers, poets, and drummers.

For a full list of thought-provoking events that are free of cost, visit www.vinesartfestival.com/all-events/.

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