iwali is in full swing, and the In- dian festival of lights is coming to a multicultural South Van- couver audience. DiwaliFest is 10 years old and “more popular than ever,” said festival man- ager Beverly Walker. The festival hosts numerous events celebrating South Asian arts and cul- ture across Vancouver, such as Diwali workshops, offered at multiple commu- nity locations. South Vancouver Neighbourhood House is hosting a workshop on Nov. 4. The workshops include diya lamp (a traditional South Asian ceramic lamp) painting, henna hand art, sari wrap racing and Bollywood dance work- shops with Shiamak’s Bollywood Jazz. “[Shiamak’s Bollywood Jazz] are fantastic, people love them,” said Walk- er. SVNH also offers other Diwali events in addition to DiwaliFest program- ming, including storytelling by elders of the East Indian community sharing how they celebrated Diwali when they lived in India. “Tt’s not only East Indians, we’re try- ing to make [the storytelling] multicul- tural. That is, how people from other cultures view and celebrate Diwali,” said Koyali Burman, community devel- opment coordinator at SVNH. “Last year we had someone from the Chinese community...and a Caucasian Canadian.” All DiwaliFest and SVNH_ Diwali VANESSA SZPURKO photo Models strut down the catwalk at the inaugural IndiGlam Fashion Social on Oct. 29, at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. More cultures celebrate Diwali South Vancouver community centre hosts East Indian event By VANESSA SZPURKO events are open to people of all cul- tures. “Come and celebrate together. It’s a festival of light and celebration of the brotherhood and appreciation of the heritage and the rich cultures which the Indian community brings for gen- erations,” said Burman. Local schools have also joined the workshops with their students in the past. “ve been working here at the Neighbourhood House for four years. When I started working, it was basi- cally mostly East Indians attending,” said Burman. “Now people from many different cultures attend. It’s so nice to see.” Walker agrees and loves seeing the multiculturism at these event. Upcomin Diwali events DIWALI WORKSHOPS NOV. 1-8 Multiple community centres: diya lamp painting, mehndhi hand art, Bollywood dance workshops DIWALI DOWNTOWN NOV. 2 Roundhouse Community Centre music, dance, a bazaar, crafts, food and a grand finale, $5 aperson or $15a family CHAI HOUSE NOV. 8 Indian cabaret performance, tickets $20 Kanye or nay? Langara students prepare for Yeezus’ second coming By NICK EAGLAND the Oct. 20 show of Kanye West’s solo Yeezus tour were left all dressed up with nowhere to party. “T was pretty upset. The whole day was planned out for the concert and we had a limo bought and everything,” said Langara arts student Joey Kishiu- chi. Following a sparse press release from Rogers Arena, hours before show time, announcing the postponement, Twitter users spread rumours of a truck theft, border troubles and pro- duction complications. Langara photography student Dani- ella Dolmans found out last-minute. “T was actually just about to leave my house and then my boyfriend was on Twitter and saw rumours about it being cancelled. I ended up calling Ticketmaster and they said it was can- celled,” she said. “T haven’t actually found what the real reason is, which is really frustrat- ing.” Langara business student Jamie Toor didn’t care for rumors that West snubbed Vancouver to propose to girl- friend Kim Kardashian. West expressed his eternal love to Kardashian on her birthday the next evening at AT&T Stadium in San Fran- cisco with a flawless diamond, pyro- technics and a full orchestra. “That would just make me more mad about it. I don’t want to believe it,” said Toor. “There were seven of us going and it was really frustrating when he cancelled because we didn’t know why.” Dolmans said she was “really pissed off” about the postponement, but most- ly wanted to see the opening act, Kend- rick Lamar, anyway. In fact - and don’t tell West this - she might spend her Halloween with an- other hip hop artist, Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future. “T actually have tickets for the Earl concert that day, so I have to sell one of my tickets. “It’s just kind of inconvenient,” she said. Kishiuchi and Toor both said they’ll catch West on the new date and have rescheduled their Halloween plans in- stead. “We're still going to go and we're probably just going to party this week- end,” said Kishiuchi. “[We’'ll] just try to make the best of it.” Days before the show there were nearly 2,000 listings on Craigslist for tickets, with single-ticket prices rang- ing from $20 to $475. Lise: students with tickets for Kathryn Shaw dedicates 40 years to Langara Studio 58’s artistic direc- tor is still inspired by her work after four decades with the theatre program By TRICIA LO Studio 58, has spent the majority of her life working with students, refining raw talent and preparing them to take on the real world of performing arts. Nearly 40 years after Shaw started with Langara’s theatre program, she has little time to relax, but seeing the creativity of her students is worth the busy schedule. “They're incredibly talented and they just always surprise me,” she said. Shaw said that her students inspire her on a day-to-day basis. “I’m amazed and encouraged that ... there are still K sete Shaw, artistic director for young people who want to be artists, and I think that’s fantastic,” she said. “Tm just happy that I can help them become the artist they want to be.” Shaw is surprised that time has gone by so quickly since she started at Stu- dio 58, but then she thinks about how the program has changed throughout the years. “Trealize that there’s been a big span of time there,” Shaw said. Shaw began with Studio 58 in 1974. She succeeded former director Antony Holland after his retirement in 1985. Since then, Langara’s theatre pro- gram has continually evolved to keep up with what is changing in the com- munity, according to Shaw. The core curriculum now includes TV and writing components. At most, 16 students are admitted each year through a Canada-wide audi- tion tour. Shaw spends most of her time teach- ing students and planning shows for Studio 58, but tries to find time to per- form. “Once in a while, I shake myself up and perform,” she said. Her recent stage appearances in- clude a one-off performance of White Rabbit, Red Rabbit in September 2012. “lve always wanted to be in theatre, even as a little girl. It’s like it chose me; I didn’t choose it,” said Shaw. “I sup- pose I’m one of those people who lives and breathes theatre.” Among the numerous awards Shaw has earned for her achievement in the- atre and teaching, she was also elected into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2005. As a mentor, Shaw has the ability to see her students’ creative impulses and draw them to the surface, said Olivia Hutt, who studies acting with Shaw. “She’s the perfect balance of a ma- ternal and professional figure,” Hutt said. “You feel that she really cares.” TRICIA LO photo Second-term acting students engaging in Shaw’s class.