THEVOICE | THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017 | EDITOR BALA YOGESH Arts&entertainment The Refugee Hotel tells the story of Chilean refugees escaping the Pinochet regime and starting over in Vancouver in 1974. E\ity COOPER PHOTO Refugees in the spotlight The Refugee Hotel play is inspired from real-life incidents m™ By SASHA LAKIC angara alumnus Carmen Aguirre is bringing The Refu- gee Hotel to Studio 58 to tell from first-hand experience what it means to be a refugee. life inspired her to write the play. “One [inspiration] is my uncle, who was one of the first Chilean refugees to arrive in Vancouver, and he drank himself to death in 1995,” said Agu- irre. “And then in 1998, Pinochet was arrested in London, England, and was The dark comedy -— — charged with takes place in a run- “T think it's a crimes against down hotel in Van- humanity.” couver’s West End, wonderful history Kathryn Shaw, and follows a group of artistic director Chilean refugees, who lesson and an of Studio 58, ap- escaped Augusto Pi- . roached Agu- nochet’ military dic- important story to here to direct The tatorship in the 1970s, t el ” Refugee Hotel at as they restart their ° Langara after new lives in Canada. — ELIZABETH BARRETT, ACTOR, she read the play Aguirre, who stayed THE REFUGEE HOTEL again and noticed at one such refugee similarities in cur- hotel on Denman Street with her fam- ily in 1974, said two memories from her rent domestic politics. “T have had the play in my sights for many years,” said Shaw in an emailed statement. “And it came to mind again when the Syrian refugee crisis and Can- ada’s acceptance of 25,000 Syrian refu- gees was front and centre in the news.” Elizabeth Barrett, who plays the lead role of mother and former government prisoner, Flaca, said the play has been very eye-opening for the cast, none of whom is from Latin America. “T think it’s a wonderful history les- son and an important story to tell,” said Barrett of the play’s themes. “The more education we have, the more we can avoid situations like this in the future.” The Refugee Hotel rans from March 23 to April 9. “None of the characters fit the Latino stereotype that we are fed by the media, so if [people] walk away with a more empathy towards refugees, that would be a huge thing,” Aguirre said. REFUGEE TIMELINE HOW EVENTS UNFOLDED ° 1973 Augusto Pinochet leads military coup 1974 carmen Aguirre arrives in Vancouver with first wave of refugees 1 998 Pinochet is arrested in London 2006 Pinochet dies on December 10 2017 The Refugee Hotel runs from March 23 to April 9 Exhibit recalls wartime horrors Testimonies and photographs among the exhibits at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. aca TALAY PHOTO CANADA RESPONDS TO THE HOLOCAUST 1944-45 This exhibition explores interactions between Canadians in Europe and survivors of the Holocaust at the close of ae Second World War. It follows members of the Canadian military (soldiers, chaplains, official photographers and war artists) who fought in the Allied campaigns in Europe, as well as journalists and aid workers, as they encountered ind struggled to respond to evidence of Nazi atrocities. Ilona Shulman Spaar, the educational director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, on March 9. gica TALAY PHOTO Exhibit at the Holocaust centre showcases first person Stories li By RICA TALAY he Vancouver Holocaust Edu- cation Centre’s new exhibit explores interactions between Canadians and Holocaust survivors during the end of the Sec- ond World War and after. The “Canada Responds “Theremaybe |... tions to Vancouver including Dr. John F. McCreary, former head of depart- ment of pediatrics at UBC, who was a witness to the Holocaust. McCreary was present at the liberation at the Ber- gen-Belsen concentration camp. Spaar said although the centre tries to make sure they break down the Holo- caust to personal stories. “It really helps [students] to relate, it’s not just a num- ber,” Spaar said. Rachel Mines, a Langara English in- structor who teaches “Writing Lives” a class that allows students to work with local Holocaust survivors produce write 10 memoirs, said it’s important for students to learn outside of classroom to The Holocaust 1944- i+4 so they can get 45” exhibition features communities that a more personal works and testimonies we would like to perspective. from Canadian war artists, . con “When you journalists and photogra- invite. take students phers and other individu- als. It is extended till May 26, instead of March 31. According to Ilona Shulman Spaar, the education director at the centre, which is located inside the Jewish Community Centre, the reason for the extension is due to the great response from the public and more classes inter- ested to visit the exhibition. “Another reason is because we want to do a bit more outreach,” Spaar said. “There may be communities that we would like to invite.” The exhibition features local connec- —ILONA SHULMAN SPAAR, HOLOCAUST outside of the classroom, what — students learn takes on I think, a more personal mean- ing and also just a broader meaning in general,” Mines said. Simeon Zekic a 19-year-old arts his- tory student taking the “Writing Lives” class said the reason why it’s important to learn about the Holocaust is that it still impacts the modern day. “(T] think it would be a waste to not bother to get more in depth of learning while you still can learn about it. While we still have eyewitnesses,” Zekic said. CENTRE End of win- ter season carnival at Kerrisdale Club hosts a gala event for first time in 17 years to celebrate the end of winter season = By VIOLETTA KRYAK T he Kerrisdale Figure Skating Club hosted its carnival in 17 years on Saturday, March 11, at Kerrisdale Cyclone Taylor Arena to celebrate the end of winter. The carnival, named “Around the World”, told stories from nations all over the planet and featured 32 perfor- mances by the club skaters. The routines were set to music from different coun- tries in the world. The carnival was proposed by the club’s new coaches, who were willing to organize it as well, said Margot Delo- rme, the club’s president. “In the past, none of our coaches wanted to do it because it’s such a big job,” said Delorme. “It’s a showcase of our skaters and a fun time for the kids and something they will remember for the rest of their life we hope.” Shannon — and Nikolai Bala- bardin are new coaches to the club, who have been featured skaters in Disney on Ice for many years and know all the right steps of putting an ice show together. “Tt can build membership of the skat- ing club, and it’s really good for the skaters who are in the club already, be- cause it promotes teamwork as well, as skating is mostly an individual sport,” said skating director and coach Shan- non Balabardin. Audrey Larke, a skater at the club for nine years said the carnival brings a dif- ferent spirit to the club. “We used to do club competitions, where we compete against each other, Craig Munro PARENT OF A PERFORMER but now we are doing a show where we all work together and help each other instead. It’s a happier time,” Larke said. The audience of nearly 100 people mainly consisted of family members of the young skaters, who said a carnival was a good idea. “It’s an opportunity for them to show what they’ve learned throughout the year and how they’ve developed,” said Craig Munro, who came to see his daughter’s performance in the carnival. The carnival marked the end of win- ter season for the skaters, as they will now be moving to the Hillcrest Rink to practise their spring season routines. Polina Balabardina, 5, performing at the "Around the World" carnival at Kerrisdale Figure Skating Club, March 11, 2017. vioLETTA KRYAK PHOTO