Announcement: Vancouver Moving Theatre Society’s Terry Hunter and Savannah Walling receive 2009 Mayor’s Award (Community Art)
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Vancouver Moving Theatre Society I am pleased to extend congratulations to Vancouver Moving Theatre’s Executive Director Terry Hunter and Artistic Director Savannah Walling as recipients of the 2009 Mayor’s Award (Community Arts).
The presentation ceremony, hosted by broadcaster and author Bill Richardson, was held Monday November 16th with Mayor Gregor Robertson paying tribute to the recipients at a reception at the Museum of Vancouver.
The honour follows two recent awards presented last to year (2008) to Vancouver Moving Theatre and its Executive and Artistic Directors: the City of Vancouver Cultural Harmony Award (Vancouver Moving Theatre), and the British Columbia Community Achievement Award (Terry Hunter and Savannah Walling).
Each Mayor’s Arts Award honouree is invited to select an ‘emerging artist’ in their discipline who demonstrates the promise of the next generation, and the emerging artist shares the Award and the cash prize of $5,000.
Terry and Savannah were delighted to choose Rosemary Georgeson, the Aboriginal Community Director for Vancouver-based urban ink productions. Rosemary worked as a Community Outreach Worker on In the Heart of a City: The Downtown Eastside Community Play (Vancouver Moving Theatre/Carnegie Community Centre, 2003) and was co-writer of We’re All In This Together: The Shadows Project- Addiction and Recovery (Vancouver Moving Theatre with urban ink and the Carnegie and Roundhouse Community Centres 2007).
Ironically, this award comes at a time of major draconian cutbacks in provincial arts and community funding, an impact which will severely impact the innovative work of Vancouver Moving Theatre/Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, and other arts and non arts based community social profit organizations across British Columbia. To find out more about these cutbacks and what you can to lobby for the reinstatement of provincial funding to social profit organizations please visit www.stopbcartscuts.ca.
Sincerely,
Ann McDonell, President
Vancouver Moving Theatre Society