TEDxEastVan
Ideas! Creativity! Spreading ideas and creativity!
TEDxEastVan is nearly upon East Vancouver, in fact, it's tomorrow, and there are 12 AWESOME speakers lined up, ready to talk to you about a range of topics all on the theme of 'Move'. From reconciliation to mobility inventions, to the movement and flow of refugees, the day long event is going to get people thinking outside the realm of what they may know.
I've been involved in TEDx as a photographer, and have spent lots of time in the various neighbourhoods of East Van over the past six weeks taking photos of the local residents for a 'Humans of East Van' photo story. It's been a lot of fun to do! I've met so many people who have taken part in the project, and given their own story or take on the theme of 'move.'
From moving countries, to being moved to take part in an anti-war demonstration, to journal writing, to converting to Buddhism, to understanding different cultures working together to taking part in an anti-bullying dance performance....the stories and musings from the people of East Van have been varied and beautiful and moving. Which is definitely apt!
So if you're coming to the event...I look forward to meeting you and perhaps taking your photo tomorrow as Humans of East Van will be evolving to Humans of TEDx!
Here are just a selection of portraits taken, some of which will be on display tomorrow at the TEDxEastVan event over lunch at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre. To have a look at the full bundle of them head on over to this Instagram feed!
www.tedxeastvan.com
Brandi, Commercial Drive
“Movement is existence. Without movement there aren’t events. It is every interaction. Moving while I sing and play is my way of interacting with my audience. If I was to just sit here I would still be playing music but there would be this part of it that would be missing. So existence and interaction, that is what movement is to me. The opposite of nothingness.”
Jeff, Commercial
“I’ve been suffering chronic injuries over the last couple of years, so for me ‘to move’ means youth and health. As you get older it gets a bit harder. Before, things like walking were so easy, but now there are days where I have to pull the cane out or worry about the pain I’m going to have with simple things like walking, kneeling or crouching which I took for granted before. It has really made me think about my eventual mortality, the wearing down of my body and the breaking down of my youth. I’ve grown wiser, and it’s made me a lot more observant of other people especially elderly folks who are using walkers or canes. So I suppose it’s connected to me to people more. I’m more likely to hang back and hold the door for people than I ever was before.”
Ali, Main
“Depending on where you are in your life, if you’re going through hardship it can seem like stagnancy. But the way the world is, things are always moving forward. I’m excited for the seasons to move on as I’m looking forward to a change in temperature and mood. One thing that’s coming up is my mum retiring. My family are throwing a big family party for her which will be full of dancing and movement and expression.”
Astra & Harps, Fraserhood
“My wife and I were living in Gastown before Astra was born, but we were having some noise issues and decided it was time to move. We’ve been here almost five years, probably one of the longest times I’ve lived somewhere. It’s great, we’re surrounded by a whole bunch of other families with little kids. You can come to this particular block for a haircut, or for lunch, and we love to go to Matchsticks, the coffee shop just behind us. You’ll always run into someone you know from the neighbourhood which we love.”
Dominic & Bon, Commercial Drive
D – I’m a saxophone player – when you play live music to people you’re making an energy together, and as a musician you’re taking that energy and sculpting it into sound. Sound is a vibration, a movement, so in a way you’re a choreographer of matter.
B – I love movement, everything I like usually involves it. I would often go by myself and dance when Dominic and his dad were on stage and I would freestyle. People would say, ‘oh Bon, what kind of dancer are you?’ and I’d go, ‘freestyle baby!’
Les, Victoria Drive
“ To ‘move’ could relate to moving from your house, moving to a new locality, moving to a different situation in life, moving from one disaster to another, or adopting a new philosophy like Buddhism, which I have done. All life is a movement - every moment of the day, and the most imp thing of all is acceptance. You can’t bang your head against reality otherwise you’re going to lose 100%. So if you can accept then you can be contented I think.”
Harold, Commercial Drive
“I moved from Vancouver Island out to Calgary for 20 years. I wanted to pursue new things, get a different look at life, see different parts of Canada and have a fresh start. I didn’t know anybody, and it was actually quite nice. I spent time in snow sleeping on the streets, and I think it makes you a better person in a sense, because it gives you a different perspective of life and how to appreciate people. Everyone takes life for granted – every day you wake up walking, and breathing. I’m a person on disability so I don’t get much, but I appreciate what I do get and you move on from there. The poorest people in life can be the happiest people. The richest people the most miserable. It’s the ability to appreciate humanity.”