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Screening: Under One Sky

January 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Screening: Under One Sky

Monday, January 25th kicks off with a screening of Chris McDowell and Moira Simpson’s film (screened at VIFF 2009) Under One Sky at 6pm. We are excited to have the film makers in house And one of the martial artists from the film (Please see information from Inside Douglas College Newsletter below) offer a demo and a mini workshop with the women. Photographer, Ken Villeneuve will be taking photos of the women in their favourite martial arts pose. Our makeover program and Kids Club will run as scheduled starting at 6pm.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009
Media tech’s film featured at VIFF

Cinephiles planning to hit the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) are advised to check out Under One Sky, directed and co-produced by our very own Chris McDowell. Chris is a Media Production Technician/Trainer with the Centre for Educational and Information Technology (CEIT).

Under One Sky is unlike any other film in the martial arts genre, says Chris. Filmed on the Sunshine Coast, it features a group of women taking part in an annual training camp with the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists. Moira Simpson, a respected, award-winning filmmaker and sessional instructor at Emily Carr University, shot, edited and co-produced the piece with Chris, Monica Baillie and Joni Miller.

“A documentary like this is a team sport and Mo was an essential collaborator,” says Chris.

Chris first became interested in the subject matter when she worked on a film about Karate for Women, a local martial arts club. Initially, she was interested in sharing the accomplishments of the women in Under One Sky, along with their influence in teaching other women to defend themselves. “In the end, the film focuses on the powerful spiritual journey these women find themselves on,” she says.

“This film is a testament to every woman who has fought back.”

Womyns Gym Program Coordinator, Tyla Flexman and National Executive Director, Caroline MacGillivray thought the film would be a great way to inspire more women to explore the different tools for healing offered through physical fitness. With our 2010 Womyns Gym session starting on February 9 on Monday and Wednesday nights, we wanted to remind our participants of the different tools that can be used to create life makeovers.

For the 2010 session of Womyns Gym, Flexman and MacGillivray aim to have several women complete the Sun Run on May 9, 2010. We will be coordinating a running clinic for the Womyns gym participants who would like to complete the run.

Filed Under: Creative Endeavours/Literacy, Healthy Living, Womyn's Gym Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Robert Held Gallery Auction for Beauty Night Tonight

November 20, 2009 By 3 Comments

Beauty Night Society events in Vancouver are a fusion of visual art and theatre. Tonight we start off at Robert Held Art Glass where the artists will be auctioning off pieces for Beauty Night. We can watch Robert Held create a piece that will be auctioned off for Beauty Night.

Here are the details:

Vancouver, BC…Robert Held Art Glass is pleased to announce their annual Sale & Gala Event, November 20th from 5pm – 9pm. Get into the holiday spirit early with this festive annual holiday Sale and Gala Event. This amazing collective will not only feature some of the work by BC’s best talents, but will provide the opportunity to shake hands with the artists themselves, including Robert Held, Richard Scheib, Katy Pattison, Jeremy Day Morris, Melanie Rowe, Lynne Chapelle, Joanne Andrighetti, and many more. The artists will entertain with beadwork demonstrations, glass demonstrations, create a collaborative holiday piece as well as have their popular ‘cooking with glass’ showcase with some tantalizing treats for our guests. While nibbling on the glass cooked food or sipping on the fine wine, you can also peruse the gallery and find some fantastic deals for your holiday shopping. With up to 50% off Robert Held Glass, a wide selection of jewellery, glass sculptures, beads, and fused glass work, you’re sure to fill your stockings!

The artists will also be providing pieces to be auctioned off for Beauty Night Society. Beauty Night provides marginalized women and youth tools to change their lives and heal themselves and their communities. Beauty Night National Executive Director & Founder, Caroline MacGillivray will chat about the what Beauty Night Society does and why. After that Robert Held will create a piece on site and auction it off to raise funds for Beauty Night Society. The Gala event is open to the public and the Pre-holiday sale continues all week from November 21 – 28, 10am – 6pm so come down to get the fires burning.

After the event, Beauty Night volunteers will be escorting Beauty Night participants to see tonight’s performance of Demon Voice. More details to come about the world premiere of Shawn McDonald’s play… tomorrow.

Filed Under: Creative Endeavours/Literacy, Events, Fund Raising Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BNS’ Leading Ladies (Our Program Coordinators)

October 19, 2009 By 1 Comment

Behind each Beauty Night Society (BNS) Program, there is a fantastic program coordinator. Without these ladies, our programs would not benefit our communities through the vast diversity. Each program offers a piece of the body/mind/spirit puzzle that many of us struggle with. Each program coordinator is a leader in her own right and inspires our participants and volunteers.

Tyla Flexman
Womyn’s Gym Program Coordinator

Tyla Flexman is a recent kinesiology graduate of the University of British Columbia. She is very interested in the health and fitness field and is a personal trainer as well as a community field hockey coach. Tyla has six years of coaching experience including coaching high school sports, development camps and provincial high performance teams. Her hardworking attitude and determination is what makes her a positive role model for young athletes in the community. She is a strong advocator of women in sport and strives to encourage female participation in exercise. She began volunteering for the Beauty Night Society in 2008 and is now the program coordinator for the Womyns Gym Program. She currently plays on the Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey team and was the 2008 recipient of the Gail Wilson Award, given to a female varsity athlete displaying leadership on the field and in the community. Tyla is excited to be a part of The Beauty Night Society and hopes to run the Sun Run this year with Womyns Gym clients!

Alexa Fox
Kid’s Club Program Co-coordinator
Mom & Tot Nutrition Program Co-coordinator

Christie Gray
Mom & Tot Nutrition Program Co –coordinator

Christie Gray has been a Vancouver resident for a year and a half. With a strong belief in helping people reach their potential and feel good about themselves, Christie finds Beauty Night Society(BNS) a great place to help make a difference. Christie is a Registered Natural Health Care practitioner with a love of cooking and formulating healthy, nutritious recipes. Christie believes that there is a strong connection between eating well and health in mind, body and spirit and hopes to help more people understand that connection through her work with BNS.

Sophia Hughes
Kid’s Club Program Co-coordinator

Caroline MacGillivray
Group Fitness Program Coordinator

Laura Mah
Knit Fit Program Coordinator & Founder

Laura Mah is currently in her final year of high school at Vancouver Technical Secondary. In 2004, Laura was strongly inspired by her cousin and the Founder of Beauty Night Society, Caroline MacGillivray, and created a knitting club at her elementary school. Now known as Knit Fit, this small group has transformed into a diverse program made up of individuals from all around Vancouver. The goal of Knit Fit is to knit scarves for the homeless and less fortunate people of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side and at the same time, to teach people the importance of giving back to our community through a fun new skill and hobby. This year, Knit Fit has expanded to elementary and high school. Six schools in Vancouver have been involved in Knit Fit so far. Every year, Knit Fit hands out scarves at Beauty Night Society’s annual Christmas Stocking Drive event, and we are in highly anticipating this year’s event! Laura cannot wait to see what Knit Fit has in store for the future. Laura is also largely involved at Vancouver Technical Secondary, and has served on the Student Council for the last 5 years; this year, serving at the council’s President.

Tiffany Telford
Makeover Program Facilitator (Vancouver)

This Blanche MacDonald Make up Program graduate started volunteering for Beauty Night’s makeover program in February 2008. She had just moved to Vancouver and was looking for a volunteer opportunity and “loved it”. Tiffany loved it so much in December 2008, she brought Beauty Night to her home town. She facilitated a Christmas make over night in Prince George. When she came back to Vancouver, Tiffany became Beauty Night’s Outreach facilitator. Since May 2009, Tiffany facilitates our makeover program events on a weekly basis. Her fresh innovative ideas help strengthen participant relations, volunteer coordination and creating posters for our events. When she is not at Beauty Night, this makeup artist works on film and television projects shooting in Vancouver.

Saafi Warsame
Makeover Program Facilitator (Toronto)

Saafi has recently relocated from Vancouver and is helping facilitate Beauty
Night events in her new city of Toronto. She truly enjoys interacting with
Beauty Night participants, from sharing life stories to discussing the best way to apply nail polish. Saafi is also a volunteer with North York Women’s shelter as well as a couple of organizations that run in the Somali
community. In her spare time, she reads a lot and is looking to become a
lawyer.

Filed Under: Beauty Night Toronto, Children's Programming, Creative Endeavours/Literacy, Healthy Living, Knit Fit, Volunteer Profile, Womyn's Gym, Xmas Stocking Drive Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Models of Inspiration: A Rose Filmathon

October 14, 2009 By 2 Comments

Whenever we can take our Beauty Night participants on an excursion out of the city, we do. We are excited to take them to the Model’s of Inspiration Filmathon held at Douglas College on October 24th from 10 -5pm.

This transpired when I saw Under One Red Sky at VIFF on Sunday. During the panel discussion with Christine MacDonell and Petal’s Nick Karras, Christine mentioned the upcoming film festival. Before leaving the event, I asked her if we could bring some of the women to the event. Moira Simpson and Christine agreed.

When we worked on Eve Ensler’s the Good Book and The Vagina Monologues during our literacy program, I discovered the women did not feel as marginalized as we read about issues women around the world deal with. The participants enjoyed hearing about different solutions from different areas around the globe to sexual exploitation, violence, poverty and how to empower people to make positive life style changes.

Models of Inspiration is a great way to educate yet empower women. The procees from this event are for Rose Remembering the Sisters Everywhere Web Project.
Here is some more information for this fantastic event:

PLEASE JOIN MODELS OF INSPIRATION!

RESERVE A SEAT and lend your support to the work of ROSE, the Remember Our Sisters Everywhere website project. Funds raised at the filmathon will go towards the creative process and public event being planning for the 20th anniversary of December 6th, Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Can’t reserve a seat? For those who want to see the films and be inspired by the speakers and their stories, drop in anytime during the day. Come see the amazing feature film! Donations gratefully accepted.

October 24, 2009
10:30am to 4:00pm
Room 2203, Douglas College
700 Royal Avenue
New Westminster, BC, Canada
Refreshments and lunch provided

10:30am Meet and greet with coffee and muffins
11:00am The Women’s Kingdom, a documentary by Xiaoli Zhou about the keepers of one of the last matriarchal societies, in a remote area of southwest China.
11:30am Performance artist Margaret Dragu is LADY JUSTICE: “Mature but not old; Lady Justice is without question the world’s most ubiquitous artist model!…”
12:00pm Lunch provided
12:45pm Your Mother Should Know, a documentary by Peg Campbell. A viscerally personal film that resonates with the passion and the helpless suffusing love that overwhelms almost every mother.
1:15pm Under One Sky, a documentary by Christine McDowell and Moira Simpson. At a women’s martial arts camp on the BC coast, women from all over North America explore an extraordinary range of martial arts. They fight collaboratively; and through their discipline, strength, joyfulness and sheer determination, it becomes evident they are on a journey of self-discovery.
1:45pm Anita Roberts of Safeteen International will speak of her ground breaking programs including her origins and where Safeteen is today.
2:15pm Break

FEATURE FILM
2:30pm Iron Ladies of Liberia, a feature length documentary about newly inaugurated President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf – the first freely elected female head of state in Africa. Having won a hotly contested election with the overwhelming support of women across Liberia, Sirleaf faces the daunting task of lifting her country from debt and devastation. She turns to a remarkable team of women, appointing them in positions such as police chief, finance minister, minister of justice, commerce minister and minister of gender. By Siatta Scott Johnson/Daniel Junge.

ROSE has applied to the BC 150 Volunteer Incentive Program. If approved, for each person who volunteers 5 hours time towards this event, including sitting watching the films, the ROSE website project will receive $50.

Seatholder Prize:
An Electra, 3-speed, back-pedal-to-brake, cool and unusual bicycle will be given to the seatholder who raises the most funds!

Door prizes:
Finding Dawn, a feature documentary directed by Christine Welsh
(Thank you to Olga Kempo)
Your Mother Should Know, a documentary directed by Peg Campbell
(Thank you to Peg Campbell)
Under One Sky, a documentary directed by Christine McDowell
(Thank you to Moira Simpson and Chris McDowell)
From Under the Bushy Trees, a documentary directed by Moira Simpson and Jan Padgett
(Thank you to Jan and Moira)
Safeteen: Powerful Alternatives to Violence written by Anita Roberts
(Thank you to Anita Roberts)
The Body Song CD, Performer/Producer Yvette Narlock
(Thank you to Anita Roberts)

Please contact: [email protected]
Or call Lindsay @ 604-314-9034

Filed Under: Creative Endeavours/Literacy Tagged With: , , ,

New Program for October!

September 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Starting next week, an exciting new program will be running at Beauty Night! Sophia Hughes and I will be coordinating Kids Club, a drop-in children’s program that will run four nights of the week. This program is for the children of participants in Beauty Night programs and is open to children of all ages!

Our program will allow more women to participate in Beauty Night programming. It will also enable mothers to have a break from the stresses of parenting, and to feel safe leaving their children in supervised care. Both Sophia and I have extensive experience working with children, and are First Aid and CPR certified. We are committed to creating a safe and caring environment for the children, to providing support to their mothers, and to training more people to do the same.

Kids Club will provide positive recreational/social/educational programming for children, and facilitate friendship, socialization and acceptance within this multi-age group. And of course we are going to make awesome projects, eat yummy snacks, and have lots of fun!

We will be offering children’s programming from 6:30pm-8:30pm, Monday-Thursday, starting Monday, September 28th, 2009.

Stay tuned for the October calendar coming out next week, with upcoming themes, crafts and other activities that will be happening at Kids Club!

If you are looking to get involved, we are looking for consistent volunteers for any of these days, and childcare volunteer orientation will occur early in October. All childcare volunteers will need a criminal record check, and we have a preference for volunteers who have experience working with children. Hope to see you there!

-Alexa Bennett Fox

Filed Under: Children's Programming, Creative Endeavours/Literacy Tagged With: , ,

Beauty Night News: Caroline in Toronto

March 31, 2009 By 1 Comment

From Caroline MacGillivray:

Beauty Night Founder, Caroline MacGillivray meets and greets Toronto Volunteers

Although we have been running the makeover program in Toronto for over 6 years, many people are surprised to hear about it. Ann Roche, who ran the Toronto programming resigned in December. It is going to be difficult to replace Ann. She has been a wonderful asset to Beauty Night.

I am in Toronto until April 8th looking for facilitators to run two makeover programs each month. I can be reached at 647-995-4526.

We are also looking for storage space for our supplies that have been stored at CAMH. CAMH is renovating their space and we are looking for new storage space in the downtown Toronto area. Please let us know if you know anyone who might be willing to donate space.

The Toronto events this week are:

Saturday, April 4th
Massage by donation
Aradia Fitness Toronto
721 Queen Street West
2-4pm
Females only
* I am still looking for volunteers for this event

Sunday, April 5th
CAMH
1pm Moving our supplies from one space to another
* CAMH has generously donated space for our storage and drop off location for supplies. We will be sorting and dropping off donations to other organizations that might need it. We will also be sorting through supplies that are older and need to find homes.

Monday, April 6th
Volunteer orientation
6pm
Starbucks Chapters.
We will be meeting at the Starbucks in Chapters at the corner of John and Queen Street West. If you have friends that might be interested in volunteering, please have them email or facebook me.

Although I am in Toronto working on Toronto Beauty Night, things are still active in Vancouver. Katie Benjamin and Tiffany Telford are running the makeover events in my absence. These two dynamic volunteers are busy in their own right.

Tiffany spearheaded the Xmas Beauty Night in Prince George and runs the monthly Beauty Nights in Coquitlam and at the Health Contact Centre. This month, she will be running the makeover program with CHIUS (community health initiative by university students) at Urban Native Youth Association. For these events, we are still looking for volunteers. Please facebook or text me if you are able to attend.

Wednesday, April 1
Health Contact Centre 6-9pm
166 East Hastings Street

Thursday, April 2
Kinsman Hall (Partnering with Soroptimists)
Port Coquitlam
6-8pm
The address for Kinsman Hall is 2175 Coquitlam Ave, Port Coquitlam, built in Aggie Park. The map is on the link below, and your team of volunteers may want to get the directions from the link.

http://maps.google.com/?q=2175%20Coquitlam%20Avenue%2C%20Port%20Coquitlam%2C%20BC.

Wednesday, April 8th
UNYA * please email for addresss
6-8pm

Katie Benjamin, a long time volunteer for Beauty Night has created her own initiative, Womyn’s Gym. Funded through Telus, Womyn’s Gym creates one on one personal training opportunities for Beauty Night clients. Together with Tyla Flexman and Miranda Landry, Katie has been training kinesiologist students to work with our clients. This initiative is in it’s third week. Goal setting, nutrition and fitness are key components of this wonderful program that runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

We are looking for child minding volunteers for the participants children. Alexa Fox has been coordinating the child care. We are in need of volunteers that have their criminal records check, extended first aid, current CPR, and enjoy working with children. Early childhood education is a huge asset.

We are also looking for green space in the Downtown Eastside to start a gardening project. We have had a donor offer donate apple and fig trees to this project. We just need somewhere to plant them. I am hoping this project will harvest food for our nutrition and fitness programs as well as a strong sense of community for the women. Perhaps if this happens before summer, we will be able to move our yoga classes under the shade of the trees.

On April 14th, we are adding our Chillaxing Wellness Nights to our existing programming. We will have a foot care clinic (pedicures) run by health care students and professionals; reiki, massage and reflexology. We are looking for more volunteers for this program. Orientation will be April 13th (Easter Monday). If you are a current volunteer, just let me know your availability.
The night will run in conjunction with our yoga classes, womyn’s gym, child care and women’s writing group that run on the Tuesday evenings. Thera Wise has donated product for our foot clinic and Sage has donated products for the relaxation services.

Thank you for everything that you do.

Sincerely,

Caroline
778-885-4526
647-995-4526

Filed Under: Beauty Night Toronto, Creative Endeavours/Literacy, Donations/Fundraising, Newletter, Womyn's Gym Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy New Year: Beauty Night News 2009

January 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Hi everyone, Happy New Year! Today is the first Monday back at Life Skills for the Makeover Program! I want to thank everyone who supported Beauty Night last year and hope that you continue to be involved this year! Our schedule is up under the volunteer 2009 schedule.

So far our schedule is similar to last year. Most of our programming is at Portland Hotel Society’s Life Skill Centre at 412 E Cordova. 6-9pm.

Makeover Nights Monday Nights from 6-9pm.

Stretch and Women’s Writing Group Tuesday Nights from 6-9pm.

Wednesday (first Wed of the month except July 1st) Health Contact Centre 166 E Hastings 6-9pm

Wednesday, Cheque issue - board meetings, location tba

Thursday,Chair Fit and Women’s Writing Group 6-9pm

On Monday, February 9th, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day. Thanks to the overwhelming response to our Annual Xmas Stocking Drive, we have managed to stuff 8 boxes of gift bags for our 2nd annual Valentine’s Day celebration. Last year, a certain gentleman dolled up in his tux and presented each lady with a box of chocolates and a rose. I am hoping we will be able to do the same thing this year. Our planning meeting for this event will be this Sunday at noon. Location TBA - please call me if you are interested in getting involved.

Starting in February 2009, Katie Benjamin and Tyla Flexman will be starting the Womyn’s Gym project. This program sponsored through Telus will be facilitated by Katie and Tyla. They will be coordinating kinesiologist students with Beauty Night clients. They will work on setting and achieving fitness goals on a one on one basis. Katie has volunteered for Beauty Night for years. Both Katie and Tyla have volunteered for the fitness program since September 2008 and we are excited to add personal training to the group fitness component.

Other developments are through the literacy program. We are just confirming upcoming workshops in blogging, journaling and card making. We are still taking applications for 3rd party fundraisers.

If you are interested in throwing one, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]. Previous 3rd party fundraisers have included hair cut a thons, fashion shows, auctions, and many more.

Beauty Night Toronto.

Toronto’s executive director Ann Roche has given her resignation. Ann has been a tremendous asset for Beauty Night. Toronto Beauty Night will not be the same without. She has been the life and soul of Toronto hosting two Beauty Nights a month. We are looking for volunteers to facilitate Beauty Night in Toronto. Please email [email protected] with a cover letter and your resume if you are interested in getting involved. Looking forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Sincerely, Caroline

Filed Under: Beauty Night Toronto, Creative Endeavours/Literacy, Fund Raising, Uncategorized, Womyn's Gym Tagged With: , , ,

Beauty Night Clients Attending World Premiere of Influence by Janet Munsil

October 31, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Beauty Night’s creative endeavours program is in full swing. Beauty Night clients fuse a night of arts and culture with a slice of beauty. On Monday night’s makeover night, Beauty Night founder, Caroline MacGillivray will hold a draw for four pairs of tickets to see Touchstone Theatre’s world premiere of Influence by Janet Munsil. The recipients of the tickets will win a night that includes a meal, makeup touch up and hair styling, and a chance to be one of the select few that gets to see this show on the preview night.

According to media contact Cynnamon SchreinertInfluence runs from November 7 to 15 at Performance Works on Granville Island (November 6 Preview) IN FULL… In a room in the British Museum in 1817 the unknown medical student John Keats (Daniel Arnold) wants to abandon his medicine to become a poet. Egged on by his mentor, the now-forgotten history painter Benjamin Robert Hayden (Mike Stack), Keats looks for inspiration in The Elgin Marbles: the fragments of the Parthenon taken from Greece by England’s Lord Elgin, which to this day have created a storm of international debate. Unbeknownst to Keats, Athena (Colleen Wheeler), Goddess of Wisdom and protector of Athens, has .arrived in the city of fog to reclaim her statues and seek revenge for the desecration of the Parthenon. Hephaestus

(Donald Adams) God of the Forge, and Apollo (Frank Zotter) God of Poetry and Medicine, arrive with their own agendas. With art, artefact and immortality all at stake, an epic and at times hilarious battle unfolds which will determine the fate of Keats and influence the future forever.

Victoria-based playwright and producer Janet Munsil is inspired by memoirs of the forgotten, dusty museum cabinets, and curious historical coincidences. Her plays have been produced by some of the most respected and adventurous contemporary theatres, both at home and abroad – Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre, London’s Soho Theatre, and the West Yorkshire Playhouse, among others. Her literary sensibility and wild imagination have put her on the cutting edge of new Canadian drama.

Beauty Night will need volunteers who enjoy going to the theatre to drive and help facilitate discussion about the show afterwards.

For those who are unable to volunteer but would like to check out the show:

Influence features; Donald Adams (King Lear, Tideline), Daniel Arnold (Poster Boys, The Triumph of Love),

Mike Stack (Farther West, The Overcoat), Colleen Wheeler (The Tempest, My Chernobyl ) and Frank Zotter (Stuck, The Elephant Man, Calgary). Set design for Influence is by David Roberts, lighting design by Jonathan Ryder, costume design by Sheila White, with sound and original music by Owen Belton.

Influence runs from November 6 to 15 (Tues – Sat 8pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 4pm) at Performance Works, 1218

Cartwright Street, Granville Island. Tickets are $26 adults, $24 seniors, $20 students

available through Tickets Tonight at 604-687-2787 or visit www.ticketstonight.ca

Special Performances include:

Thursday, November 6, 8pm - Free Performance - tickets at the door, first-come first-served

Friday, November 7, 8pm - Opening Night

Saturday, November 8, 2pm - Two-for-One - all tickets $13, includes service charges

Sunday, November 9, 4pm – BMO Pre-show Director’s Chat with Katrina Dunn in the lobby at 3:15pm

Tuesday, November 11 – BMO Post-show Talkback

Filed Under: Creative Endeavours/Literacy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,