Indian Summer Festival
201 - 1880 Fir St V6J 3B1 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Ben Okri is a Nigerian poet, novelist, and playwright living in London. His novel, The Famished Road, won the Booker Prize in 1991. His latest novel is Prayer for the Living. He talks about racism as a failure of humanity and the change our world so desperately needs. _________ Founding Partner Simon Fraser University ... Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery See more

When you feel like you can’t go on, hold on. Listen to the heartwarming message that the brilliant Arthur Flowers created for our ISF family. _________ Indian Summer Festival is made possible thanks to the wonderful support of:... Founding Partner Simon Fraser University Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, @gGovernment of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, @Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery

We didn’t know what to expect when we created our first digital auction. We know that these are challenging and uncertain times for everybody, but our ISF family once again supported us - with some of you making generous donations of auction items, and others bidding on them. We had an ambitious goal of raising $10,000 through our silent auction and thanks to your generous support we were able to achieve 86% of it! Your contribution goes directly to help us present exception...al programming curated through a South Asian lens that is smart, accessible and delivered at the highest calibre. We hope that you will continue to be part of our growing community as we work to cultivate inclusion, diversity and global citizenship through the arts. With love and gratitude The Indian Summer Team

Join Drishti Awards' 2020 live stream on November 1st, at 7pm PST. Drishti Media Group is spearheading this award-granting recognition and celebrating the innovative and excellent work of individuals/organizations that have done extraordinarily in their dedication and service to others and have devoted time and energy in making their community more caring, dynamic, inspiring, healthy, and outstanding. https://youtu.be/J8zFwVZA1R0

Be sure to tune into this hugely important conversation hosted by ISF friends Sierra Tasi Baker and Paisley Eva Nahanee and featuring the legendary Debra Sparrow, among other incredible MST Host Nation thought leaders. They re-envision the built form centred in right relation to our land, waters and skies. Presented by the good people at SFU Public Square. Thursday, December 03, at 6pm.

This is a friendly reminder that our Digital Auction ends tonight, at 10pm PST! For the past 10 days, we’ve been amazed by the generosity of our Indian Summer family, who once again stepped up to support our festival. Now it’s time for the final push! We are just 27% away from our $10,000 goal and we believe that we can get there! https://www.32auctions.com/indiansummerfestival

The universe started with a Big Bang, and in Hindu mythology, that big bang was the sound of Shiva’s drum, the damaru. Legend has it that everything is born from that primeval sound - our hearts beat as an echo of that first rhythm, and language is born from that first sound...Sunny Matharu and Ashwin Sood are two incredible percussionists who take the language of the drums into a percussive conversation. _________ Indian Summer Festival is made possible thanks to the wonderf...ul support of: Founding Partner Simon Fraser University Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, @gGranville Island, The Ismaili Surrey Art Gallery

Watch talented poet Phinder Dulai read three poems: one is a reference to life and containment, the other two are poems of love and language. _________ Indian Summer Festival is made possible thanks to the wonderful support of:... Founding Partner Simon Fraser University Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery

Sheniz Janmohamed beautifully reads Breaking Bread, a poem about the moment that you reunite with your loved ones after a long, difficult journey. The perfect art piece for all of those separate due to the pandemic. About Sheniz Janmohamed Sheniz Janmohamed (MFA) is a firm believer in fostering community through collaboration, compassion and creativity. In her own practice, she strives to embody words through performance, land art and writing in the ghazal form. A poet, ar...tist educator and land artist, Sheniz has performed her work in venues across the world, including the Jaipur Literature Festival, Alliance Française de Nairobi and the Aga Khan Museum. Her land art has been featured at the Aga Khan Park, the Indian Summer Festival and the Art Gallery of Mississauga. Sheniz is also the author of two collections of poetry: Bleeding Light (Mawenzi House, 2010) and Firesmoke (Mawenzi House, 2014). Sheniz visits dozens of schools and organisations each year to teach, perform, and inspire creativity in her students. In 2015, She was awarded the Lois Birkenshaw-Fleming Creative Teaching Scholarship, and holds a Artist Educator Mentor certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto). Sheniz is also the founder of Questions for Ancestors, a blog that encourages BIPOC writers and artists across Turtle Island to ask questions of their ancestors as provide advice for their descendants. She is also the Artistic Director of the Sufi Poets Series, a performance series that aims to revive the words and legacies of Sufi poets throughout history. Sheniz is currently working on her third collection of ghazals. ____ Founding Partner Simon Fraser University Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery

The first episode of our three-part ‘It Could be Verse’ series features poems that broadly speak about ancestors, inheritance and the stories we remember. To start us on our journey is Christie Lee Charles, a poet from the Musqueam Nation who is the current ‘Poet Laureate of Vancouver’. Listen to our podcast on https://open.spotify.com/episode/0IcUoRtJLcv1Pu5BWHU0Qh Poetry for a Pandemic is presented by SFU Library Jeet Thayil... Aja-Monet Ivan Coyote Jillian Christmas See more

Will Oscar nominated filmmaker (and ISF alumna) deepa mehta be in the running for the Academy Awards again this year? ISF's Artistic Director Sirish Rao sat down to talk to her about her film Funny Boy (feat. Agam Darshi) that Ava Du Vernay’s ARRAY will release on Netflix Dec. 10. https://www.straight.com//could-deepa-mehtas-funny-boy-be- ___ Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada, Creative BC, NFB, Canadian Screen Awards, The Georgia Straight

Congrats to ISF alumna Niki Sharma who was just elected as an MLA, representing Vancouver-Hastings. Niki has long been a social justice, anti-racism and sustainability advocate.

Treasuring everything that feeds the light inside us and around us. Happy Diwali from your friends at Indian Summer Festival. Photo by Madhav on Unsplash

Other than the daughter of Bobby McFerrin, Madison McFerrin is an incredible artist who does a dextrous spirited performance with just her voice and some backing vocals and tracks. _________ Founding Partner Simon Fraser University... Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery See more

What a year to mark our 10th anniversary! Instead of packed theatres, teeming parties and what was to be our most ambitious year of programming yet, the urgent new reality of COVID-19 demanded that we reinvent ourselves. We transformed a 10-day July festival into a 10-week digital season featuring 10 stellar mega-events in celebration of our 10th anniversary, which gathered 104,999 audience members engaged from 45 countries and 6 continents! Read our annual report with more ...details about #ISF2020 on https://www.indiansummerfest.ca//ISF2020_Annual_Report_Dig ____ Founding Partner Simon Fraser University Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery

Join Vancouver Writers Fest tomorrow, October 23, at 1pm PDT, for "Fairytales and Legends", an evocative and deeply subversive afternoon of mythic reimaginings and deconstructed narratives. Featuring Katherine Fawcett, Amanda Leduc, Author, Kawai Strong Washburn, and moderated by ISF's co-founder and artistic director, Sirish Rao. Register at https://writersfest.bc.ca/2020-fest/fairytales-and-legends/

"How can we be together and how can we be in common in spite of difference. And if we can’t be in common, how can we still live together? asks ISF Vice-Chair Am Johal in a powerfully argued re-imagination of our city. We are proud to share a transcript of his presentation at Pandemonium: Urban Studies and Recovering from COVID-19, a lecture series presented by SFU Urban Studies in collaboration with SFU Public Square.

Watch a heart touching presentation by Shabana Azmi while she reads from her father Kaifi Azmi’s body of work. Kaifi Azmi was a renowned poet who was an important figure in the progressive writers’ movement in India. He sought to inspire social change through his passionate Urdu verse. He was also a noted lyricist for some of Bollywood’s best-known films. __________ Founding Partner Simon Fraser University... Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's,Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery See more

We are so thrilled to share the exciting news about long-time festival friend, speaker, Advisory Council member and donor - deepa mehta. Her latest film ‘Funny Boy’, based on Shyam Selvadurai’s acclaimed coming-of-age novel has been picked up by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing, and will land on Netflix this December. Deepa Mehta’s ‘Funny Boy’ builds upon the iconic filmmaker’s provocative canon of work as a film that is beautiful to the eye and emotional for the heart," said DuVernay and ARRAY president Tilane Jones. We are doubly thrilled that the cast includes another long-time ISF friend and alumnus, Agam Darshi!

Checkout Drishti Magazine's brilliant article on the life story of Dr. Arun K. Garg, one of our supporters since the first year of the festival . https://drishtimagazine.com//dr-arun-garg-connecting-the-/

Simon Fraser University has supported Indian Summer Festival since the festival was born 10 years ago - we're deeply proud of everything that we achieved together. Thank you, SFU. We hope to nurture this relationship for many years to come. Song: Akhiyan | No Peace in My Sight by Jhalaak

Starting today, we’re publishing individual artists’ videos that were part of #ISF2020. We’re kicking off with Salia Joseph, as she was our first artist this year. As a Squamish artist, she extended words of welcome and shared a song that lives in her lands. We’re proud and honoured to have begun the festival with such a beautiful welcome. Music Series Sponsor: Creative BC Event Supporting Partners: David Lam Centre for International Communication, Hari Sharma Foundation and... The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR) Cultural Partners: Museum of Vancouver, Vancouver Biennale, Revolutions Per Minute and Granville Island ______________________ Founding Partner Simon Fraser University Major Partners Langara College, University of British Columbia Emerging artist sponsor RBC Festival Supporting Partners TELUS, Hari Sharma Foundation Music Series Partner Creative BC Event Presenting Partners SFU Library, Odlum Brown Community, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Concord Pacific - Canada Event Supporting Partners SFU David Lam Centre, Nature's Path Organic Foods, Fasken, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), SoundON BC Government Funders Government of Canada, Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver - Local Government, Vancouver Foundation Event Community Partners SFU Publishing, Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP Premier Media The Georgia Straight, CBC Vancouver, Spice Radio 1200AM Promotional Partners Daily Hive Vancouver, Drishti Magazine, kipling media, Curiocity Vancouver Founding Cultural Partners SFU Woodward's, Canada India Network Society Cultural Partners Vancouver Biennale, Museum of Vancouver, 5x15stories, Granville Island, The Ismaili, Surrey Art Gallery

Simon Fraser University is once again Canada’s top comprehensive university according to Maclean's Magazine’s 2021 university rankings. The university has ranked number 1 for 12 of the past 13 years!