Gold & Shadow coming to the Port Theatre
By contributor Jennifer Garceau There’s some chatter on the horizon about a night out at the Port Theatre featuring up-and-coming BC bands We Are The City, The Wild Romantics, and Gold & Shadow. We wanted to get a sneak peek at what’s in store for May 14 and sat down with Nanaimo’s own Gold & … Continued
Mike Edel brings new album to Nanaimo
By contributor Jennifer Garceau We collect stories throughout our lifetime, adding them to our own narrative and reworking them into our own frame of reference. One of the most celebrated roles in all societies and throughout various time periods has been that of the storyteller. Mike Edel is a musician and storyteller, not just in … Continued
The Exit Interview with Arlen Hogarth
The last artist interview of the year. One-on-one with the introverted feminist behind some of the disquieting, existentialist comics in the Odds & Ends page of our paper. Navigator: How did you become a feminist? Arlen: My girlfriend became a feminist as we were dating and I picked it up really quickly. Just being … Continued
In Bloom with Duncan Symonds
One day, he watched a band play in his backyard as a kid. Another time, he secretly played around with his younger brother guitar. In fact, he borrowed it so often that he had to get his own. Then, finally, playing guitar started to consume so much of his time that he just knew. Since … Continued
In the flow zone with Karina Strong
If you attend a festival on Vancouver Island this summer and see a figure stilt-walking in a spectacular costume, chances are you’ve encountered a member of the Vesta Entertainment circus crew. And in Nanaimo, where the community of spinners and circus performers is only beginning to build a profile, Vesta owner and “ring mistress” Karina … Continued
14 questions with Mariners’ Ashley Van Acken and Megan Roselund
On February 28, the VIU women’s volleyball team captured Provincial gold. Third year players Megan Roselund and Ashley Van Acken sat down with The Navigator to discuss their underdog season, the Nationals in Quebec, and their favourite breakfast cereal. What are you looking forward to regarding the Nationals in Quebec? M: I’m excited to just … Continued
Under the skin of Julie Dives
Taxidermy From Greek taxis ‘arrangement’ + derma ‘skin’ (Oxford Dictionary) There was a day when Julie Dives tried to decide between becoming a vet or an artist. Although she followed the creative draw, and pursued a BFA in Visual Arts at VIU and Emily Carr, deep down, Julie stayed in love with animals. She is … Continued
Filmmaking and problem solving with Steff Gundling
Steff Gundling, a fourth year Digital Media student and a graphic designer, is no stranger to the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival (VISFF). The filmmaker awarded with two prizes for her very first brush with the film craft in 2013, a short romance called Year Of The Living Dyingly, has been shortlisted again this year … Continued
Dancing on the stars with the massless
Forget about what you think you know about experimental music. Imagine layered saxophone melodies and unexpected bass licks entangled in pre-recorded loops and minimalistic synthesizers—all influenced by Frank Zappa, free jazz, gnawa and african music, Miles Davis, saxophonist Joe Henderson among many others. Add inconspicuous presence on stage, a wall of baffling ironic humour behind … Continued
Digital visions of Kris Vieaux
At first, he might seem like a man who’d rather let his art speak for him. But during our chat, projection artist and DJ Kris Vieaux was eager to discuss anything from hitchhiking to the quality of my hardwood floor. Although he studied anthropology and sociology at VIU for seven years, he chose to make … Continued
On the Fringe: At the Hub with Chelsee Damen
We speak with Nanaimo Fringe Festival Producer Chelsee Damen