VLACC

Latin American Short Stories Reading Group | Women's Month Special Edition
2025-03-11 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | Britannia Community Centre – Conference Room, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Conference Room (Britannia Community Services Centre) 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4
VLACC is pleased to present a special edition of our Latin American Short Stories Reading Group in celebration of Women’s Month!
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on the female universe, facilitated by María Teresa Venditti, as we explore the stories:
📖 “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Heker
📖 “The House Made of Sugar” by Silvina Ocampo
The stories are in English and Spanish translations and the discussion will be led in English. No background in or experience with Latin American literature or culture is needed. Everyone’s welcome!
Please click on the following link to access the stories:
Spanish: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ldu8Q_IdMcqJ3B941dnBnLpznyYnVVZv?usp=sharing
English: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1M3wO_h7RYGisVB2-Bn6VRitml6hc6F26?usp=sharing
This is a FREE event, but registration is required.
About the facilitator
María Teresa Venditti began her teaching career in 1987 in Tucumán, Argentina. Before teaching at various institutions across Argentina, the UK, and Spain. From 2009 to 2012, she was a professor of Lengua II at the University of El Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she taught in the Philosophy and Literature Department at the School of Modern Languages. She also taught Modern Languages at the St. Martin in the Fields High School in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during this period.
María Teresa holds a bachelor’s degree in English Philology from the Complutense University of Madrid in Spain, where she specializes in English literature. She also has several language teaching and translation qualifications, including LCCI Cert TEB, CTEFLA, and CEELT. Additionally, María Teresa is an English/Spanish technical, scientific, and literary translator and interpreter.
Thanks to the Britannia Community Services Centre for supporting this program

Re:Location Season 2 Online Premiere | Episode 5: Pedro Chamale
2025-03-12 18:00 - 18:10 | VLACC’s YouTube Channel, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Re:Location Season 2 profiles five talented Latin American artists as they navigate the complexities of building their careers while staying connected to their cultural roots. Each short documentary provides an intimate glimpse into their challenges and triumphs, revealing how their experiences in Canada have shaped their artistic identities.
A new documentary will be released monthly on our YouTube channel, featuring mid-career Latin American artists sharing their journeys, challenges, and resilience.
This season’s fifth and last episode highlights playwright Pedro Chamale, born and raised in Chetwynd, British Columbia, to an immigrant family from Guatemala. Pedro is the co-founder and director of Rice & Beans Theatre, which was established in Vancouver in 2010 to create opportunities for marginalized artists and theatre makers. Overcoming cultural barriers in the theatre industry, Pedro has carved out a space for himself and others through his work and advocacy.
This 10-minute documentary follows Pedro’s journey, exploring how his family influenced his professional path and how he embraces his Latin American identity to celebrate the richness of diversity.
Tune in to our YouTube channel on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 pm for the online release of Re:Location Season 2’s fifth episode!
When: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: VLACC’s YouTube Channel

Watch the teaser:

We are immensely grateful to the funder of this project, the Canada Council for the Arts.

¡Viva Latinoamérica! - Celebrating Latin American Arts and Culture at Langara College
2025-03-14 18:00 - 21:00 | Langara College – Building A
Date: Friday, March 14, 2025
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm (Doors at 5:30 pm)
Location: Langara College – Building A (100 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5X 3B3)
This is a FREE event, and everyone is welcome!
Join VLACC and the Langara College for ¡Viva Latinoamérica!, a vibrant celebration of Latin American arts and culture. This special evening will feature an exciting lineup of live performances, art displays, and cultural experiences that showcase the richness and diversity of Latin American traditions. Here’s what to expect:
Live Performances:
🎶 6 pm (Building A: Auditorium A130)
Collective SUR with Carolina Silva, Dení Olivares, and RCHRDY: Enjoy a unique blend of melodies and rhythms from these young, talented musicians, bringing the spirit of Latin America to life.
🤸‍♀️ 8 pm (Building A – Main Hall)
Capoeira Aché Brasil: Witness the energy and artistry of Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines dance, acrobatics, and music.
Art and Cultural Highlights:
🖼️ 6 pm – 9 pm (Building A – Main Hall)
Art Fair & Exhibition: Explore a diverse showcase of artwork by Latinx artists. This special art fair will take place during the event, featuring artists displaying and selling their work. The art exhibition, running from March 12 to 26, highlights the diverse artistic voices of the community and is a must-see for art lovers.
6 pm – 9 pm (Hallway in front of the Bookstore)
Alfombra from Guatemala: Admire the vibrant Guatemalan alfombra, colourful carpets crafted from sawdust, flowers, and natural materials. Created on-site by Langara’s students with guidance from Guatemalan experts and support from the Consulate General of Guatemala in Vancouver, this masterpiece will be exhibited exclusively for the event.
Food Experience:
🌮 6 pm – 9 pm (Building A – Main Hall)
Colombian Antojitos: Delight your taste buds with authentic Colombian flavours from our featured food vendor.
This event offers a welcoming space to immerse yourself in the vibrancy of Latin American culture through music, art, and community. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and celebrate with us!
About the Artists
Collective SUR
Carolina Silva is a Colombian musician, singer, and songwriter specializing in Alterlatino music. Blending commercial sounds with traditional Latin American genres, she creates captivating music using her voice and ukulele. Professionally trained in music, Carolina has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects that combine music, dance, and theatre. Based in Vancouver, she has performed at festivals like the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Vancouver Mural Festival, Indie Fest, and Stand Festival. Passionate about sharing Latin American culture, Carolina is working on releasing original music to connect global audiences with the rich sounds of her heritage.
Dení Olivares (she, her), a singer from Mexico City, began her musical journey with her old friend, the violin, but has always loved singing. She recently embraced jazz singing, finding freedom in the genre and the non-verbal connection it generates. “If only we had the same willingness we have in music to listen and be listened to in our daily interactions,” she says. Proud of her Latinx roots, Dení incorporates boleros, Latin Jazz, and Bossa Nova into her repertoire to deepen her connection with the music and share her heritage. Known for her interactive performances, Dení invites audiences to sing along. So be ready to sing!
RCHRDY (pronounced ‘richardy’) are an emerging interdisciplinary artist and a good floor mopper, committed to reminding themselves that the divine is always small. Their constellation has been revealed through non-traditional artistic training, which has allowed them to create their own connections between Life and art-making, beyond the canonical standards of cultural institutions. Starting their career in performing arts, they’ve explored all kinds of creative endeavours such as installation making, music, collage, poetry, etc. Every material, any idea, possesses aesthetic qualities; an intrinsic excuse to play.
Capoeira Aché Brasil group, founded and led by the renowned Mestre Eclilson de Jesus, warmly welcomes everyone interested in participating in its activities. Since 1990, the group has been a pioneer in teaching Capoeira in Vancouver, frequently voted “Best Martial Arts Academy” by Georgia Straight readers in the “Best of Vancouver” category. The group promotes a healthy and responsible lifestyle, emphasizing interaction based on tolerance and respect, regardless of social status, education, age, disability, nationality, gender, or skin colour.
Art Exhibition Artists
Alejandra Morales @festivefigAndrea Kauffmann @andrea.kauffmann.designerCamila Pabon @kmil_artworkCamila Rivas @camilaerre_Carlos Osorio Fuentes @charleosoDanilo Sanchez @danimonkeytvDio Ostuni @dio_ostuniIta Bafer @itabaferartJuliana Silva @julianasilva_artLiza Navarro @lizanav.photoMarcela Oñate-Trules @embodied.archiveMax Ammo @slime____studioMiguel Bustamante @migybcreativeMónica Moscoso @momodeadPaula Valentín @pauvartSolange Adum Abdala @solangeadumabdala
Event Graphic Design
Carolina Silva @carosilvacaro
In partnership with the Latin American Studies Department at Langara College and the Consulate General of Guatemala in Vancouver

Reimagining Histories: The Art of Firelei Báez
2025-03-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street V6Z 2H7, Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2H7, Canada
Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion on the work of Firelei Báez, a Dominican American artist whose versatile practice reimagines histories, particularly those of Latin America and the Caribbean. Through her complex visual language, Báez challenges colonial narratives, explores diasporic identities and reclaims spaces for voices often excluded from dominant historical accounts.
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Vancouver Art Gallery – Courtroom (750 Hornby Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7)
Moderated by art historian Miret Rodríguez, this conversation will bring together Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda, Coral Santana and Lili Vieira de Carvalho to reflect on the transformative power of Báez’s art.
Rodríguez will guide the discussion, offering insights into Báez’s symbolic references, artistic techniques and her engagement with decolonial thought.
Art historian and Latin American feminist art scholar Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda will discuss the ongoing underrepresentation of Latin American women artists in Canada. She will also share insights from her research on Latin American feminist artists and her forthcoming co-edited book on contemporary Latina/x artists and filmmakers in Canada.
Afro-Latina writer, producer and activist Coral Santana will explore how Báez’s work intersects with contemporary social movements and resonates with struggles for racial and gender justice across the Americas.
And Lili Vieira de Carvalho, a leading advocate for Latin American artists in Vancouver, will discuss the increasing visibility of Latinx artists in the city and the systems that support—or hinder—their recognition.
This panel will explore how Báez’s work navigates themes of race, gender, migration and resistance, offering new perspectives on the layered histories that shape Latin America, the Caribbean and cities like Vancouver, where questions of representation and inclusion are central to the cultural conversation.
This talk is free and open to the public.

Please note that tickets for this event do not include admission to the Gallery.
About the facilitator and panelists
Dr. Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda is a Mexican Canadian interdisciplinary artist and cultural historian, specializing in media art history in the Americas. She is an Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University, where she leads the critical Media Arts Studio (cMAS), an interdisciplinary research-creation space exploring the intersections of technology, identity and feminist theory. Author of Women Made Visible: Feminist Art and Media in Post-1968 Mexico (CALACS Book Prize, 2020), Aceves Sepúlveda has published extensively on feminist media art, archival practices, sound, race and gender. Her video and sculptural installations have been exhibited internationally. She is an active member of Vancouver’s art community, part of the art/mamas collective and has served on boards of artist-run centers such as VIVO Media Arts. Currently, she is working on a book about Latin American women composers and co-editing volumes on immersive technologies in the global south and Latin American art in Canada.

Miret Rodríguez is the creative director of Curated Tastes and the former Vice President of the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre (VLACC). She holds an MBA in art and culture management from the Superior School of Commerce in Paris and a BA Major in Art History from University of British Columbia. Rodríguez relies on art and the artists that make it to navigate through cultural dislocation and hybridity. Since 2020, Rodríguez has been interviewing Latinx artists in Canada about their immigration stories and how they express their experiences through art. These conversations led her to curate Volver (to return, to become) in 2022 at Cityscape Community Artspace in North Vancouver.

Coral Santana is an Afro-Dominican storyteller, community organizer and equity consultant based in Vancouver, BC. They have developed cultural programming focused on exploring Blackness, Queerness and Latinidad for various organizations, including the Museum of Anthropology and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Santana holds a BA in Film Studies with a minor in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.

Lili Vieira de Carvalho is the Executive Director of the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre (VLACC), where she is also a co-founder and former Vice President. Originally from Brazil, Vieira de Carvalho immigrated to Vancouver in 2008 and brings over 30 years of experience in arts management. She led VLACC’s capacity-building initiatives, significantly improving fundraising, strategic planning, governance and volunteer recruitment and retention. Vieira de Carvalho also serves as spokesperson for the Citizen Council of the Consulate General of Brazil in Vancouver. Recently, the Government of Brazil honoured her with the Ordem do Rio Branco medal for her leadership within the Brazilian diaspora. Her commitment to the arts community has driven her to develop projects that foster a deeper understanding of Latin American culture, actively challenge stereotypes and promote cultural awareness.

Co-presented with the Vancouver Art Gallery and Curated Tastes

Chiquita (Banana) - Art Exhibition by Michelle Bourget Morales
2025-03-30 09:00 - 22:00 | Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: From March 2nd to March 30th, 2025
Time: Mon. to Fri.: 9:00 am – 9:45 pm
Sat. & Sun.: 8:00 am – 4:45 pm
Location: Trout Lake Community Centre – Display Vitrine Case – 3360 Victoria Drive Vancouver, BC V5N 4M4
Free event.
VLACC, in collaboration with Trout Lake Community Centre and Curated Tastes, is proud to present Chiquita (Banana), a thought-provoking exhibition by Michelle Bourget Morales.
This collection explores the intersections of labour, migration, and gender within global power structures. Through sculptural vessels, the artist challenges colonial legacies, capitalist exploitation, and the objectification of both people and land. Infused with the potent symbolism of the banana, these works reclaim narratives of resilience and resistance—transforming remnants of oppression into powerful expressions of defiance.
Curated by Miret Rodriguez, this exhibition invites audiences to engage with themes of history, identity, and protest through a bold and irreverent lens.
About the Exhibition
This body of work playfully yet critically engages with the intersections of labour, migration, and gender within the global power structures that continue to exploit and commodify marginalized communities. Drawing on the loaded symbolism of the banana—both as a reference to recent migration laws targeting Mexican workers and the ongoing reduction of developing nations to so-called “banana republics”—these sculptures challenge narratives rooted in white supremacy, extraction, and disposability.
The title Chiquita (Banana) references a symbol deeply tied to the colonial and Corporate exploitation of Latin America, while also addressing the diminishment of women through catcalling and patriarchal control. The work challenges the ways in which bodies—both human and land—are objectified, extracted, and dismissed within systems built on white supremacy and capitalist greed.
These vessels do more than hold knowledge; they bloom, pulse, and resist. Resembling bananas and seeds, they evoke both creation and defiance. In a world where Latin America is continuously reduced to a political pawn and resource depot, these forms reclaim power, transforming relics of exploitation into statements of resilience. Unapologetic and irreverent, they exist as both protest and testament—part history, part future, all rebellion.
About the Artist
Michelle Bourget Morales (b. 1993, Mexico) is a Vancouver-based artist working across various mediums. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2020. Morales’ practice has been showcased in several exhibitions, including group and solo shows in Vancouver, Richmond, and Mexico City, where she explores themes of personal identity and materiality.
In addition to her artistic practice, she has held professional appointments at venues such as TAS Collective, Red Gate Arts Society, and Lipont Gallery. Morales has also been involved in the arts community as a sessional teaching assistant in the Ceramics Department at Langara College.
Her work has been recognized with the Thomas Kakinuma Memorial Sculptural Ceramics Award in 2017, and her pieces are held in private collections across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Morales is a member of the Duplex Art Society and Maladjusted Collective.
Artist Statement
After stepping away from fine art, I shifted my focus toward community building, recognizing the power of collective care and collaboration. My recent practice centers on creating spaces where people can connect, share knowledge, and uplift one another. Through this shift, I’ve found new ways to engage with creativity—fostering dialogue, organizing events, and supporting grassroots movements that amplify underrepresented voices.
My sculptures are like rebellious time capsules—protecting knowledge, stirring up trouble, and giving the status quo a serious side-eye. As a migrant gay woman living in constant diaspora, my work challenges dominant world orders, questioning power structures and the erasure of marginalized voices. Through material and form, I craft vessels that don’t just sit pretty; they challenge, question, and sometimes even side-eye the status quo. Think of them as secret-keeping, history-holding, power-questioning artifacts with a flair for the dramatic while winking at the chaos of world orders.
About the Curator
Miret Rodriguez is the creative director of Curated Tastes and is the former VP of VLACC. She holds an MBA in art and culture management from the Superior School of Commerce in Paris and a BA Major in Art History from UBC. Miret relies on art and the artists that make it to navigate through cultural dislocation and hybridity. Since 2020, Miret has been interviewing Latinx artists in Canada about their immigration stories and their ways of expressing their experiences through art. This led her to curate Volver (to return, to become) in 2022 at Cityscape Community Artspace in North Vancouver.
With support from Trout Lake Community Centre and Curated Tastes

Latin American Short Stories Reading Group | April Edition
2025-04-08 18:30 - 20:00 | Britannia Community Centre – Conference Room, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Join us for the April edition of VLACC’s Latin American Short Stories Reading Group, a gathering for anyone passionate about Latin American literature!
Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Conference Room (Britannia Community Services Centre) 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4
This month, we’ll explore two remarkable short stories: “Queen Doll” by Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes and “Love” by Brazilian author Clarice Lispector. Professor María Adelaida Escobar-Trujillo will lead the discussion, offering insights into the narratives and deeper themes within these influential works.
Come share your thoughts, connect with fellow readers, and enjoy an evening of meaningful conversation about Latin American literature!
The stories are in English and original Spanish and Portuguese versions. The discussion will be led in English. No background in or experience with Latin American literature or culture is needed. Everyone’s welcome!
Please click on the following link to access the stories:
English Translations:
Queen Doll
https://www.quotev.com/story/13839016/The-Queen-Doll-by-Carlos-Fuentes
Love
https://theoffingmag.com/fiction/love-amor/
Original Versions:
La Muñeca Reina
https://ciudadseva.com/texto/la-muneca-reina/
Amor
https://ciudadseva.com/texto/amor-lispector/
This is a FREE event, but registration is required. Please use the following link to save your spot:About the Facilitator
María Adelaida Escobar is originally from Colombia where she initially studied Philosophy and Literature to then pursue her studies in English Literature and Hispanic Literature and Cultures. Since 2016 she teaches Spanish language and literature at the University of British Colombia in Vancouver where she is a lecturer. Her main research interests are transcultural interactions, identity and gender dialogues in and between the cultures of Spain and Latin America. María has published short stories, poems and academic articles in Arte y literature hispanocanadiense, Historias de Montreal, Relatos Entrecruzados, Revista Zur, Perífrasis, Revista Cronopio, Hecho Teatral in September 2018 published her first novel Tiempo del Sur. Her last book, Nueve de Nueve, from 2024 is a collaboration and compiles the work of nine Colombian female writers. In 2023 her work and contribution to the Hispanic culture in Vancouver was recognized with the “Inspirational Award” in the category of Arts and Culture.
With the support of Britannia Community and Services Centre

HYPERTRIBX | Invocations: A Gathering of Drums, Stories, and Collective Visions
2025-05-06 16:00 - 20:00 | BC Binning Studios, Room 204, 1Z2, 6373 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
HYPERTRIBX | Invocations: A Gathering of Drums, Stories, and Collective Visions
Join us for an afternoon of drumming, songs, stories, dreams, and food sharing to conjure a collective vision for HYPERTRIBX, a newly emerging network of cultural and technology activists dedicated to preserving and sharing Indigenous Knowledges.
The gathering will be led by Mestre Antonio Carlos dos Santos Silva (TC), a visionary leader of the Afro-Brazilian movement, founder of Rede Mocambos and Casa Tainá Cultural Center in Campinas, Brazil. A pioneer of the Free Software Movement in Brazil, TC has spent decades building autonomous networks connecting quilombola, Indigenous, and artistic communities across Brazil and beyond.
Through storytelling and hands-on experience, TC will share the spirit and impact of Rede Mocambos — a movement that, in his words, brings together people and communities to create “a world more our own way.”
Monday, May 6, 2025
4:00 – 8:00 PM (drop-in, come anytime) FREE event
Location: BC Binning Studios, Room 204 – 6373 University Boulevard, UBC, Vancouver
This event is co-presented with the UBC Department of Art History,
Visual Art & Theory, sponsored by the Latin American Studies Program at UBC.

This event is part of VLACC’s Indigenous Experiences in the Americas series.

Translating Rosario Castellanos: A Dance and Literary Tribute
2025-05-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Vancouver Public Library – Central Branch, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 6B1, Canada
Translating Rosario Castellanos: A Dance and Literary Tribute
Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 12 pm – 1 pm
Location: Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch – Grand Staircase, Level 8 (350 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1)
This is a FREE event, but registration is required.
Please use the following link to save your spot: https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/67f84587d41c64603166840d

How does literature transform into movement, sound, and imagery? How do words written decades ago continue to resonate today?
Join us at the VPL Central Branch for a special lunchtime event to celebrate the centennial of Rosario Castellanos, one of Mexico’s most influential writers, poets, and intellectuals. Acclaimed translator Nancy Ross will share insights from her two decades of bringing Rosario’s voice into English and read translations of her letters.
Also, artists from TEMPO Dance & Visual Arts and Ome Dance will present a preview of a performance inspired by Rosario’s work, premiering on May 15 at the Roundhouse: dance artists Carla Alcántara and Marco Esccer will discuss their creative process, while Judith Colibrí and Silene Razo will perform excerpts.
Come witness the intersection of literature and performance—to see, hear, and feel Castellanos’ words brought to life in a contemporary context!

About the Artists
Marco Esccer (he/him) is a queer Mexican dance artist and interdisciplinary creator exploring migration, resilience, and belonging through choreography, storytelling, and cross-cultural collaborations in Vancouver.
Carla Alcántara is a Mexican multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, photographer, videographer, and educator who has been based in Vancouver since 2021. Her work focuses on building community through creative collaborations, performance, and education in contemporary dance and visual arts.
Founder and co-director of TEMPO Dance & Visual Art, Carla has performed internationally and worked with choreographers like Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Alina Sotskova, Jennifer Aoki, and Rachel Maddock. She currently teaches at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, choreographs for Youth in Motion Dance Company, and facilitates workshops across Metro Vancouver.
Ome Dance Collective is a contemporary dance duet based in Vancouver. It was formed in 2024 by Mexican dancers Silene Razo and Judith Colibrí. The group arises from the need to create new works from the perspective of two Mexican female artists and how they sense the world through their own cultural baggage.
Nancy Jean Ross lives in Vancouver, B.C. She completed her MA in Hispanic Studies at UBC (2023). Her master’s thesis is: “Negotiating the Feminine: Travel, Writing and Identity in Rosario Castellanos’s Nonfiction from Spain, the United States and Israel. Her poetry and translations of Rosario Castellanos’s letters and fiction have been published in Latin American Literature Today, The Georgia Review, Asymptote, The Malahat Review, The Paterson Literary Review and And Then. She currently teaches creative writing workshops.
In Partnership with VPL and TEMPO Dance & Visual Arts, Ome Dance

Preguntas a Rosario | A Community Workshop
2025-05-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Move, Reflect, and Bring Rosario Castellanos’ Poetry to Life
Date: Sunday, May 11, 2025
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre – Room B (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver)
What if poetry could move you—literally? What if words could transform the way you see yourself and the world around you?
“¿Para qué sirve la poesía?”
“What is poetry for?” — Rosario Castellanos
On the same week as Rosario Castellanos’ Centennial Celebration event on May 15, VLACC invites you to Preguntas a Rosario, an interdisciplinary, bilingual embodiment workshop guided by Carla Alcántara, Marco Esccer, and the Ome Dance Collective. We’ll step into Castellanos’ world, exploring her most powerful questions through movement, dialogue, and creative exploration.

📖 “La vocación de la escritura es una responsabilidad doble, ineludible. El escritor no lo es si no pone en entredicho lo que ha heredado.”
🖋️ “The vocation of writing is a double, inescapable responsibility. A writer is not one unless they question what they have inherited.” — Rosario Castellanos
What Awaits You:
🔹 Powerful Themes: Dive into Castellanos’ reflections on feminism, equity, death, empowerment, and Indigenous heritage—timeless and deeply relevant topics.
🔹 A Space for Connection: Engage in an inclusive, intercultural environment that welcomes diverse perspectives and artistic expression.
🔹Inspiring Transformation: Use poetry and movement to challenge the status quo and cultivate personal and collective resilience.
🔹 Inclusivity & Accessibility: Open to everyone—artists, community leaders, and those new to poetry and movement—this workshop creates a shared space for creativity and dialogue.
🔹Fostering Resilience: Castellanos’ work becomes a catalyst for reimagining our roles as changemakers, building bridges through art to stronger, more compassionate communities.
🌍 “Al cuestionar el lugar que ocupamos en el mundo, abrimos una posibilidad para cambiar la realidad.”
💡 “By questioning the place we occupy in the world, we open the possibility to change reality.” — Rosario Castellanos
Words have power, movement has meaning, and community can transform us. This is more than a workshop—it’s a chance to honour Rosario Castellanos’ vision and explore how her legacy can inspire justice, resilience, and change in our lives today.
✊ “Recordemos hasta que la justicia se siente entre nosotros.”
❤️ “Let us remember until justice takes a seat among us.” — Rosario Castellanos
Come ready to move, question, and connect—because Castellanos’ words are not just meant to be read. They are meant to be felt. Be part of this living dialogue!
In partnership with the Roundhouse, Marco Esccer, TEMPO and the Ome Dance Collective

VLACC and the artists are immensely grateful to the funder of this production, The Grayross Foundation

Latin American Short Stories Reading Group | Special Edition Rosario Castellanos with Tamara Mitchell
2025-05-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Britannia Community Centre – Art Gallery and +55 Centre, 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, B.C., V5L 4X4, Canada
Latin American Short Stories Reading Group – Rosario Castellanos Special Edition
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Conference Room – Britannia Community Services Centre (1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC, V5L 4X4)
This is a FREE event, but registration is required. Save your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/latin-american-short-stories-reading-group-rosario-castellanos-special-ed-tickets-1334244103029

Join us for a special edition of VLACC’s Latin American Short Stories Reading Group as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mexican writer Rosario Castellanos, a groundbreaking author, poet, and feminist thinker whose work continues to inspire generations.
For this centennial session, we’ll read and reflect on “The Cooking Lesson” (“Lección de cocina”) (1971) and a short fragment from the novel “Balún Canán” (1957) by Rosario Castellanos. The discussion will be led by Professor Tamara Mitchell, who will guide us through the nuances of the text and offer insights into Castellanos’ legacy in Latin American literature.
Whether you’re a seasoned reader or new to her work, this is an excellent opportunity to discover (or rediscover) a powerful voice in Latin American writing.
✨ We’ll also be giving away a few copies of Balún Canán in both English and Spanish during the event!
The stories are available in both English and Spanish. The conversation will be held in English, and no prior knowledge of the author or background in Latin American literature is needed. Everyone’s welcome!
Read the stories here:
(English): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MaztDXXLwh_IpbWBycb66hf8KCNpOHWe?usp=sharing
(Español): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ceVpvLMxXi-piMvSTDONzl52CQyNRMKm?usp=sharing

About the Facilitator
Tamara Mitchell is a scholar of 20th- and 21st-century Latin American literature and cultures. Her work examines the relationship among aesthetics, politics, and literary tradition in the current epoch of neoliberal globalization, focusing on Mexican and Central American narrative fiction. At UBC, Tamara is the faculty lead on the Sound and the Humanities Research Cluster.
Tamara received a Master of Arts in Spanish Literature at the University of Kansas (2009), following which she spent a year abroad as an Assistant Professor of English Philology at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, and taught for two years as a Lecturer of Spanish at Clemson University in South Carolina. She received a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature from Indiana University, Bloomington (2019), where she conducted research abroad as a FLAS Fellow and Tinker recipient.
With the support of Britannia Community Services Centre and UBC LAS.

Seeds of Resistance - An Interdisciplinary Tribute to Rosario Castellanos’ Life and Work
2025-05-15 18:00 - 21:00 | Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Join us for an evening of reflection and artistic expression as we celebrate the centennial of Rosario Castellanos—one of Mexico’s most influential writers, poets, and intellectuals.
Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: Exhibition Hall and Performance Centre – Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre – 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver.
A trailblazing feminist, Castellanos challenged societal norms, questioned social class structures, and shed light on the invisibilization of Indigenous communities. With sharp irony and an unwavering inquiry into power, gender, and privilege, she left behind words that remain as urgent today as when they were first written.
“By questioning the place we occupy in the world, we open the possibility of changing reality.” – Rosario Castellanos
In this performance, her reflections come to life through the performers’ movements, resonant voices, live music, and visual projections—creating a dynamic landscape of images and sensations inspired by Rosario’s echoes. This work is a living interpretation of her relentless search for truth:
“Let us remember until justice sits among us.” – Rosario Castellanos
Event Program
Exhibition Hall Doors Open at 6 pm and the Performance Centre at 6:45 pm. Enjoy the installation at your own rhythm to get a wider context of Rosario before the show!
6:00 – 7:00 PM | A Living Installation
An evocative journey through Rosario Castellanos’ life and work, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in her world.
7:00 – 7:50 PM | Performance
A multidisciplinary interpretation of Castellanos’ enduring questions, dissolving the boundaries between past and present.
7:50 – 8:30 PM | Talkback
An opportunity for audiences to be part of the reflective process of creating this work, and an invitation to voice out new questions and reflections
8:30 – 9:00 PM | Reception & Celebration
A time to continue the conversation informally, enjoy refreshments, revisit the installation and celebrate the Centennial!
Buy your tickets here: https://seeds-of-resistance.eventbrite.ca

ARTISTIC TEAM
Performance:
Artistic Co-Directors: Carla Alcántara & Marco Esccer
Performers & Co-creators: Carla Alcántara, Marco Esccer, Judith Colibrí, Silene Razo
Music Director & Sound Design: RCHRDY
Dramaturg: Ana Maria Carrizales
Project Initiator & Literary Consultant: Nancy Ross
Video Design: Carla Alcántara
Video Mentor: Caroline MacCaull
Costume Designer: Juliana Silva
Lighting Designer Victoria Bell
Stage Manager: Kaili Che
Event illustration (poster & banners): Ari de la Mora
Graphic Designer: Claudia Fleury
Living Installation:
Art Direction & Concept: Carla Alcántara, Marco Esccer & Juliana Silva
Installation artist: Juliana Silva
Installation artist assistant: Julian Esteban Pintor
Co-produced by VLACC and TEMPO Dance & Visual Art

In Partnership with The Roundhouse and New Works

.

With the support of Liberated Planet Studio, The Dance Centre and Consulado General de México en Vancouver.

VLACC and the artists are immensely grateful to the funder of this production, The Grayross Foundation

Punto de Encuentro | Beyond the Scroll: Social Media Strategies for Artists
2025-06-07 14:30 - 16:30 | T Gallery – Langara College, Langara College - T Gallery (T Building, Campus West Side) - 100 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, B.C., V5X 3B3, Canada
Punto de Encuentro | Beyond the Scroll: Social Media Strategies for Artists
Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
Time: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: Langara College – T Gallery (T Building, Campus West Side) – 100 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5X 3B3
This is a FREE event, but registration is required. Save your spot here: https://punto-de-encuentro.eventbrite.ca

Are you an artist struggling to get your work out there?
Using social media but not sure how to make it work for you?
Join us for a practical and inspiring free workshop designed for artists looking to build their online presence and connect with audiences in meaningful ways.
This session is part of Punto de Encuentro, VLACC’s professional development and networking series that supports artists across all disciplines. It’s a space to learn, exchange ideas, and strengthen your practice.
The workshop will be led by Rebecca Coleman, a seasoned Social Media Marketing Strategist and educator with deep roots in the arts. With a background in theatre and years of experience supporting artists, non-profits, and small businesses, Rebecca brings practical insight and a deep understanding of the creative sector.
You’ll be introduced to key social media platforms and learn practical tips to begin using them more effectively. The session will include examples, guided discussion, and light hands-on exercises to help you start thinking strategically about your online presence.
This workshop is ideal for artists at any stage of their career who want to strengthen their visibility and impact.
In Partnership with Langara College, with support from Hamber Foundation

Latin American Short Stories Reading Group - June Edition
2025-06-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Britannia Community Centre – Art Gallery and +55 Centre, 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, B.C., V5L 4X4, Canada
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Conference Room – Britannia Community Services Centre (1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC, V5L 4X4)
This is a FREE event, but registration is required. Save your spot here: https://latin-american-short-stories-reading-group-june-edition.eventbrite.ca

Step into the imaginative world of Horacio Quiroga, one of Latin America’s most iconic short story writers. For our June session, we will read and discuss three of his most compelling works: “El almohadón de plumas” (The Feather Pillow), “La miel silvestre” (Wild Honey), and “Los pescadores de vigas” (Fishermen).
Facilitated by Dr. María Ignacia Barraza, this session invites readers to explore Quiroga’s unique blend of psychological tension and raw nature. Whether you are familiar with his writing or discovering it for the first time, you will find plenty to unpack and reflect on together.
This is a welcoming space to connect, read, and exchange ideas with others who share a love for literature. No previous experience with Latin American literature is necessary. Just bring your curiosity! The stories are available in Spanish and English translation. The discussion will be in English.
This will be our last session of the season. We will take a break for the summer and return in September with more great stories and conversation. Have a wonderful summer and see you in the fall!
Read the stories here:
(English):
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12vRkK1V8BMF7GFrAsSd1-qyfc-5zDx2J?usp=sharing
(Español):

El almohadón de plumas: https://www.ingenieria.unam.mx/dcsyhfi/material_didactico/Literatura_Hispanoamericana_Contemporanea/Autores_Q/QUIROGA/plumas.pdf
La miel silvestre: https://www.ingenieria.unam.mx/dcsyhfi/material_didactico/Literatura_Hispanoamericana_Contemporanea/Autores_Q/QUIROGA/miel.pdf
Los pescadores de vigas:

https://www.literatura.us/quiroga/vigas.html
About the facilitator
Dr. María Ignacia Barraza is Assistant Professor in the World Languages and Literatures Department at Simon Fraser University. Her areas of research include the Spanish literary generations of 1898 and 1927; 19 th and 20 th century Latin American poetry and prose (with a focus on Modernismo and the Latin American Boom), as well as film and the visual arts.

With the support of Britannia Community and Services Centre

ALMA, Songs of the Soul - Canto Vivo in Concert
2025-06-28 19:30 - 21:30 | York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, B.C., V5L 3W3, Canada
Date: Saturday, June 28, 2025
Time: 7:30 pm (6:30 pm Lobby Doors Open)
Location: York Theatre (639 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3W3)
ALMA, Songs of the Soul, is a musical journey through the beating heart of Latin American culture, where voices intertwine to tell stories of love, longing, resilience, and joy. Canto Vivo Choir breathes life into the essence of Latin music, celebrating the soul’s many voices: the whispers of nostalgia, the echoes of love, and the melodies that connect us across time and space.
Join us for a night where music pulses with feeling, and every note is sung straight from the heart!

In the voices of Canto Vivo, el alma, the soul takes myriad shapes – a blue butterfly fluttering its wings in a fragrant garden in Guayaquil, the dignified presence of a caballero walking on a Lima sidewalk, a wistful heart that looks south to its native Buenos Aires, the ideals of a revolutionary fighter running for his life in La Higuera… From the nave of South America down to Chile and Argentina, and then north, all the way to Mexico, with stops in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, Canto Vivo will take you on an adventure steeped in melodies and rhythms that will make your hips sway and your feet fly; a musical journey overflowing with intriguing stories and an unforgettable experience that will move you to the core and lend wings to your soul.

About Canto Vivo Choir
Founded by VLACC in 2017 under the direction of Sérgio Pires, Canto Vivo brings together singers from across Latin America, Canada, and beyond. Today, the choir is made up of 30 members representing 14 different countries. Over the years, Canto Vivo has performed at a variety of events and venues, including the Vancouver Public Library, the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Waterfront Theatre, and The Annex. This June marks the choir’s second solo concert, featuring a lively repertoire of beloved Latin American songs in Spanish and Portuguese, many of which were specially arranged for the group by Sérgio himself.

About the Music Director
Sérgio Pires holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University and degrees in Musicology and Music Education from Brazilian institutions. Before moving to Canada, he was a professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Pires’ previous conducting engagements include the early music ensemble Brasil Barroco, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Chamber Choir and the Concordia Choir, Vancouver.
Special Guests and Team
Roraima Albornoz & Ignacio Frechero (Vocals)
Yesenia Florez (Vocals)
Marcos Uribe (Guitar, Charango and Percussion)
Osvaldo Nicolás Ledesma (Guitar)
Baltazar Aguilera (Keyboard)
Hana Hermanek (Flute)
Candelario Andrade (Projection Designer)
Carolina Silva (Graphic Designer)
Funded by the City of Vancouver, BC Arts Council, and BC Community Gaming Grants
Sponsored by Deloitte, Mi Tierra Latina, and Boteco Brasil

With the Support of Britannia Community Services Centre and The Roundhouse

Rhythms of Brazil with Sara Magal and Daniella Gramani
2025-07-16 14:30 - 16:00 | Civic Plaza, Surrey, 13450 104 Ave, Surrey, B.C., V3T 1V8, Canada
Get ready to feel the beat and celebrate Brazilian culture at Surrey Voices, a multicultural event that celebrates diversity and brings communities together through shared experiences!
VLACC is proud to present Rhythms of Brazil, a dynamic, interactive event in collaboration with Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association, where you’ll learn the basics of the pandeiro, a traditional Brazilian percussion instrument. Guided by the talented Daniella Gramani, participants will get hands-on experience and learn one popular Brazilian song.
The celebration continues with a live performance by the captivating Brazilian singer Sara Magal, who will invite workshop participants to join her on stage and perform the very song they’ve just learned! Sara will also delight the audience with a vibrant set of other Brazilian favourites, filling the plaza with energy and soul.
Whether you’re new to Brazilian rhythms or already have samba in your soul, this joyful gathering is for you. Come celebrate Surrey’s cultural richness and leave with new rhythms in your heart!
Free event | Limited spots for the workshop – first come, first served! (Ages 10+)
Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Time: 2:30 – 4:00 PM
Location: Civic Plaza, Surrey (13450 104 Ave, Surrey, BC V3T 1V8)
About the artists
Sara Magal is a dynamic Brazilian singer and songwriter based in Vancouver since 2016. Originally from Brasília, she released her first album, “Cavalo Preto” in 2014, winning Best Vocal Performer at the Rádio Nacional FM Festival the same year. Her music is a vibrant fusion of samba, bossa nova, forró, jazz, and other styles. She’s known for her knack for reimagining traditional tunes with innovative arrangements, always adding a Brazilian twist that makes each piece uniquely her own. Whether performing live or recording new tracks, Sara brings a fresh, exciting energy to the music scene, making each song distinctly personal and captivating.
Daniella Gramani is a seasoned musician and educator with over 30 years of experience across Brazilian popular music, classical, and contemporary styles. As a performer, she has taken on roles as a violinist, vocalist, and percussionist in ensembles such as Mundaréu. Holding a master’s degree in music and currently pursuing doctoral studies, Daniella blends a rich academic background with a deep passion for cultural expression. Based in Canada, she draws from a wide range of global influences to inform both her performances and teaching. Her dynamic, student-centered approach to music education has reached learners of all ages in schools, universities, and festivals. Daniella believes in the power of music to be both technically rigorous and deeply transformative.
In partnership with Donwtown Surrey Business Improvement Association

Verano de Colores
2025-07-26 10:30 - 12:30 | Victoria Park, 1425 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC
Ages 3 to 9 years
VLACC is excited to present Verano de Colores once again this summer! This program has become a cherished summer tradition—an invitation for families with young children to come together and celebrate the Spanish language and the rich cultural diversity of Latin America.
This vibrant event will feature joyful activities including puppetry, family games, dancing, and a hands-on creative project, all unfolding to the gentle, sparkling soundtrack of Latin American children’s music that brings the space to life.
As in previous years, we’ll wrap up the celebration with a selection of Latin American snacks, delicious treats that are also easy to find in local stores.
Come play, create, and celebrate Latin American culture with us!
Please make sure to reserve a ticket for each child you’re bringing to the event. There’s no need to register adults.

EN ESPAÑOL
Una vez más, el VLACC se complace en presentar Verano de Colores! Este evento se ha convertido ya en una tradición de verano para las familias con niños pequeños que desean celebrar el idioma español y la rica diversidad cultural de América Latina.
El evento contará con actividades llenas de alegría que incluirán teatro de títeres, juegos en familia, baile y un proyecto manual creativo, todo acompañado de chispeante música infantil latinoamericana.
Como en años anteriores, cerraremos la celebración con una selección de ligeros bocadillos latinoamericanos, deliciosas opciones que también son fáciles de encontrar en tiendas locales.
¡Ven a jugar, crear y celebrar con nosotros la cultura latinoamericana!
Por favor, asegúrate de reservar un boleto para cada niño que asistirán al evento. No es necesario registrar a los adultos.
Date: Saturday, July 26, 2025
Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Victoria Park (1425 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 4G9)
About the Facilitators
Ana Lorena Perez:
Moved from Ecuador to Canada in 2014, bringing with her an academic background in family therapy and educational counselling. Shortly after arriving, she became actively involved in community programs supporting Spanish-speaking families with young children, first as a volunteer and later as a worker. Through this work, she discovered a passion for children’s music, puppetry, and sharing Latin American culture. In 2022, she honed her skills as a puppeteer with the support of Neworld Theatre. In 2023, Ana took the stage as one of the puppeteers for the show Division Infinity Saves The World (Neworld), blending her love for art with her commitment to community engagement.
Rocio Quevedo:
Was born in the Sonora Desert and has been living in Canada for more than a decade. She has had the fortune to live in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Winnipeg. As a lover of nature and a former ESL teacher, she is passionate about learning more about culture, languages, and everything that connects us, such as dance and movement. This passion has led her through many different paths in life, among them a dance instructor and performer. She currently works as a Family Programmer and Volunteer Coordinator in a non-profit organization.
Teresa Larrea is an Ecuadorian-born artist and art educator based in Vancouver. She is passionate about creating inclusive spaces where children and youth can explore their creativity, culture, and imagination through art. Teresa has worked with newcomer and refugee communities across the Lower Mainland, using hands-on activities to support storytelling, healing, and connection. Her workshops often blend visual art with playful exploration, drawing inspiration from Latin American traditions and everyday materials. At Verano de Colores, she will lead the arts and crafts activity, inviting children to create colorful, meaningful pieces inspired by their own experiences and cultural roots.
Reserve your spot today! Click here to register on Eventbrite.
¡Reserva tu lugar hoy mismo! Haz clic aquí para registrarte en Eventbrite.

Camino y Despedida | An interdisciplinary performance on Migration and Hope
2025-08-29 19:30 - 22:00 | Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre | Performance Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2W3, Canada
VLACC and TEMPO Dance & Visual Art are proud to present Camino y Despedida (Walking Farewells). This interdisciplinary production explores migration, identity, and hope through contemporary dance, live music, and multilingual storytelling.
Dates:
Friday, August 29, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Saturday, August 30 | 2:00 PM
Location: Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre | Performance Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, BC)

About the Work
Camino y Despedida is an interdisciplinary performance embracing culture, language, and identity, co-created by six Latin American artists from Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia.
After two years of exploration through solo, duet, and trio formats, the piece has evolved into a powerful ensemble work that interweaves contemporary dance, live music (including original songs), video projection, and multilingual text.
“Through the work, we reconnect with our roots while confronting the nuances of privilege that allow us to live on these unceded territories. We reflect on the struggles of erasure: Why must we sacrifice parts of our identity, language, and culture to survive? What does it mean to miss a home where we no longer belong or cannot return? Amidst sorrow, there is laughter; amidst hardship, a rediscovery of joy and community.” Marco Esccer.
Though deeply personal, the work resonates on a universal level, especially within today’s global context of displacement, conflict, and shifting immigration policies. The piece blends Spanish, Portuguese, and Nahuatl, interwoven with English to bridge Latin American stories with North American audiences. It evokes the sensations of hope, sorrow, joy, nostalgia, and aspiration for a better life, illuminating the resilience found in connection and the emotional journey of migration (Camino) and farewells (Despedida).
About the Music
This production features two original songs composed by Carolina Silva, as well as collaboratively developed music scores with RCHRDY. The duo also reinterprets selected covers from various composers.
About the Co-creators & Performers
Marco Esccer: Queer Mexican dance artist, embodiment facilitator, and emerging playwright.
Carla Alcántara: Mexican multidisciplinary artist weaving dance, photography, and video.Emerging projection designer.
Ysadora Dias: Afro-Brazilian dance artist embracing her queer identity and cultural roots.
Carolina Silva: Colombian musician and singer expanding into interdisciplinary performance.
Rodrigo Hervert: Indigenous Mexican LGBTQ+ refugee and emerging contemporary dancer.
RCHRDY: Mexican multidisciplinary artist exploring sound, movement, and installation.
Creative Team
Marco Esccer: Artistic Director
Carla Alcántara & RCHRDY: Assistant Directors
Ysadora Dias, Carla Alcántara, Carolina Silva, Marco Esccer, RCHRDY, and Rodrigo Flores:
Co-creators & Performers
Carolina Silva & RCHRDY: Music Composition & Arrangements
Carla Alcántara: Projection Designer
Pedro Chamale: Dramaturg & Text Director
Victoria Bell: Lighting Designer
Kaili Che: Stage Manager
Carolina Silva: Poster Designer
Produced by TEMPO Dance & Visual Art
In Partnership with The Roundhouse and Rice & Beans Theatre
With the support of Dance West Network through the CASC Grant from the City of Vancouver in addition to support from Migrant Journeys and the Vancouver International Dance Festival

Latin American Short Stories Reading Group
2025-09-09 18:30 - 20:00 | Britannia Community Centre – Conference Room, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
VLACC is thrilled to welcome back our beloved Latin American Short Stories Reading Group, in collaboration with SFU’s Department of World Languages and Literatures.
Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Britannia Community Services Centre (Conference Room) – 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC
This is a free event, but registration is required, and donations are always appreciated.
Reserve your spot here: LINK

This session will be facilitated by Camila Dilli, SFU Visiting Faculty, and will guide us through an inspiring journey into the Brazilian short work Ideas to Postpone the End of the World (2020), by Indigenous leader, writer, and activist Ailton Krenak. A member of the Krenak people of southeastern Brazil, Krenak has long been recognized for his role in Indigenous rights movements and his powerful reflections on humanity’s relationship with the planet. In this book, he weaves together philosophy, ancestral knowledge, and ecological awareness to challenge dominant ideas of progress and propose new ways of living that honour interdependence and sustainability.
For our discussion, we will focus on a few pages, where Krenak shares stories and provocations that invite us to imagine alternatives to the ecological and social crises of our times.
The stories are available in both the original Portuguese version and English translation. Discussions will be in English, and no prior knowledge of Latin American literature is required, just curiosity and a love for stories!
Please click on the following links to access the stories:
English Version:
KRENAK, Ailton. Ideas to Postpone the End of the World. Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2020.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e6xI3jd_eAIzG0vHBABMhewWoVzpRIdY/view?usp=sharing
Portuguese Version:
KRENAK, Ailton. Ideias para adiar o fim do mundo. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2019.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UYjFpdqD-5llOOc6cogLhSqYpch9AM2R/view?usp=sharing
About the Facilitator
Camila Dilli came to Canada to launch Portuguese language courses and to develop a Portuguese language curriculum for the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Simon Fraser University (SFU), where she is a Visiting Faculty through the Guimarães Rosa Readership Program, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.
With over 20 years of experience teaching in Scandinavia, North America, and South America, Camila has a passion for intercultural dialogue and creative pedagogy. She is the author of online language and teacher education courses and has also explored literary writing and oral storytelling, including the short story she published in 42 Praias, 42 Beaches, a collaborative book by Brazilian women centred on the theme of death.
Follow her work on Instagram: @leitoradoguimaraes.sfu
With the support of Britannia Community and Services Centre, Leitorado Instituto Guimarães Rosa, SFU World Languages and Literatures.

Punto de Encuentro |Grants for Individual Artists: A Practical Workshop
2025-09-13 14:30 - 16:30 | T Gallery – Langara College, Langara College - T Gallery (T Building, Campus West Side) - 100 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, B.C., V5X 3B3, Canada
Are you an artist or cultural worker looking to navigate the world of public arts funding? This hands-on session is designed for artists seeking clarity and confidence when applying for grants.
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Time: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: Langara College – T Gallery (T Building, Campus West Side) – 100 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5X 3B3

Led by Mary Ann S. Anderson of Little Dog Creative Consulting, this workshop will walk you through the essentials of writing successful grant applications: what funders look for, how to frame your work, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Whether you’re applying to the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, or other funding bodies, this session will offer practical tools and helpful insight. She will also share a short presentation on a recently-launched grant research software, SmartGrant.
Mary Ann has over three decades of experience in arts administration and public fundraising, including 12 years managing the municipal grant program for North Vancouver and extensive work supporting artists and organizations across Canada.
This workshop is presented as part of Punto de Encuentro, VLACC’s professional development series supporting Latin American artists and cultural workers.
In Partnership with Langara College, with support from Hamber Foundation

Latin Expressions 2025 Opening Night
2025-10-03 19:30 - 23:30 | St. James Community Square, 3214 W 10th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
VLACC is thrilled to launch Latin Expressions 2025 with a night that brings our community together to celebrate Latin American Heritage Month.
Join us for an evening that blends music, culture, and connection. Experience the vibrant sounds of the local band Mazacote, performing their signature live Latin rhythms, and let DJ Diana Mulata guide us across the diverse musical landscapes of Latin America. More than a groove night, this gathering invites everyone to share the joy of music, connect with the community, and immerse themselves in the traditions and stories behind these rhythms.
Our Latin-themed bar by Boteco Brasil will add to the festive atmosphere, and a very special dance moment led by Los ¡Aseres! awaits to make the night unforgettable.
Dress to impress in your elegant evening wear and be part of a celebration where culture and community meet on the dance floor.
Latin Expressions 2025 starts here. Come celebrate, connect, and create new memories with us!
Date: Friday, October 3, 2025
Time: 7:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Location: St. James Community Square (3214 W 10th Ave, Vancouver)
Age +19

About the Artists
MAZACOTE is an electrifying world/Latin band deeply rooted in the vibrant rhythms of Colombia, Mozambique, and Venezuela. Their music pulsates with energetic Latin dance beats, delivering a potent message that resonates with audiences. Infused with Afro-Caribbean percussion and tropical party vibes, their sound captivates listeners. Their recent Juno-nominated album, PATRIA, released on Justin Time Records, confronts pressing socio-political concerns, shedding light on the journeys of those escaping violence and corruption in Latin America and beyond. MAZACOTE has performed at Vancouver International Salsa Festival with salsa legend Jimmy Bosch, and played CBC Vancouver, the Harmony Arts Festival, Townsite Jazz Festival, Carnaval del Sol, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Jazz Fest, the Winterruption Arts Festival, Edmonton Jazz Fest, Saskjazz, Calgary and Victoria Jazz Fest. With their mesmerizing performances and socially conscious music, MAZACOTE continues to make a resounding impact within the global music scene.

DIANA MULATA is a vinyl collector and selector from Cali, specializing in salsa, cumbia, and boogaloo. Her selections explore Afro-Caribbean heritage and Latin sounds across borders, creating dance floors that hold memory, joy, and resistance. Based in Canada, she brings the pulse of the South to every groove.

LOS ¡ASERES! is an inclusive and supportive group encouraging people to connect through dance. They are proudly supported by the Julio Montero Dance Umbrella and Elegancia Cubana, which are dedicated to promoting and preserving Cuban dance and music culture in the Coast Salish territories.

Vessels: A Visual Journey Through Latin America’s Open Veins | Screening and Talkback
2025-10-06 18:30 - 19:45 | Reliance Theatre at Emily Carr University, 520 E 1st Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V5T 1A7, Canada
Join us for a powerful evening of art, memory, and conversation as we present the Vancouver premiere of Vessels, an animated short film by Cuban artist Yaimel López, with music composition and sound design by Alexandre Klinke.
Inspired by The Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano, this animated film explores the violent legacy of colonization and exploitation across Latin America through rich visual storytelling and sound, a reflection of a region whose history has been written in blood, but also in pride.
This free screening will be followed by a talkback conversation featuring artist Yaimel López, composer Alexandre Klinke, and storyteller and equity consultant for Film and TV Coral Santana, moderated by Miret Rodriguez.
Date: Monday, October 6, 2025
Time: 6:30 to 7:45 pm
Location: Reliance Theatre – Emily Carr University of Art + Design 520 E 1st Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 1A7

About the Artists and Panellists
Yaimel López Zaldívar is a Cuban multimedia artist based in Vancouver, Canada since 2019. His practice includes experimental animation, printmaking, design and also education. Graduated from the Superior Institute of Design in Havana (2010). He has collaborated as an artist and designer with several organizations. In 2022, he was nominated for the Lind Prize (Polygon Gallery) for his work in experimental animation.

Alexandre Klinke is a Brazilian composer and media artist, based in Vancouver since 2008. His work encompasses various fields, including video, multimedia art, music for film, sound design, and live music performance. The appreciation of sound is at the core of his practice.
He releases music under his own name, as well as using the alias Playback Head, an experimental project that ranges from jazz to electronic and ambient genres, merging traditional instruments with field recordings, sound-making objects, and electronic devices.

Coral Santana is an Afro-Dominican storyteller, community organizer and equity consultant for Film and TV based in K’emk’emeláy̓ (Vancouver). They have developed cultural programming focused on exploring Blackness, Queerness and Latinidad for various organizations, including the Museum of Anthropology and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Coral holds a BA in Film Studies with a minor in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.

Miret Rodriguez is the creative director of Curated Tastes and is the former VP of VLACC. She holds an MBA in art and culture management from the Superior School of Commerce in Paris and a BA Major in Art History from UBC. Miret relies on art and the artists who make it to navigate through cultural dislocation and hybridity. Since 2020,
Miret has been interviewing Latinx artists in Canada about their immigration stories and their ways of expressing their experiences through art. This led her to curate Volver (to return, to become) in 2022 at Cityscape Community Artspace in North Vancouver.

In Partnership with Emily Carr University of Art + Design

The Secret Agent | Film Screening
2025-10-11 14:00 - 16:30 | Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
**Please note: Tickets for this film are currently on standby, which means advance sales may be sold out. A limited number of tickets may become available at the door just before the screening begins (from returns or unused complimentary tickets). Additional tickets could also be released online, so we encourage you to check the VIFF page regularly for updates.**

VLACC is proud to partner with VIFF to bring Vancouver audiences The Secret Agent, the latest film from acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau).
Having run afoul of an influential bureaucrat working inside of Brazil’s military dictatorship circa 1977, Marcelo (Narcos’ Wagner Moura) decamps to Recife to live under an assumed name and reconnect with his young son. Bedding in with a cadre of political dissidents and refugees while finding work in the state identification archives, the former university researcher comes to understand precisely how insidious and all-encompassing the country’s corruption has become.
The Secret Agent serves notice that Kleber Mendonça Filho is now undisputedly one of international cinema’s titans. Filled with nostalgic references and punctuated by absurdist digressions, the film is both reflective and visionary in equal measure. Epic in scope, rich in allegory, and ambitious in structure (the narrative nimbly shifts between multiple time periods), this is a sophisticated and engrossing neo-noir that not only recalls classic 70s paranoid political thrillers but gives them a run for their money.

Saturday, October 11 at 2 pm
Location: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2P1)
One other screening on Monday, October 6, at 9pm, also at the Vancouver Playhouse
**Please note: Tickets for this film are currently on standby, which means advance sales may be sold out. A limited number of tickets may become available at the door just before the screening begins (from returns or unused complimentary tickets). Additional tickets could also be released online, so we encourage you to check the VIFF page regularly for updates.**
In partnership with VIFF

Fire Never Dies: The Tina Modotti Project Premiere
2025-10-16 19:30 - 22:00 | The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
In Fire Never Dies: The Tina Modotti Project, best-selling author and Electric Company Core Artist Carmen Aguirre explores the intersection of art and revolution through the life of Italian photographer and activist Tina Modotti.
Modotti’s story unfolds in 1920s Mexico City, where her art flourished and she engaged with icons like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. However, after seven years, she abandoned photography to join the anti-fascist cause, ultimately running the Red Aid Hospital during the Spanish Civil War.
Modotti’s journey—from working-class roots to revolutionary martyrdom—raises urgent questions: What is the purpose of art in the face of fascism? Can art serve the poor? Through a dynamic blend of styles and theatrical forms, the play unfolds in twenty-five episodes set during Modotti’s final moments—a fatal heart attack in a taxi in Mexico City at age forty-five.
Performed by a seven-actor ensemble, scenes shift fluidly: film noir for her espionage in Berlin, naturalism for parties in Mexico, runway theatrics to introduce characters. Aguirre mirrors Modotti’s struggle to reconcile passion, creativity, and political conviction—ultimately asking: What is the personal cost of militancy?
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2025
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: The Cultch Historic Theatre (1895 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H6)
Promo code – VLACC – 15% discount in the event
Please check here for other performance dates: https://thecultch.com/event/fire-never-dies/

In partnership with The Cultch, produced by Electric Company Theatre

Community Milonga
2025-10-17 18:30 - 21:30 | Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Join us for an evening of dance, connection, and community, no experience required!
Whether you’re an experienced dancer or curious to try tango for the first time, all are welcome at the Community Milonga (tango dance party). A milonga is a social dance gathering rooted in Argentine Tango and is celebrated as a lively, inclusive space where dancers of every level come together to share music, movement, and culture.
The evening will be hosted by StevenJoannaTango and will begin with a beginners’ tango workshop led by Nadia Tavakli and Joanna Kwan. The DJ for the evening will be Steven Chu.
Come as you are and let the rhythm guide you!
Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Location: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5N6)

FREE Event. No registration required.

Note: The Vancouver Playhouse bar will be open for drinks and snack purchases.
About the Milonga Hosts
In 2006, Steven and Joanna went to Buenos Aires for a short vacation and fell in love with Argentine Tango. They travel abroad regularly to dance tango and to learn from different teachers. At home in Vancouver, StevenJoannaTango has organized regular milongas since 2007 and many special events since. Steven also DJs regularly in local milongas and practicas. As a couple, they are both active social dancers and proud to be an integral part of the local tango community.

In Partnership with Dance House and Vancouver Civic Theatres
Community Partners: StevenJoannaTango and the Consulate General of the Argentine Republic in Vancouver

Inside The Alchemist Heart: A Guided Tour with Dafne Blanco-Sarlay
2025-10-19 18:00 - 19:00 | The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Join us for a special guided tour with multidisciplinary artist Dafne Blanco-Sarlay, as she walks us through her powerful solo exhibition, The Alchemist Heart , a deeply personal journey through identity, memory, and the transformative power of art.
Drawing from her Afro-Mexican and Jewish roots, her family’s history of migration and activism, and her lived experience as an immigrant in Canada, Dafne’s work weaves together “a juxtaposition of lived realities through a hybrid female body that embodies a multiplicity of voices.”
Inspired by the play Fire Never Dies: The Tina Modotti Project, The Alchemist Heart reflects on the pain of injustice and the beauty of resilience. The exhibition presents the heart as an alchemical vessel — a place where suffering, love, and social commitment are transformed into something precious.
This intimate tour offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from the artist about the stories, symbols, and materials behind her work.
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Location: Historic Theatre Gallery (1895 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H6)
Tickets: $5

The Alchemist Heart (Artist Statement)
My paternal grandmother descended from black slaves who escaped from Cuba to Mexico in the early 1900s. My father was a leftist activist until his death. My maternal grandparents were Jews who fled Europe and settled in Mexico in the 1930s. These diverse origins, plus my experiences as an immigrant in Canada, always inform my work, which I consider a juxtaposition of lived realities through a hybrid female body that embodies that multiplicity of voices.
Being an African-Mexican Jew, committed to social justice, the play Fire Never Dies: The Tina Modotti Project, truly speaks to me at many levels and inspires me to create this exhibit called The Alchemist Heart based on the concept of an open heart suffering because of injustice and oppression: an image of a heart open to ongoing, active loving and caring for others.
Ultimately, the heart is an alchemy lab where the transmutation from lead –pain and suffering, into precious matter happens through our active commitment to social justice, despite the personal cost of militancy for so many over the course of history.
About the Artist
Dafne Blanco-Sarlay is a multidisciplinary artist based in Vancouver, BC, originally from Mexico. Her multiethnic background, Eastern European Jewish, Afro-Caribbean, and Mexican Indigenous, deeply informs a practice rooted in migration, memory, and the layering of cultural histories. Since arriving in Canada in 1996, she has developed a body of work that explores the crossroads where cultures converge, creating visual narratives where juxtaposed realities, encompassing history and the present, take shape.
Working primarily in mixed media, Dafne builds richly textured surfaces that serve as metaphors for transcultural identity and the complexity of belonging. Her practice is also shaped by an early interest in alchemy and a guiding belief that “there are many worlds, but all exist within this one.” This vision fuels her exploration of the unseen those “manifestations of reality that coexist, that wander around us, and are waiting to be captured by the artist.”
Through ceramics, painting, and layered materials, Dafne invites viewers into these converging worlds, where time, space, and memory intertwine.

In partnership with The Cultch and Electric Company Theatre

Latin American Reading Group | Latin Expressions Special Edition with Martha Bátiz
2025-10-23 18:30 - 20:00 | Granville Island Hotel, 1253 Johnston St, Vancouver, B.C., V6H 3R8, Canada
VLACC is thrilled to present a special edition of our Latin American Short Stories Reading Group, in partnership with the Writers Fest and as part of Latin Expressions 2025, featuring acclaimed Mexican-Canadian writer Martha Bátiz.
Join us for an engaging discussion centred on three of her powerful stories: “Svetlana of Montreal,” “The Audition,” and “Apartment 91B.” These works explore themes of migration, womanhood, identity, and resilience with Martha’s signature blend of sharp insight and emotional depth.
The stories are both in English and Spanish translations, and the discussion will be led in English.
No background in or experience with Latin American literature or culture is needed. Everyone’s welcome!

Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Dockside Lounge (Located inside Granville Island Hotel – 1253 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8)
Please click on the following links to access the stories:
Español
English
About the facilitator
Martha Bátiz is an award-winning Mexican-Canadian writer, literary translator, and educator based in Toronto since 2003. Named one of the Top Ten Most Successful Mexicans in Canada by Latinos Magazine and one of the Top Ten Most Influential Hispanic-Canadians, her fiction and essays have been published widely across the Americas and Europe.
She is the author of several books, including Plaza Requiem (winner of the 2018 International Latino Book Award), No Stars in the Sky (Anansi, 2022), and the novella Boca de lobo, available in Spanish, English (Damiana’s Reprieve), French, and audiobook. Her debut novel, A Daughter’s Place, was released in 2025.
Martha holds a PhD in Latin American Literature and teaches at York University. She also founded the Creative Writing in Spanish course at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.
In Partnership with the Vancouver Writers Fest

Latin American Studio Hop and Reception
2025-10-25 14:30 - 17:00 | Hackspace, 1601 Venables St, Vancouver, B.C., V5L 2H1, Canada
Join us in celebrating Latin American Heritage Month with a specially curated studio hop highlighting Latin American voices in Vancouver, presented as part of VLACC’s Latin Expressions program. Guided by curator and art historian Miret Rodríguez, this event offers an intimate opportunity to step inside three artists’ studios, hear directly about their practices, and reflect on the vibrant cultural diversity that flourishes on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
We’ll begin the tour at Hackspace (601 Venables St) before making our way over to Parker Street Studios for additional studio visits and the closing reception.
This studio hop features:

Angie Jaimes, a Colombian artist working with glass to explore memory, identity, and the invisible boundaries of intimacy.
Pilar Mehlis, a Bolivian-Canadian painter whose work reflects her journey across cultures and her connection to faith.
Camila Pabón, a Colombian artist whose geometric abstractions transform everyday objects into layered, multidimensional compositions infused with vibrant hues and cultural resonance.

The afternoon will conclude with a lively reception of wine and nibbles, graciously hosted by artist Samira Sukhatme in her studio on Parker Street. Originally from India, Samira is connected to Vancouver’s Latin American art scene through her participation in an upcoming exhibition curated by Miret Rodríguez at THIS Gallery, featuring Mexican artists Angie Quintanilla Coates and Alejandra Morales.
This collaboration between the Eastside Arts Society, VLACC, and Curated Tastes brings together studio visits, dialogue, and a community reception—a signature format of Curated Tastes events. It’s an afternoon to connect with artists, exchange ideas, and celebrate the richness of Latin American creativity here in Vancouver’s Eastside
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Time: 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Starting Location: Hackspace – 1601 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H1 (meet us here!)
Final Location: Parker Street Studios – 1000 Parker St, Vancouver, BC V6A 4B9

About the Artists and Facilitator
Angie Jaimes is a Colombian visual artist working primarily with glass, currently living and creating in Vancouver, Canada. Her practice is rooted in the physical and emotional weight of memory, identity, and the complexity of intimacy. She approaches glass not merely as a material, but as a collaborator, one that resists, fractures, and surprises.
Drawn to the dual nature of glass its fragility and strength, its transparency, its role as both window and barrier Jaimes explores its metaphorical connections to the female body and the invisible boundaries we navigate daily. Cracks and flaws in the material become visual metaphors for the ways time, relationships, and systems shape us. Her work reflects on what it means to be both seen and enclosed, to break and still hold together.
Instagram: @angiejaimesd
Website: www.angiejaimes.com

Camila Pabón is a Colombian artist whose work delves into the structures of everyday objects and environments, exploring their intricate interconnections through geometric abstraction. Her art captures forms, movements, and layers, unfolding like a kaleidoscope to reveal hidden dimensions and stories. Inspired by her Colombian roots, she integrates the vibrant colours of the tropics, drawn from the natural landscape and cultural traditions, and balances them with the structured order of her current home in Canada. Through this duality, Pabón bridges tropical sensibility and abstraction, creating pieces that resonate with both personal and cultural narratives.
Instagram: @kmil_artwork

Pilar Mehlis is a Bolivian-Canadian visual artist whose work is deeply rooted in her lived experience, travels, and Catholic faith. Born in La Paz, Bolivia, she moved to Whitehorse, Yukon at the age of twelve, beginning her artistic journey with painting lessons in nearby Haines, Alaska. Her formal training spans multiple institutions, including the Academy of Art “Hernando Siles” in La Paz, the University of Victoria (BFA in Visual Arts and Art History), and further studies at the Art Academy of Vancouver, Langara College, and the Gage Academy of Art in Seattle under Juliette Aristides.
Pilar has exhibited and taught drawing and painting in both Bolivia and Canada. Her work reflects a lifelong dialogue between faith and creative practice—each shaping and sustaining the other across time and place.
Instagram: @pilarmehlis Website: www.pilarmehlis.ca

Miret Rodriguez is the creative director of Curated Tastes and is the former VP of VLACC. She holds an MBA in art and culture management from the Superior School of Commerce in Paris and a BA Major in Art History from UBC. Miret relies on art and the artists who make it to navigate through cultural dislocation and hybridity. Since 2020, Miret has been interviewing Latinx artists in Canada about their immigration stories and their ways of expressing their experiences through art. This led her to curate Volver (to return, to become) in 2022 at Cityscape Community Artspace in North Vancouver.

In partnership with Eastside Art Society and Curated Tastes

Día de Muertos: Interdisciplinary Embodiment Workshop
2025-11-03 13:30 - 15:30 | Canucks Family Education Centre, 1655 William St, Vancouver, B.C., V5L 2R3, Canada
Facilitator Carla Alcántara leads us through a workshop that is a unique celebration of Mexican culture and a heartfelt tribute to our deceased loved ones. Through a dynamic, interdisciplinary approach, participants will explore movement and dance cues accompanied by live music. Together, we will weave a collective ofrenda (shrine) using provided crafts and materials, honouring the traditions that unite us.
Embracing the essence of Día de Muertos, the workshop reflects on death as both a remembrance and a celebration of life—inviting us to engage with personal griefs, the passage of time, and the ritual of honouring the memory of our beloved ones. Participants will also connect with the symbolic elements of earth, air, fire, and water as we create an embodied ofrenda, honouring both our ancestors and life’s constant transformations.
This gathering offers a meaningful space for the Latin community to reconnect with its roots and traditions, while warmly inviting the wider public to share in the beauty of celebrating the cycles of life and death through this important tradition.

Monday, November 3, 2025
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Canucks Family Education Centre (CFEC)
***Please note this event takes place at the Canucks Family Education Centre (CFEC) which operates out of Britannia Secondary School at 1001 Cotton Drive (above the childcare centre).

***Open to 16 years + and no previous dance experience is necessary. FREE event.

Carla Alcántara is a Mexican multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer, photographer, videographer, and educator, gratefully living and working as a guest of the ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples or so-called Vancouver since 2021. Her artistic interests currently focus on building community through creative collaborations, performance, and education through contemporary dance and visual arts. She believes that dance is a powerful tool for self-discovery that deepens our human connection and that can support building stronger communities.
Carla is the founder and artistic co-director of TEMPO Dance & Visual Art. She has performed and participated in the creative processes of artists, choreographers, and companies internationally, including Mexico, USA, Canada, Brazil, and Malaysia. Nowadays, she gratefully teaches dance at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and is a guest choreographer for both their youth and adult companies, as well as occasional workshops with different communities throughout Metro Vancouver.
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In partnership with the Vancouver Public Library and TEMPO Dance and Visual Arts. With support from Britannia Community Centre.

Latin American Short Stories Reading Group | November
2025-11-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Britannia Community Centre – Conference Room, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
VLACC is pleased to present another session of our reading group dedicated to Latin American short stories. Join us for an engaging discussion on “Hell So Feared” (1957) by Juan Carlos Onetti and “Emma Zunz” (1949) by Jorge Luis Borges — two masterful stories from the mid-20th century that delve into power, fear, and moral ambiguity.
We are excited to welcome back Dr. María Carbonetti, a lecturer at UBC’s Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies, who will once again facilitate the discussion and guide us through the literary contexts of the works.
The stories are available in a single file, with both the original Spanish and English translations included one after the other. No prior knowledge of Latin American literature or Spanish is required. The discussion will be held in English.
Access the stories here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1e8xJyGrOL-67r8YHhg7MHW9iaJucmaaG?usp=sharing
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Conference Room (Britannia Community Services Centre – 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4)

About the Facilitator
Dr. María Carbonetti is a lecturer in the Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies (FHIS) at the University of British Columbia. She is the founder and director of Spanish for Community, a community-based experiential learning initiative, and her work focuses on second-language learning, intercultural translation, and inclusive curriculum design. She has received multiple awards for her contributions to teaching and public engagement, including the Killam Teaching Prize (2019) and the Public Humanities Hub Public Engagement Award (2022).
In partnership with

Brazilian Coffee Experience at Mogiana Coffee
2025-11-29 10:30 - 12:30 | Mogiana Coffee, 7037 Antrim Ave, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Join us for a delicious and engaging morning as we celebrate the rich culture of Brazilian coffee! This immersive event will take you from farm to cup with stories, brewing demonstrations, and tastings using three classic methods: Aeropress, French Press, and Pour Over.
We’ll begin with a conversation about the history of coffee in Brazil, how farming and drying methods shape its flavour, and its deep influence on Brazilian culture—from music and literature to the everyday ritual of “cafezinho”.
You’ll taste the same Brazilian coffee, brewed three different ways, and discover how each method brings out unique flavour notes and aromas. Along the way, we’ll share practical tips to help you brew a better cup at home, and leave you with a deeper appreciation for one of Brazil’s most cherished traditions.
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025
Time: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Location: Mogiana Coffee (7037 Antrim Ave, Burnaby, BC)
$10 per person (plus fees)
Your ticket gives you access to 20% off all coffee purchases on the day

About Mogiana
Mogiana Coffee was founded in Vancouver, BC, in 2008 by Cristina Dias. She grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but her summer holidays were always spent at her family’s coffee farm. The farm where she and her cousins – and many of the workers’ children – would play among the drying beds and the surrounding fields. Cristina has always felt a deep sense of pride for the work her family has done growing coffee in the Mogiana region of Brazil, and she started her company to share her family’s passion with local coffee drinkers here in BC.
Website: mogianacoffee.com
Instagram: @mogianacoffee
In partnership with Mogiana Coffee
