A three-day festival in downtown Vancouver will welcome marginalized artists and performers next month.
The Vancouver Outsiders Arts Festival (VOAF) is back for its eighth year, taking over the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre from Oct. 11 to 13.
The festival will feature more than 60 different creators, including Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, refugee, and low-income artists.
VOAF will also offer a variety of exhibits and experiences, from a culinary workshop that involves poetry and home cooks (“Poems from the Kitchen”) to a photo walk to a presentation of Gift of Madness, an exhibition looking at artistic expression and mental health.
"This Mad Pride mental health-themed show explores the therapeutic benefits of art, highlighting how creative expressions of madness contribute to both personal healing and the healing of others," according to organizers.
Other artists participating include Lupo, the Iskwew Singers, and Jasper Berehulke.
The festival will open Friday, Oct. 11, with a film screening starting at 2 p.m. with an opening event at 5:30 p.m. Other events and workshops are spread out over the weekend; all are free, though registration in advance is requested.
The exhibitions at the community centre are open from 2 to 8 p.m. on Friday, noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
