Ballroom mashups, photography, Moor Mother, and more as Queer Arts Festival announces 2024 lineup

The theme The Ties That Bind explores family in all forms, with event set to run June 1 to 30

*Ayibobo III: Little Dollhouse on the Prairie.* Photo by Jeffrey Torgerson

VANCOUVER’S MULTIDISCIPLINARY QUEER ARTS Festival has announced a lineup of everything from a ballroom interdisciplinary show to American poet, musician, and activist Moor Mother, plus a range of visual-arts exhibits for its event, set to run June 1 to 30.

Anchoring the celebrations of this year’s fest, themed The Ties That Bind, is QAF’s expansive curated visual-art exhibition. This year’s group show examines the bonds and complexities of family, be it blood or chosen.

It officially kicks off with the annual ArtParty! on June 14 at the Roundhouse Community Centre, where visitors can check out the exhibit CRAWL SPACE, curated by the animation collective Flavourcel—a mix of projection, experimental animation techniques, and interactive installations to conjure a “house” within the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall.

Roundhouse’s Performance Centre will also host Ayibobo III: Little Dollhouse on the Prairie, a blend of dance and experimental soundscapes that delves into the realms of Black and queer identity; its ballroom performers draw on pop culture and Haitian Voodoo. Coproduced with the frank theatre, Danse Cité, and House of Barbara, it takes place June 15 and 16.

Outside of the Roundhouse headquarters, the fest events spread to the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza, Malaspina Printmakers, The James Black Gallery, Fortune Sound Club, Ocean Artworks, and QAF's very own SUM gallery, where the group show Queer Eyes, Queer Lives features work from more than 60 LGBTQ2SIA+ youth, ages 14 to 29, from June 10 to 29.

QAF and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival join forces to present Moor Mother on June 21 at the Fortune Sound Club, where the Philadelphia poet-musician-activist fuses jazz, hip-hop, and spoken word.

Other highlights include Trace Elements, a program of short films curated by Kathleen Mullen, June 18 at the Roundhouse Performance Hall; a public reading of On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace with critically acclaimed artist and curator Phanuel Antwi on June 20 at Or Gallery; and the festival’s closing party, Glitter is Forever, on June 25, featuring DJ Ziggy Zaya and local drag artists The Darlings.

For the full lineup and more information, visit queerartsfestival.com.

Now in its 17th year, the Queer Arts Festival is under the leadership of artistic director Mark Takeshi McGregor.

Featured

Janet Smith

Janet Smith is cofounder and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

Articles

Theatre review: Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] takes pleasingly panicked tour of the Bard’s canon

As if haunted by centuries of hits and flops, the three figures in this Bard on the Beach comedy take jabs at the self-consciousness and shaky footing of being an actor

Manuel Axel Strain joins Vines Art Society as co-artistic director

Indigenous multidisciplinary artist will share responsibilities with founding artistic director Heather Lamoureux

Ahead of Eastside Arts Festival, Young Friend talks indie evolution and touring Canada

Vancouver-based Drew Tarves takes his music out of the bedroom and across the country

Folk Fest Artisan Market celebrates the handmade, from jewellery and soaps to fine prints and wizard hats, July 18 to 20

Over two dozen vendors are selling handmade wares at Jericho Beach Park during this year’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival

At Mission Folk Music Festival, the Vaudevillian’s sassy duo turns back clock to golden age of hokum

Ontario-based aficionados of vintage gear and saucy slang bring Prohibition-era daring to this year’s event

Indigenous Australian musician Emily Wurramara finds strength and solace in ancestral sources

Ahead of her Vancouver Folk Music Festival sets, the award-winning singer-songwriter reflects on the power of performing in her Nation’s language and representing her community

The Dance Deck marks its 10th anniversary at the Eastside Arts Festival, starting July 19

Belle Spirale’s backyard shindig features performances by Action at a Distance’s Vanessa Goodman, Paper Rabbits collective, Ballet BC dancers, and more

Blazing sound of Bab L’Bluz opens portal to diverse African cultures

Headlining at this year’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the electrifying Marrakesh-born outfit plugs in traditional instruments and rocks out

At the Eastside Arts Festival, 360 Riot Walk creates a new path through the site of a historic injustice

Multimedia artist Henry Tsang’s project allows Vancouverites to see how the city looked in 1907, when an act of anti-Asian violence occurred

Vines Art Festival announces 2025 lineup, ranging from outdoor storytelling to an exhibition opening

Free events will take place in seven Vancouver parks from August 6 to 16

Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 picks from Fiona Black for Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Event’s artistic director recommends under-the-radar discoveries, from Tanzanian polyphony to a smashing trad Irish trio

A Punjabi play, an enlightening salon series, and more as Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts unveils 2025 lineup

This year’s event, on from August 7 to 17, also features a standup comedy show by YouTube star Manpreet Singh and all-ages dance workshops

Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 top stops at the Khatsahlano Street Party

From legendary names in Vancouver’s music scene to ice-cold craft beers and a bangin’ kids stage, here are a few features to hit on West 4th Avenue on July 5

Theatre review: Two Gentlemen of Verona’s comic tale of romance and betrayal thrives on ’80s-era dazzle

In Bard on the Beach’s new production, retro pastels and power suits map surprisingly well onto the chaos of Shakespeare’s sometimes troublesome original

At Indian Summer Festival, Simran Sachar embodies her mother’s dancing with lightning-like presence

Waacking-infused world premiere co-created with Justine A. Chambers draws on a 1990 indie Bollywood film choreographed by Sachar’s mom

Stir Cheat Sheet: 3 ways to get your design on at West Coast Modern Week

An exhibit dedicated to Patkau Architects, a film about Arthur Erickson, and a jazz concert round out the celebration

U.K. saxophonist Nubya Garcia brings her ethereal sound to the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, June 28

Audience members will hear tracks off her latest album Odyssey, which honours her reignited love for composing

For Vancouver’s Meltt, each new dream-pop confection is an opportunity to connect with a wider audience

Headliner at Khatsahlano Street Party’s Burrard Stage takes a decidedly modern approach to getting its music out into the world

Chan Centre unveils programming for ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl Come Toward the Fire festival, September 20 and 21

Expanded Indigenous celebration includes concerts by Northern Cree and Tia Wood, as well as a marketplace, films, and more

The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act chronicles silenced lives of heartbreak and hope

An extension of her national exhibition of the same name, Catherine Clement’s latest book shares individual experiences of Canada’s dark period of Chinese exclusion

Theatre review: Bard on the Beach opener Much Ado About Nothing mixes summery charm with updated reflections

With modernized touches and strong performances, this adaptation renews the wit and scheming of Shakespeare’s classic comedy

Astro Arts Festival set to bring celebration of murals and graffiti art back to Mount Pleasant

In the spirit of the cancelled Vancouver Mural Festival, a new creative hub announces its first block party August 8 to 10

Khatsahlano Street Party gears up for a spirited "Camp Khats"–themed festival on West 4th Avenue, July 5

Nostalgic activities planned for the 10-block music event include a Scavenger Hunt, a Donut Chomp Challenge, and so much more

Theatre Under the Stars music directors welcome the chance to work outdoors in Stanley Park

Sean Bayntun and Eliza De Castro sound off on bringing to life the bold characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Legally Blonde: The Musical

Bruno Hubert reflects on his Montreal roots ahead of Vancouver International Jazz Festival concert

Pianist brings his expressive playing to Performance Works alongside bassist André Lachance, drummer Joe Poole, and trumpeter Brad Turner

Dance review: Opening Edge programs generate big intensity in a small space

Repetition, endurance, and ritual from Noam Gagnon, Lesley Telford, Rebecca Margolick, and Tushrik Fredericks

Queer Arts Festival opens Portals for emerging artists and contrasting journeys

With its complex searches for identity, the celebratory exhibition at Centre A reflects the unifying theme of QAF’s latest edition

Bassist Richard Bona reflects on his intuitive rhythm ahead of Vancouver International Jazz Festival concert

With his new Asante Trio, the multi-talented artist explores the connection between African and Cuban music

Catch electrifying Latin fusion, rich acoustic blues, folk and more at the Mission Folk Music Festival, July 25 to 28

From the Brazilian rhythms of Tio Chorinho with Flávia Nascimento to Fijian dancers VOU, there’s something for everyone at the 38th annual event

Summer Arts Guide 2025: A region-by-region roster of B.C. festivals to keep you busy all season

From mural walks to outdoor concerts, a rich tapestry of arts and culture makes it well worth getting out of town—whether to Whistler, Kelowna, or beyond