Earth: the World Urban Festival

Midway through the World Urban Forum, just when all the talk of urban slums and increasing AIDS epidemics, "Earth: the World Urban Festival" arrives on the scene to lighten things up a little. "Earth: the World Urban Festival" is the arts and culture arm of WUF3. It looks to explore the affect of visual arts, dance, theatre and culture on urban living and how they influence the design of cities. International artists will convene at the Great Northern Way Campus today (Wednesday the 21st) through Friday (the 23rd) to deliver a creative message through children's programming, urban bazaar programming, visual arts and demonstration programming. Many of the events are free, as is access to the site, but there are also some excellent paid events on that you will also want to check out.

EARTH = home is the feature presentation where Shabono - an enormous shelter constructed within an abandoned warehouse - "explores our connection to the planet and each other. It is a contemporary fable rich with dramatic physical expression, music and visual effects." The full program is online. Also of interest is the Urban Bazaar and the some of the pieces in the visual arts program, like homeless shelters made out of art gallery posters and Coca-Cola signs filled with Aboriginal messages, etc. Tonight there will be a "Burning Devil" event at 10 PM, where Vancouver's own Public Dreams Society will burn a demon in effigy, in honor of the solstice.