Threads of Support and Resilience

For many years now, EartHand has hosted a community event at the beginning of November as a part of our participating in the Heart of The City Festival.

Guided by the theme Threads of Connection, the 2024 Festival features 100 plus live and online events showcased at 40 plus local venues over twelve days – both indoors and out – including music, stories, poetry, theatre, ceremony, films, dance, readings, forums, workshops, discussions, gallery exhibits, art talks, history walks and more.

This 2024 Festival is also a special ‘turning of the wheel year’. As fall rolls into winter and winter rolls into spring, Vancouver Moving Theatre / Heart of the City Festival co-founders Terry Hunter, C.M. and Savannah Walling, C.M. are announcing their retirement as of July 2025 following their final 2024 – 2025 season with Vancouver Moving Theatre.

For EartHand, we of course were thrilled at the theme Threads of Connection as fibre-work is at the heart of our community. It seemed a perfect time to celebrate a community relationship that has quietly been building with our neighbours at Ancestral Foodways in Strathcona park, especially since our “usual date” for the festival landed on Día De Los Muertos!

Threads of Support & Resilience – EartHand Gleaners Community Celebration at Trillium Park, and procession to Ancestral Foodways Día De Los Muertos Festival at Strathcona Park

Join Us!

November 2nd

12noon- 1.30pm Mending Circle– free- pre-registration is required ( Trillium Park)

 During our lives, cloth acts as our second skin and when someone dies their clothing can be the closest physical link that remains. The intention of this mending circle is to gather, converse, and care for our loved ones through the act of repairing their garments. 

Bring your chosen garment to the circle (clean is best for mending). Handspun and dyed wool and botanically printed linen available for stitching and darning with instruction for visible repairs. Hosted by Jennifer Brant & Anna Heywood-Jones. Outside under cover, dress for  the weather. Free, with  limited space,

registration link https://earthanddotcom.wordpress.com/events/threads-of-support-and-resilience-mending-circle/

1-4pm Community Celebration at Trillium Park ( Corner of Malkin and Thornton Streets)

Free- no registration required

Join EartHand for an afternoon of ropemaking, weaving, mending and storytelling. and join us for the procession to the shrine at the end of the afternoon led by artists from Still Moon Arts Society.

Opening Welcome with Martin Sparrow ~ storytelling with Rosemary Georgeson ~ropemaking and braiding activities with Amy Walker and Sharon Kallis ~assist Corinna Hammond with finishing the mats EartHand has been making for the ancestors shrine created by Ancestral Foodways. Traditional nourishment  provided. Opening Welcome at 1.30pm, 

Outside, dress for the weather!

4.30 Procession:

Join us for a slow contemplative procession from the Trillium gardens to the ancestors shrine in Strathcona Park and help us deliver the beautiful handcrafted offerings made by many hands during open studio events this past summer. Wear solid footwear for uneven ground, if weather is favourable the procession route may include 14 stairs and a walk through Strathcona community garden. Dress for the weather, bring an umbrella, expect some covered areas at Trillium and Strathcona Parks . Images of loved ones who have joined the ancestors for leaving at the shrine are welcome. Gentle musical accompaniment provided by Alex Chisholm and  Carmen Rosen for the procession.

4pm – 8pm Día De Los Muertos Festival –Strathcona Park | 857 Malkin

Then, join Ancestral Food Ways for the evening Día De Los Muertos Festival at Strathcona Park! Immerse yourself in a vibrant mix of tradition and culture with music, dance, flowers, ceremonial fire and harvests that connect the living with our ancestors. Food will be shared with the public. Everyone is welcome!

Thank you to Vancouver Park Board Neighbourhood Matching Program for making the events (and hand made objects) EartHand is contributing to this event possible, and thank you to the many people who contributed their time over the summer open studio sessions to make the beautiful woven glass lanterns and mats from upcycled linen bed sheets dyed with plants from our garden.