Welcome to The Hub Nanaimo, your weekly insider guide to the best of community arts and culture. Did a friend forward this email to you? Subscribe to this newsletter.

On Tuesday, the members of the TheatreOne Performance Society voted to dissolve the arts organization after it cancelled its fall shows due to financial problems — and fell short in a last-ditch fundraising effort.

In a press release, artistic and managing director Michael Cade said COVID-19 had put “TheatreOne’s already precarious financial position into survival mode.” He said that efforts to rebuild audiences and increase revenue were successful — “but in the end, it was too little, too late.”

This marks the end of 42 years of professional theatre productions in Nanaimo through TheatreOne and its predecessors. 

Cade thanked past board members, staff and volunteers.

“We hope we leave you with fond memories, and with the knowledge that we did our part to ‘move hearts and minds’ within a community we deeply cherish,” he said.

Thank you for reading,
Mick Sweetman

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🔎 Watch for 🔍

Friday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.: A special Halloween edition of Unsettling the Lens will feature Tales from the Rez, a horror-comedy anthology series featuring screen adaptations of popular Blackfoot legends at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. Admission is free and RSVPs can be made on the gallery’s event page.

Know of an event you think should be shared? 

Send Mick an email.

🎵 Listen 🎤

Thursday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.: Yukon Blonde will play with Janky Bungag at The Queen’s. Tickets cost $30. 

Thursday, Oct. 16, 9 p.m.: Tebby & The Heavy, Small Pleasures and Behaviors will play a shoegaze, post punk and garage rock fuzz concert at The Vault Café. Tickets cost $15.

Thursday, Oct. 16, 9:30 p.m.: Johnny Jack Savage will play The Nanaimo Bar. Tickets cost $10. 

Friday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.: Smash TV, GorillaFlip, Dolly Desire and Tickling Grandma play an all-ages punk show at the Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

Friday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.: Folk duo Tavis Weir and Michelle Mitschrich will play their beautiful melodies and harmonies at Hope Lutheran Church. Tickets cost $10 and include a dessert and beverage.

Friday, Oct. 17, 9 p.m.: Ribcage will play psychedelic free funk for the masses at The Vault Café. Tickets cost $15. 

Friday, Oct. 17, 9:30 p.m.: Tim Lorimer and Caleb Burness will play The Nanaimo Bar. Tickets cost $10. 

Saturday, Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m.: The John Lee Organ Trio will play at the Lighthouse Bistro and Pub. Tickets cost $25, or $20 for students. 

Saturday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.: The Vancouver Island Symphony presents pianist Stewart Goodyear at The Port Theatre. Tickets cost $39.50 to $63.50, or $28.50 for students. 

Saturday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.: Nanaimo Drag presents a Halloween drag double-feature at The Vault Café, with shows at both 7 p.m and 9:30 p.m. Tickets for each show cost $20.

Sunday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.: Canadian country powerhouse Dallas Smith will play at The Port Theatre. Tickets cost $64. 

Sunday, Oct. 19, 3 p.m.: The Gary Preston Band will headline the Sunday Blues Jam at The Queen’s. Tickets cost $10, or free for blues jammers and minors (with a guardian).

🎭 View 🖼️

Friday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.: The Yellowpoint Drama Group presents If We are Women by Joanna McClelland Glass at Cedar Community Hall. Tickets cost $20 for Friday nights, and $25 for weekend matinee performances. 

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m. The Occupation of the American Mind will be screened at Vancouver Island University, Building 200, Room 203 by the VIU Muslim Women’s Club and For Palestine Vancouver Island. Admission is free.

⛹️ Meet 🎲

Thursday, Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m.: The film Purpose will be screened at the  Wellbeing Economies Movie Night at Vancouver Island University in Building 356, Room 109. It is the conclusion of Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation’s Global Donut Days festival.

Thursday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.: NDP leadership candidates Avi Lewis, Heather McPherson, Rob Ashton, Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail will outline their vision for the future of the NDP at the Beban Park Social Centre prior to the Nanaimo-Ladysmith NDP’s Annual General Meeting. Two candidates will be attending in person and three will be live via Zoom. The event is public, with everyone being asked to sign in at the door. 

Saturday, Oct. 18, Noon: Spend an afternoon at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus for VIU Fest — a free annual community event showcasing the best the university has to offer. 

Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The Nanaimo Area Land Trust will be holding a bottle drive in the parking lot beside Lucky’s Liquor Store at the Country Club Centre. Funds from the bottle drives have supported stewardship efforts on the Nanaimo River, Cat Stream, Departure Creek, and Wally Creek.

Sunday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m.: Construct vibrant “stained glass” designs using black cardstock frames and colorful tissue paper to brighten your windows at the Nanaimo Art Gallery’s Art Lab Sunday. Free for members, $5 for non-members. 

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m.: Singer-songwriter Laura Kelsey will offer an overview of sound and music therapy at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, and guide participants in creating their own songs to help release stress. Tickets cost $40. 

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m.: Nanaimo’s newest book group, the Readers’ Choice Book Club, will meet for the first time at the Lighthouse Pub. Bring whatever you are reading to share with the group.

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