MORE TICKETS ADDED!

Crankies are a centuries-old art form in which an illustrated scroll - evocative of the Torah - is wound across spools set in a viewing window. Crankies can be as small as a matchbox or as large as a refrigerator! (learn more about crankies here: https://www.broniaevers.com/what-is-a-crankie-theatre)

In collaboration with KlezKanada, Chutzpah! has commissioned three visual artists to create large-scale crankies to accompany the new Yiddish music of the Where Do Stories Come From project.

Now it's your turn! Using prompts from the inspiring Yiddish poetry of the project, or stories from your life, participants will be guided by Festival artists Ava Berkson and Cesario Lavery through the process of creating your very own crankie.

Festival Video Director Flick Harrison will be on hand to help you record the story of your crankie. You can opt to share your creation in our online gallery.

Co-hosted by the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery This program is supported by the JCC Association's Making Music Happen grant

People of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities are invited to attend. All materials will be provided. Private group workshops are also available.

$18 per person

Celebrate your voice, and who you are! Learn the tools you need to turn your lived experience into an engaging tale—or the genesis of a one-person show.

Deborah Williams—co-founder of The Flame in Vancouver and Victoria—returns to Chutzpah! to lead another friendly and inspiring workshop for experienced and first-time storytellers. An award-winning actor, writer, and director, Deb is one of the creators of the international phenomenon known as Mom’s the Word.

Take it from Chutzpah! Artistic Director Jessica Gutteridge - “Deb’s storytelling workshop is an experience that will change your life!”

This is a daylong workshop, 10am - 4pm. Space is limited.

$72 per person

Festival Video Director Flick Harrison has been creating video with Chutzpah since the Great Pandemic of 2020. Would you like to know his secrets? We’ll have fun together... and you might even make some new friends! The shy and the outgoing, the techies and the tech-averse, will get a chance to shine in their own way.

Bring a few photos to create a short social media video in your own voice, telling a story or character sketch of a person you know - or someone imaginary!

We’ll work on your low-pressure, one-minute spiel and get you on your feet talking to camera.

Combining pictures with spoken word, you’ll see how simple it is to get creative with video. Then you can share it (or not!) and watch the likes roll in!

Bring your cell phone with video capability or we can provide one of our own. Creating an Instagram or other social media account in advance will be useful. All ages and abilities are welcome!

Evening workshop, 6pm - 9pm. Space is limited.

$36 per person

On November 18-19, the Chutzpah! Festival will present the premiere of the chamber opera "I Have My Mother's Eyes: A Holocaust Memoir Across Generations" by celebrated Japanese Canadian composer Rita Ueda. This compelling work tells the story of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat who risked his own life to issue visas to Jewish families during the Holocaust, including Vancouver’s Bluman Family, and brought thousands to safety. Featuring international musicians from Japan, Australia, and the Netherlands, this moving true story illuminates intergenerational friendship and bravery.

On October 25, join Chutzpah! and community partner the Powell Street Festival for an illuminating evening featuring a preview of the opera with Rita Ueda and mezzo soprano Barbara Ebbeson, family history with George Blumen, and members of the artistic team, followed by a casual reception. Hosted by the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery. Sponsored by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and the Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society.

Suggested Donation: $10

New to Yiddish dance? Feeling a little rusty? Can’t get enough of this marvelously fun dance style? Before the Community Klezmer Dance Party, join KlezKanada Artistic Director and Yiddish dance expert Avia Moore, and members of dance band The Honorable Mentshn, for a dance workshop and that will have you shining on the dance floor!

This dance repertoire workshop is for new dancers, experienced dancers and dance leaders, and even those that think they aren’t dancers. We will focus on the steps, styles, and embellishments of the essential Yiddish dance genres – freylekhs, bulgars, horas, shers, khosidls, and more.

$23 includes workshop and dance party admission