Join us for an evening of personal community stories inspired by the powerful sounds and spaces that have shaped our lives.
As part of The Story Collection series, storytellers will share stories of music venues that hold special meaning for them - from dive bars where unknown bands became legends, to concert halls where a single song changed everything, to basement clubs that became safe havens for entire communities.
Set against the backdrop of our exhibition Beyond the Beat: Music of Resistance and Change, these stories will celebrate the profound connection between music, place and human experience.
Storytellers:
Trenton Schulz-Franco is the founder of the Special Bird Service Society, the Black Swift Stewardship Society and Nest Network. With a background in law, photography, environmental advocacy, and public service, and an intersectional storyteller, they foster meaningful connections between people, and community while advocating for accessible education, recreation and stewardship. Trenton brings their passion for connection, reciprocity, and the rich interplay of personal and ecological histories to this unique gathering.
Alex Taylor-McCallum, also know by his artist's alias PINDN, is a Kwakwa̲ka̲'wakw and Nuu-Cha-Nulth MC born on lək̓ʷəŋən Territory who in over four years of recovery has found immense healing in expressing himself through lyricism in the genre of Hip-Hop, which he views to be an innovative, creative-native continuation of their nation's oldest tradition of storytelling.
Elli Hart is a Canadian artist who blends desert-dusk Americana with driving indie rock, crafting songs of rebellion, resilience, and raw vulnerability. After rising under the moniker Dirty Mountain and sharing stages with Eric Church, Little Big Town, and the Arkells, she returns with a ten-song album produced by Dave Genn (54-40) - a bold new new chapter on her own terms.
Assetou Coulibaly is a full-time founder, consultant, and passionate community builder currently completely her Master's in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on climate action and international development. By day, she leads impactful projects and designs regenerative systems; by night, she's hosting bold, storytelling-driven events that center cultural connection and joy. With a career spanning project management in fintech, tourism, and hospitality, Assetou brings a unique lens to systems change; one that is rooted in sustainability, storytelling, and community. As the founder of CHIWARA CO, Assetou weaves African design, sustainability, and social innovation into everything she touches. She's led major process improvements across multiple industries, spoken on stages about decolonial leadership and built spaces where community isn't just talked about - it's lived. Whether she's launching a product or a new soap, Assetou brings strategy, storytelling, and a bit of sass to every room she's in.
Narissa Chadwick is a land use planner, aspiring singer-songwriter, and emerging music promoter whose work - both professionally and artistically - is rooted in a desire to support community connection and sustainability. Over the past two years, a series of serendipitous events has led her to a new creative path: helping musicians find gigs, writing original songs, and performing. She is currently working on her first EP. Narissa's songs explore themes of connection - linking past and future, people and place, and the relationship between humans and nature.
Marcus Pollard wasn't born in a barn - he was born in a bar. From managing his first nightclub, La Hacienda (Victoria's first punk club), at age 20 to booking acts at Harpo's, The Limit, Vertigo, Richards on Richards, The Town Pump and dozens more, Marcus has spent decades working on the fringes of the BC entertainment scene.
MC:
Alisa Harrison is a writer, researcher, facilitator, coach and educator whose partner picked her up in 1990 by telling her she looked like the lead singer in a band called Three Girls with Brains. Since completing a PhD in History and African American Studies, she has spent the last nearly-20 years working in heath systems and non-profit leadership and project management, with a focus on intersectional and anti-oppressive practice, organizational development, and primary care and mental health policy. She currently operates Alight Insights Coaching & Consulting and is Associate Faculty at Royal Roads University, where she teaches in the Health leadership and Executive and Organizational Coaching graduate programs. She is also deeply fascinated with post-punk/new wave/ 90's-90's indie music and keeps a spreadsheet cataloguing every gig she's ever attended. Ask her about it if you ever have time on your hands.
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