Last month, commuters on the Canada Line stopping at City Hall got a first hand look at the creativity and artistic vibrance of Vancouver students. Just above the Canada Line stop, students from Cook Elementary joined other students from Burnaby to perform an eclectic and colourful dance routine for dozens of passers by. 

It was all part of the 2012 Vancouver Biennale, which aims to bring dance, music, drama and poetry to the streets to celebrate BC Arts and Culture Week and National Dance Week. This year, an unprecedented line-up of 28 outdoor BIG IDEAS performances over 8 consecutive days included 700 student performers and graduates from the 2012 Vancouver Biennale BIG IDEAS Artist-in-Residence program, The Dance Centre, SFU Contemporary Art, A Star Is/Boogaloo Academy, Youth Street Dance Council and Arts Umbrella. 

"The Vancouver Biennale was a wonderful experience for our students," said Noreen Morris, Acting Principal of Cook Elementary. "Our school's artist Lorraine White-Wilkinson and class teacher Corianne Lange had a great time working with the students on this project."

The Vancouver Biennale BIG IDEAS education program provides a forum for learners of all ages, cultural backgrounds and education levels to respond to, create and take action on global contemporary topics through the Vancouver Biennale art exhibition. In 2011 The Vancouver Biennale hosted a series of eight BIG IDEAS cross-media exhibitions of selected artworks by over 2,500 student participants from six school districts.

To learn more about the Biennale, visit www.vancouverbiennale.com for more information or www.vblearn.ca for curriculum Big Ideas. 

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