2023
ANNUAL REPORTJC Youth Cohort member at Steveston Museum(Photo: Mayu Takasaki, 2022)

Aza Nabuko at Powell Street Festival (Photo: Yohei Shimomura, 2023)(photo: Korey Masumori, 2021)

Powell Street Festival (Photo: Hammer, 2018)

Powell Street Festival ﬁrst took place in 1977 and has since expanded to be one of
the largest and longest-running community arts festivals in Canada.
Powell Street Festival Society (PSFS) now functions as a non-proﬁt registered charity
arts organization based in Vancouver and the Paueru Gai Area—today known as theDowntown Eastside (DTES)—located on the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh(Squamish), Səlílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkwəyəm (Musqueam) Nations.
In addition to Powell Street Festival, the Society o昀昀ers year-round programs andcollaborates with local, national, and international organizations, artists, andcommunities to advance equity and well-being for all.

Mission: To celebrate Japanese Canadian art and culture to connect
communities.
Values:• Community—We foster engagement, collaboration and accessibility.
• Artistic Excellence—We cultivate and support artists and cultural producers.
• Inclusivity and Diversity—We program events and activities that welcome a wide rangeof participants, striving towards barrier free experiences.
• Heritage—We honour the location of Paueru Gai and Japanese Canadian history.
Through this, we acknowledge a larger narrative of displacement and colonization.
• Resilience—We protect and maintain the ﬁnancial and operational viability of theorganization. Through this, we strive to sustain our capacity to fulﬁll our mandate andstrengthen community.

YEAR INHBIGHLIGHTSRIEF
PROGRAM
47TH ANNUAL POWELL STREET FESTIVAL• 23,344 festival goers• 141 individual programs & events
99% led by artists and performers ofJapanese or Asian descent• 127 programs featuring local artists andgroups• 373 volunteers donating 4,970 hours
We are proud to be founded onvolunteerism and are grateful to ourcommunity of volunteers who continue toshape and support the Festival.

Kochi Yosakoi Ambassador KIZUNA International Team
(Photo: Yohei Shimomura, 2023)• $12,797 invested in social enterprise &neighbourhood job creation

Every year, the Festival o昀昀ers diverse
low-barrier work opportunities toDowntown Eastside community members.
Prince Shima (Photo: Marco Gazzoli, 2023)

EPITHYMiA (Photo: Andy Chan, 2023)

YEAR INHBIGHLIGHTSRIEF
PROGRAM
47TH ANNUAL POWELL STREET FESTIVAL
Committed to showcasing dynamic and diverse
programming, Japanese Canadian and beyond,Powell Street Festival presented an exciting
lineup of events and initiatives, including:• Performances and presentations by local andinternational professional artists• Panels, workshops, walking tours, martial arts
demonstrations and a sumo tournament• Partnerships with organizations such as theH.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Van Vogue Jamand more,• Fuki no Mizu, a bespoke water mister
installation designed in collaboration withUBC’s School of Architecture and LandscapeArchitecture
Applying lessons from the pandemic, we also
produced Festival Connect, our on-the-groundlivestream for those unable to attend
in-person.

H.R. MacMaillan Space Centre children’s books
readings collaboration with Emily Seo & Hanako
Masutani (Photo: Gordy Tong, 2023)

Sumo Tournament (Photo: Andy Chan, 2023)
Sumo Tournament (Photo: Andy Chan, 2023 )IzumonookunI (Photo: Matt Chun, 2023)

YEAR INHBIGHLIGHTSRIEF
PROGRAM
47TH ANNUAL POWELL STREET FESTIVAL
Our festival survey demonstrates that we continue to o昀昀er outstanding culturalexperiences that foster a community of diverse and committed festival goers.

How would you rate yourexperience at the festival?
Very Satisﬁed

Based on your experience this year,
how likely are you to attend next year?

Very Likely
Satisﬁed

NeutralWhen did you attend yourﬁrst Powell Street Festival?
This is myﬁrst live
PSF!

LikelyNot Sure

How did you hear about thisyear’s Festival?
Social media

Before 20102022
2020-2021
2015-2019

Why did you attend the festival?
To support Japanese/Japanese
Canadian culturePerformances

Festival poster, bus shelter ad,
or street banner

Online source
Print source
Word of mouth

How was your interaction
with volunteers?
Very goodFood
Displays/Participatory Activities
Craft/Marketplace
Family/Friends
OtherGoodPROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSJAPANESE CANADIAN YOUTH COHORT
From May to August, we welcomed our cohort
to the PSFS community. This program for three
Japanese Canadian youth ages 19-29 aims tocreate an embodied experience of Japanese
Canadian identity.
“I remember there was one particularconversation where we learned a lot about
each other's personal identity, family history,
and reasons behind wanting to be a part of
the Youth Cohort. The conversation was
deeply personal and didn't feel forced... itreally left me with an amazing sense ofcommunity that I hadn't experienced before,
the feeling of being seen by others who
understood my identity as something wholeand not fragmentary. I think we all came tothis experience looking for something; for me,
I had so many unanswered curiosities about
my own Japanese Canadian heritage. To
share that journey of discovery with otherpeople that I could relate to on many levels
was really something special.” - NoahJC Youth Cohort members in Steveston (Photo: Mayu Takasaki, 2023)

The program began with online training,education, intergenerational relationshipbuilding, and skills development, culminating
in a 10-day production residency in Vancouver,where the Cohort traveled to sites of Japanese
Canadian cultural interest and gained
hands-on experience as members of thefestival production team.
“My most memorable in-person experience
was getting to know and work with theDowntown Eastside community. Whether it
was handing out ice cream in the heat of thesummer or the small interactions with people
during our set up and take down. Everyone
who calls Oppenheimer Park their home wasvery welcoming and had something positive tosay about the festival. I felt very privileged tobe part of the festival production not only toparticipate in the Japanese community but
also to harmonize with the community in
Oppenheimer Park.” - Sean

We will welcome a new Cohort in May 2024.

At Oppenheimer Park (Photo: Kathy Shimizu 2023)

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
360 RIOT WALKPSFS continued the stewardship of360 Riot Walk, an interactive walking
tour of Vancouver’s 1907 Anti-Asian
Riots, created by artist Henry Tsang.
It uses 360 video technology to trace
the history and route of the riots inwhat is today known as theDowntown Eastside. This uniqueproject interweaves the narratives ofracialized communities, reclaiming
how and what histories are told.

Image courtesy of 360 Riot Walk

The project has aso expanded into
education, piloting a ﬁeld trip walking
tour and a teacher resource foronline tours.

VISIONING PAUERU GAI: PUBLIC SPACES IN THE POWELL
STREET NEIGHBOURHOOD
Bringing together artists, urban
planners, community organizers,architects, landscape architects,
and members of the Japanese
Canadian, Indigenous, andDowntown Eastsidecommunities, this event seeks
to catalyze importantconversations about
memorialization in the historicJC neighbourhood of Paueru Gai(Powell Street area) – today
known as the DTES.
This event is the ﬁrst in a seriesof iterative communityengagement events.

(Photo: Henry Tsang, 2023)

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
DTES COMMUNITY CARE
This year-round suite of programs and events aims to enhance the DTES community’s
well-being by supporting those facing complex barriers including poverty, racism, mental
illness, housing precarity, and addiction.
In 2023, we invested $301,748 to support job creation, care packages, meal preparationand grocery delivery in the DTES.
• 68% of these funds created skills-building and low-barrier jobs for DTES residents• 26% were spent on groceries distribution to SRO tenants and care packages• The remaining 6% covered peer salaries for the implementation of Powell Street
Festival, o昀昀-season events and our DTES Community Care Programs

In November, we launched our WinterCare Package Fundraiser with a goal
to raise $10,000 to assemble anddistribute 300 care packages tounhoused and precariously housed
people living in the DTES. It is ourfourth Care Package project since
2020.
With many thanks to individual
donors, we exceeded our goal andlook forward to distributing the 300
packages in the new year. Special
thanks to City of Vancouverfor their(Photo: Sean Cao)
support.

DTES SRO Collaborative-PSFS Chinatown Grocery Program(Photo: Sean Cao, 2021)

Minori Harvest at Oppenheimer Park(Photo: Debbie Cheung, 2022)

Our DTES Community Care Programs collaborate with:• WePress Community Kitchen, which prepares 700-1,000 meals per week for unhoused
and precariously housed individuals living in the DTES.
• DTES SRO Collaborative and Watari Research Association on the Chinatown Grocery
Program and DTES Indigenous Elders Grocery Program, which deliver groceries tounderserved elders and SRO tenants, supported with thanks to Bing Ho’s family andfriends.
• Community Impact Real Estate Society and EMBERS Eastside Works, whose grants
enable us to support low-barrier employment and capacity-building for people living
on low incomes.
• PSFS’ Advocacy and Outreach Committee, a team of dedicated volunteers who
participate in DTES community-building e昀昀orts and organize annual events (see nextpage).

EVENT HIGHLIGHTSWith the support of our Advocacy andOutreach Committee (AOC), we hosted
numerous events at Oppenheimer Park,
including Setsubun (Feb 5), Hanami (April2), Asahi Tribute Game (Aug 18) and MinoriHarvest (Nov 5), providing capacity-building
paid work opportunities, food andresources for DTES residents, and culturalactivities which share Japanese Canadianhistory and culture. Special thanks toWePress, Yakashiro Farm & Gardens,Vancouver Japanese Language School,Oppenheimer Park, Carnegie Community
Centre, TD Park People and Vancity for theirsupport.
See AOC’s zine, paueru gaizette, on ourwebsite.

Setsubun event at Oppenheimer Park
(Photo: Matt Chun, 2023); cover of paueru gaizette

おやすみ (Oyasumi): A Collection ofJapanese Canadian Short Films (May25): In partnership with The
Cinematheque, PSFS presented おやす
み (Oyasumi) which featured twelve
Japanese Canadian short ﬁlms
curated by Natalie Murao.
Courtesy of Meredith Hama-Brown

Finding Her Beat (Feb 18): A taiko performance by Vancouver’s Sawagi Taiko, the ﬁrst
all-women taiko group in Canada, followed by a screening of Finding Her Beat
documentary and a Q & A.

(Photo: Matthew Chun, 2023)

HOW WE WORKWith the support of year-round sta昀昀, the organization continues to rely on ourcommunity of volunteers, who include the Board of Directors and Committees. The team
expands during the festival production season to include summer sta昀昀 and volunteer
festival coordinators.
Board ofDirectors

Our Directors are
longterm volunteers
who bring a wealthof experience andknowledge.

Community
Engagement
Coordinator

ProgramCoordinator

Advocacyand OutreachCommittee

Programming
Committee

Promotes PSFS to thecultural, social, politicaland mainstream
communities, andparticipates in DTES
community e昀昀orts.

Executive
Committee

Executive
Director

Operations
Manager

Communications

Coordinator

Development& Admin
Coordinator

Researches andidentiﬁes artists andarts organizations thatgive voice to theJapanese Canadiancommunity.

Powell Street Festival Production Sta昀昀 (Photo: Tracy Moromisato, 2023)

Production
Coordinator

Fundraising
Committee

Solicits andsecures
ﬁnancial
support.

FUNDERS AND SPONSORS

2023 INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Aiyahohno Café, Al Pasternak, Alfred G Lam, Alison Young, Alkiss Water, Alyssa Sy de Jesus,Amy Kiara Ruth, anais peterson, Andrea Reynolds (in honour of Yoshiya Kasahara), AnnIshiguro (in honour of Laura Ishiguro), Anne Claire Baguio, Anonymous, Arsenal Press, AsiaHarvey, Audrey Kobayashi, Axel Starck, Banyen Books and Sound, Benny's Market, Beth Carter,Bing Ho, Blue Sky Clothing Co., Bonnie Chan, Brett Shikaze, Bryce Kanbara, Burdock & Co.,
Cadeaux Bakery, Carol Akasaka, Carrie Greig, Cassandra Kobayashi, Catlin Renay, Christina
Lee, Cobs Bread, Colin Chan, Connie Kadota, Dan Tokawa, Dave, Tracy, Leah, Matt Shimizu,David Chao and Hilda Henry, David Leggatt, David Shimizu, David Yakashiro, Deborah LeRose,Diane Takeshita (in memory of Tamio Wakayama), Dilly Dally Toy Store, Dilys Ng (in memory ofVivian Lee), Dipt Kicks, Edward Steel (in honour of Molly Jasinska), Edward Takayanagi, ElaineStef, Elizabeth Watson, Ella Tani, Ellie O'Day, Elmer Morishita, Emily Yakashiro (in memory ofBryan Yakashiro), Emma Sydora, Felicia Yee, Firehal Arts Centre, Freshpoint, Fujiya, Geist,George Sim, Gerald Joe, Gordon Gallagher, Grace Ho, Greg Soone, Gregor Reid, Guu, Hailey
Mah, Hand Eye Ceramics, Hanson Lok (in honour of Yoshiya Kasahara), Haruho Kubota,Haruko Okano, Hiromi Matsui, Imogene Lim, Irene Ramos, Jacob Huang, Jacqueline Englar (inhonour of Janice Liu), Jamie Ha (in honour of Yoshiya Kasahara), Jan Greenwood, JaniceShimizu, Japanese American National Museum, Jeanie Ow (in memory of Isaac Graham), Je昀昀
Masuda, Jennifer Buck, John Nguyen, John Price, Jon Sasaki, JTB International, Judy
Hanazawa, Karen Bartlett, Karen Okada, Katerina Tzingounakis, Kathryn Porter MD Inc., KathyShimizu (in memory of Victor & Mio Shimizu), Kelty McKinnon, Kelvin Higo, Kennely Ho,Kimberley Kalanj, Kisyuu, Koko Yamamoto, Kyle Yakashiro (in memory of Kazuyo Yakashiro),
Laina Tanahara, Laura Ishiguro, Leanne Dunic, Les and Phyllis Murata, Linda Ho昀昀man, Linda
Hughes, Lisa Mah, Lisa Martin (in honour of Cole Stephen Toyotsugi), Lotus Miyashita, Lynne
Kutsukake, Madeleine Chan, Madeline Keller-MacLeod, Margaret Nakamura (in honour of theShimizu, Arai and Nakamura Families), Marian Arai, Marshmallow Monkey Design, MarykaOmatsu, Massy Books, Mayumi Takasaki, Meditating Bunny Studio Inc., Mee Young Aird,Megaphone Magazine, Megumi Anderson, Merry Meredith (in memory ofTamio Wakayama),
Michiko Sakata, Michiyo Tsurumi, Miki Hirai, Moja Co昀昀ee, Murata, Murphy Miu, Mutsumi
Hamakawa, Nathaniel McDonald, Nichola Ogiwara, Nick Horning (in honour of Yoshiya
Kasahara), Nina Inaoka Lee, Noriko Matsuno, Ofra's Kitchen, Old Spaghetti Factory, OliviaSha昀昀er, Oon Sim Ang, Paragon Communications, Pat Rose, Peyton Murphy, Philomena andSim Ang, Pho Hong on Fraser, Platform Insurance, Poyan Danesh, Pure Float Ltd., QuinnOmori, Rachael McKendry, Rachael Nakamura, Rain or Shine Ice Cream, Randi Edmundson,Randy Enomoto, Randy Iwata, Real Canadian Superstore, Rebecca Ho, Red Cat Records,Ricepaper Magazine, Rick Shiomi, Rieko (Rachel) Enomoto, Rika Uto, Rod Mickleburgh,
Roseanne Hinmueller, Ruth Leckie, Ryan Haneman, Ryan Jui-Hsiang Lee, Sandra Liang PREC,
Sasha Leung, Scott Chan, Seara Yoshida, Sena Cleave, Setsu Miyanishi, Shaena Kobayashi,Shafaz Jivani, Sharyn Yuen, Shaunn Watt, Sheila McFadzean, Sher and Howie Shikaze,Shermaine Chua (in honour of Jinjae Jeong), Sherri Kajiwara, Shirley Reynolds, Shizenya,Shohei Juku Aikido Canada, Solomon Chin, Sunrise Market, Susan Arai (in honour of MichelleArai), Susan Doi (in memory of Tomoaki and Mitsue Doi), Taeko Morita, Taryrn Uede (inmemory of Toyoko Uede), Teresa Vandertuin, The Bulletin, The Cinematheque, The Hard Bean
Brunch Co., The Postcard Place, The Storehouse, Tobi Tabata, Tomoko Uehata, Tony Eden,Toronto NAJC, Trevor Wideman, UBC AMS, Vancouver Ikebana Association, VancouverInternational Film Festival, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Vancouver Queer Film
Festival, Wayne Okamura, Wen and Sharon Wong, William Stilwell, Wolfgang Hauser, Ya-Hsuan
Lisa Lin, Yoshiya Kasahara, Yuko Bartel, Yvonne Kong (in honour of PSF sta昀昀 & volunteers),
Zach Maralia

Powell Street Festival (Photo: Marco Gazzoli, 2022)

Join us in anticipation of the 48th Annual Powell Street Festival andexciting year-round programming in 2024. Whether you are a long-term
festival-goer, previous volunteer, sponsor, or are new to PSFS, we want tocelebrate with you.
Donate at powellstreetfestival.com/donateSign up for our newsletter at powellstreetfestival.com/newsletter-sign-up
Follow us @powellstfest