On Friday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m., the third annual CSA Turkey Dance will see the doors to BICS thrown wide open for an evening of dining, dancing and kids' activities, hosted in partnership with Stories of Bowen.
Stories of Bowen began in October 2007 when government funding allowed a planning committee to work on a "vision for community literacy." This committee decided to combine written, oral and digital media in order to capture what it's like to live on Bowen Island. The collaboration took over a year to complete, with volunteers gathering data from residents to describe island life through their own personal stories.
One such volunteer was Sara Herbsen, then in grade 7, who collected an astonishing 150 stories in total.Armed with clip board and video camera, she meticulously recorded islanders' accounts of their lives. Her extraordinary video footage, edited by Yvonne McSkimming, Literacy Outreach Coordinator, can be seen in a documentary that will be shown on October 7 at the Turkey Dance.
According to Yvonne, Stories of Bowen aimed to give value and purpose to the tales told by young and old.The result is a book titled Stories of Bowen that can be purchased at the Turkey Dance and online at blub.com.
The cover art reads, "Bowen is a magical island where faeries take wing, the deer eat your grass and the slug is king." Featured within are stories about the beloved Jan Furst, a long-time islander who recently passed away, along withphotographs dating back to the 1900s.
The Turkey Dance, a family event, is free of charge, complimentary food is served to 250 participants. So don't miss out: come out to dinner on October 7, then shake your tail-feathers to the Chillbillies as you connect with your incredible, story-rich community.
DEBRA SPRINGFELLOW
contributing writer
