One has to wonder...

Can VanCity can break through its spineless dread and just embrace it the inevitable? They're heeerrrreeee whether we like it or not! Embrace it, stay informed and accept the good with the bad. According to the Guardian, we have our knickers all in a knot in comparison to other Olympic cities, and our poor attitude isn't fixing our problems.

Whether you are 'pro' or 'anti' Olympics, one thing to look forward to is the diverse media coverage emerging from Vancouver.

Presenting the W2 Media & Culture House!

I will proudly be an Olympic blogger and communications coordinator at W2. This community media hub be a space for 'unnacredited media such as the reputatble Tyee, Vancouver Observer and numerous international bloggers. From its towering windows, W2 will be projecting the games onto the old Woodwards building at Hastings & Carrol.

From the W2 Vision Statement:

The W2 Community Media Arts Centre is a highly anticipated project opening in the Winter of 2009-2010 at the landmark Woodward’s redevelopment in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. In the leadup to opening, W2 is operating the 13,000 sq ft W2 Culture + Media House across the street at 112 W Hastings.

It is intended to provide a vibrant and complementary focal point in the redevelopment of Woodward’s and act as a catalyst in the revitalization of the Vancouver Downtown Eastside by emphasizing the development capacity by and for the DTES residents.

The Centre’s objectives are to produce and present new works of artistic significance and social benefit; to empower individuals and communities (young and old alike); and to engage with technology and interdisciplinary artists as producers rather than consumers. Emphasis will be placed on cross-cultural sharing, artistic and social outcomes, as well as the quality of process.

W2 will bring together hybrid art forms, community art practices, individual human development and community cultural development in a single environment. It will be home to a diverse grouping of Vancouver arts and community service organizations offering developmental programs in writing, radio and television production, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, video and cross-media.

Cultural services delivery will include a broad range of daily public offerings, including walk-in activities, courses, workshops, symposia, and individual and group practice. In addition, the combination of administrative and production spaces will provide professional and supportive structures, in which people can make new work, extend and develop their practice, and establish new contexts for public presentation. A portal to the global community will also be realized through 24/7 webcasting and satellite distribution systems from the performance centre, digital media labs, and TV studio.

Read the mission statement and vision here: W2 Media & Culture House