Last week a sold-out audience enjoyed an evening of drag and musical entertainment at the Pony Cabaret held in the Mary Irwin Theatre in the Rotary Centre for the Arts.
This annual fundraising event, now in its seventh year, was conceived by Michael V. Smith, a professor of creative writing at UBC Okanagan, with proceeds from the event going to the Living Positive Resource Centre.
“I started doing Pony to make a space where everyone can be themselves, regardless of who they are or where they come from. Gender-variant people like me don’t get a lot of that in the Okanagan, as we’ve seen recently in the drag queen storytime protests. Pony is here to say that everyone is welcome,” says Smith.
Hosts Erin Scott and Miss Cookie, Smith’s alter-ego, welcomed the audience of over 300 and introduced visiting performers Ivan Coyote and Rose Butch, alongside local stars Tanya Lipscomb, Mother Girth, and Ella L’Amoureux.
“One of the major highlights for me this year was having Ivan Coyote perform at the event. I saw Ivan’s first public reading over twenty-five years ago, and now they’re Canada’s most celebrated storyteller. It’s a thrill to see them in all their gorgeous talent,” says Smith.
In previous years, Pony Cabaret was held in the Black Box Theatre to an audience of 100, but with a solidified partnership between Smith and the Inspired Word Cafe, the event moved to the Mary Irwin Theatre, more than tripling the audience size, and thus increasing the goals for the funds raised.
Michael adds: “We were so happy to have a bigger audience than in previous years in this new venue, and to be able to raise even more money for the Living Positive Resource Centre.”
The Living Positive Resource Centre provides harm reduction, prevention and education resources along with supportive services that focus on individual and community health and wellness to anyone living with, affected by, or at risk of HIV, Hepatitis C or related health issues.
“We have worked with Michael on this event for a number of years, and we’re so excited to be able to secure grant funds to have hosted a bigger and better fundraiser. Our team of staff and volunteers at IWC worked hard to pull the event together,” says Cole Mash, IWC Executive Director. “We were blown away by the desire to support the LGBTQ+ community and raise funds for those living with HIV.”
Additional support for the event comes from the Government of Canada and UBCO’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies.
“After our staff, performers and volunteers recover from all their hard work organizing this year’s event, plans will be underway to start working on the 8th annual event for the spring of 2024,” says Mash. “With tickets selling out two weeks before the event date, we suggest that people keep this on their radar!”
About IWC
Inspired Word Café Society (IWC) is a community arts-organization that provides accessible, low-cost literary and performance art programming (including events, education, and mentorship) for local writers, performers, and word lovers from many walks of life, including youth and other equity deserving groups across the Okanagan.
We believe that participation in the literary and performing arts is not only a right for everyone, both as consumers and to creators, but is also a vital part of the creative and emotional well-being of our local community.
Photo credit: Jessica Zais Photography