Celebrating Asian Heritage


Date: May 28
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Level 3 Atrium
Family Fun

Bring your family and friends for an afternoon of fun and creativity as we celebrate Asian Heritage Month together. Included in the cost of admission, free for Rooms Members!

1 pm – 4 pm – Creative with Paper – Celebrating Culture

T’sai Lun is generally credited with inventing standardized paper in China during the Han Dynasty around 2200 years ago. Today, all kinds of paper are used by artists and artisans around the world. Using techniques such as folding, tearing, layering, and creasing, come and explore our maker stations to create something unique using a variety of papers available.

1 pm – Chinese Lion Dancing

The lion dance brings good fortune and luck during the Chinese New Year and other important events. Performers in this group span three generations, led by Rennies So, newly appointed Vice-President of the Chinese Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (CANL). 

2 pm – Tai Chi Demonstration

The local chapter of Fung Loy Kok Taoist Tai Chi will lead a series of gentle movements that strengthen and relax the body and mind. 

3 pm – Bollywood Jig

Founded in 2004 by artistic director Sanchita Chakraborty this troupe of dancers from all backgrounds has been making audiences here cheer, clap and tap their toes for almost 20 years. 

Today's Events & Programs

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Have you ever wondered about the connections between creativity and neurodivergence, such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia? From attention to detail to pattern recognition and language originality, neurodivergent artists can display talents that could be considered advantages.

Join us for a moderated panel discussion with Dr. Andreae Callanan and Dr. Kate Lahey, who will talk about how neurodivergent people express creativity in unique, unconventional ways.

Part of the discussion will address some challenges for neurodivergent artists during and following the creative process, such as executive functioning, sleep disturbances, and burnout. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation.

Cost: $12 plus HST. Free for Rooms members. Register online or by calling (709) 757-8090.

About the Panelists:

Andreae Callanan holds a PhD in English from Memorial and serves as co-convener of the Research and Knowledge Exchange on Critical Disability Studies at the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research. Her debut poetry collection, The Debt (Biblioasis, 2021), was shortlisted for the E. J. Pratt Family Poetry Prize and was a runner-up in the Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry. Andreae’s creative and critical writing has been published in Riddle Fence, The Walrus, Newfoundland Quarterly, Canadian Notes & Queries, Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, and in Best Canadian Essays 2026. She lives in St. John’s.

Dr. Kate Lahey holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, is the front person of the band Weary, and writes arts criticism. As a musician, writer, scholar, community organizer, and postdoctoral fellow at Memorial’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, her research centers on trauma-informed values such as healing, care, empathy, and social justice.

7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Join MUN School of Music alumni and current students for an evening of exciting big band jazz showcasing the talent of the School of Music community.

The ensemble will perform a selection of compositions by Maria Schneider, Pat Metheny, Christine Jensen, Chucho Valdés and others. 

Cash bar (opens at 6:45 pm) and reception to follow the performance at 9 pm

Tickets: $25 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling 709-757-8090.