SJSTF: Talking to Strangers with Dan Yashinsky


Date: Sep 27
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Theatre

St. John’s Storytelling Festival: Talking to Strangers with Dan Yashinsky

Do we build fences or bridges in today's world of fake news and extreme views?  This storytelling journey uses a mix of personal and traditional stories to explore what it means when a stranger comes to your door.

Dan Yashinsky is a storyteller, writer, and community animator.  His books include Suddenly They Heard Footsteps - Storytelling for the Twenty-first CenturyThe Golden Apples, and I Am Full - a read-aloud requiem for Jacob Evan Yashinsky-Zavitz (to be published in winter, 2023).  He has worked as a storyteller-in-residence at Toronto Public Library, The Stop Community Food Centre, and Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.  Recent projects include collaborations with dance artist Annemarie Cabri on a series of "danced stories", and developing a documentary film called The Wisdom of Solomon’s.

Tickets: $12 (+HST), Free for Rooms Members and SJSTF members. Get your ticket online or by calling (709) 757-8090.

This program is in collaboration with the St. John’s Storytelling Festival, a not-for-profit organization that has been active in the Storytelling community of Newfoundland and Labrador since 2004. SJS hosts and organizes an annual Storytelling festival bringing storytellers from across the province, Canada and internationally to the stage in St. John’s.

Events & Programs

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Unleash Your Inner Artist at The Rooms!

Come draw at The Rooms and practice your skills with focused exercises.

What to Expect:
Our experienced instructor will guide you through fundamental drawing techniques. Each session focuses on a different theme, from drawing the harbour view to capturing the details of our natural history collection.

This is a creative and supportive environment; all skill levels and experience are welcome! Designed for ages 15 and up.

Quality drawing supplies are available, or feel free to bring your own sketchbook.

Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Drop-ins welcome!

6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tour

Fishing for Cod

For centuries, fishing for cod has played a vital role in the lives of the peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador. Generations of fishing men, women, and children made use of the land and sea to sustain them and spent their lives “making fish.”

Join us each day for an interpretive guided tour in one of our galleries. From the story of the cod fishery to visiting a current art exhibition to a Family Rainbow Tour, there is something for everyone.

Each tour is approximately 30–40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Drawing

Unleash Your Inner Artist at The Rooms!

Come draw at The Rooms and practice your skills with focused exercises.

What to Expect:
Our experienced instructor will guide you through fundamental drawing techniques. Each session focuses on a different theme, from drawing the harbour view to capturing the details of our natural history collection.

This is a creative and supportive environment; all skill levels and experience are welcome! Designed for ages 15 and up.

Quality drawing supplies are available, or feel free to bring your own sketchbook.

Cost: $20 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. Drop-ins welcome!

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Gallery Opening

You’re invited to a free public opening reception celebrating three new Art Gallery exhibitions:

  • Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works
  • Nasim Makaremi Nia: Elbow Room Residency
  • Goodnight Moon: a Rhythm, a Tempo by Matthew Robin Nye

Enjoy live music, refreshments, and a cash bar (19+) throughout the evening.

Admission: Free to all art gallery exhibitions during the event.

To learn more about the exhibitions and featured artists, please visit: