Vancouver will SING! in Cantonese, English, Filipino, French, Japanese, Hindi, Mandarin and Spanish at the Karaoke Kiosk

Back again for a second summer, Sing! Karaoke Kiosk takes to the streets of Downtown Vancouver and celebrates the city’s  multi-lingual pop  cultures. Urban Republic Arts Society is inviting Vancouverites to choose a song from the Karaoke Kiosk songbook, take the stage, and sing solo or with friends. The Karaoke Kiosk is free and open to all. Songbook is available at www.urbanrepublic.ca.

• Sunday, August 19, 2012, from 2 to 6 pm, Robson Square, Robson at Hornby Street
• Sunday, August 26, 2012, from 2 to 6 pm, Library Square, Robson at Homer Street

Why SING! ?

“One of this city’s strengths is its variety of culturally distinct communities, says architect and Urban Republic director Peeroj Thakre, “yet many Vancouverites find there are too few opportunities to interact on a social level with people from other communities.”  A lack of social connections between people of different ethnicities, ages, and linguistic groups has been identified as a concern  in Metro Vancouver¹.  In response, Sing! Karaoke Kiosk offers a cross-cultural platform for people from diverse backgrounds and ages to participate in a public event. In Vancouver, where over 50% of residents have a mother tongue other than English², karaoke is a popular and accessible form of entertainment within many cultures. The karaoke kiosk aims to draw people together by offering songlists in Vancouver’s most widely spoken languages.

Enhancing Public Space

The self-contained outdoor Karaoke Kiosk structure is also a catalyst to animate public spaces through spontaneous activity.  Urban Republic has designed the Kiosk to adapt to a variety of urban sites, such as sidewalks, streets, parks and even a single parking spot. Pending public feedback and additional partners and sponsors, Urban Republic will seek to bring the Karaoke Kiosk to neighbourhoods throughout Vancouver in the future. Sing! videos, photos and experiences can be shared on social media sites at the tag #urSing.