Christopher Gaze is the Artistic Director of Vancouver’s 36-year-old Shakespeare festival, Bard on the Beach. He began writing the story of the Bard during COVID, when lockdown forced the company to cancel two seasons in a row. Bard stayed alive with the determination of the company. Helped and supported by many friends, they went online during the pandemic, venturing into film production and focusing more on education.

Asked by an audience member how long it took to produce one of her amazing paintings, she replied that she needed no preliminary drawings, and could complete a painting in 3 or 4 long days. “I am a portal,” she said. “Since the artistic expression comes through me, I know what it’s supposed to look like.”