FOLLOW THAT BELL!
Thursday, November 21 at 7 pm • At the KCIC Hall

SPECIAL GUESTS

MAIREAD SIKKES
​Illustrator and Author
Born in Belfast, N. Ireland, Mairead has always been passionately interested in drawing and painting. She is inspired by French impressionists and Canada's own Group of Seven. She is both the illustrator and author of Follow That Bell, a children's story book about Rosa Casorso's journey to Canada with her three children:
 "I was intrigued by Rosa's courage in making that long arduous trip in a sailing ship around Cape Horn and marvelled how she ever found her way to inland Kelowna"
OPERA KELOWNA
Brianna Wells (she/her), PhD
Managing Director
Brianna moved to the Okanagan in 2018 and balances her work time between UBC Okanagan, where she is a research grant facilitator, and Opera Kelowna, where she leads the organization alongside Artistic Director, Rosemary Thomson. She has been a fan of live theatre since she was very young, and was fortunate to see her first opera at the age of 8. Her doctoral research focused on how opera in Canada and the United States has been mobilized by mass media since the early 20th century, and today she is delighted to continue her exploration of the art form in new ways.
KELOWNA MUSEUMS 
Jillian Povarchook - Executive Director
The trunk that Rosa took on her remarkable journey became a key feature in the exhibit telling the story of Kelowna's Italian community. Jillian Povarchook,  the Executive Director of Kelowna Museums will talk about the importance of preserving and sharing personal stories.
PictureRosa Casorso
The story of Rosa Casorso's journey to Canada with her three young children is a remarkable one. It's a story we shared both through the Casorso documentary and at the feature exhibit at the Okanagan Heritage Museum earlier this year. Little did we know that others would find their own ways to tell the story. It inspired both a new children's book by Mairead Sikkes and a unique staging of two much loved operas by Opera Kelowna. Special Guests  join us to tell how personal stories can inspire us and why it's important to share them. 
​

Picture
Giovanni and Rosa and 7 of their 9 children. Missing are Tony and Caroline - who came to Canada with Rosa.
SCHEDULE FOR THE EVENING
  • Introduction by Gord Hotchkiss and Don Rampone
  • We play an excerpt from the documentary The Casorso: La Prima Famiglia telling the story of Rosa's remarkable journey to Canada
  • Mairead Sikkes shares what inspired her about Rosa's story and how it became a children's book
  • Opera Kelowna talks about how the story served as inspiration for staging their Mainstage Production in 2024
  • Kelowna Museums talks about why these stories are important to preserve and share
  • Thank yous and Questions and Answers with the audience

FROM THE EVENING

CHECK OUR CALENDAR FOR ALL THE LNFI UPCOMING EVENTS