Something for everyone in September at Royal BC Museum
September is shaping up to be a busy month at the Royal BC Museum, with a wide variety of events sure to appeal to people of all interests.
On Wednesday, Sept 9 at noon, the Royal BC Museum will be marking the reign of Queen Elizabeth II becoming the longest in modern history with the playing of “God Save the Queen” and “O Canada” by the Netherlands Centennial Carillon.
Over 36,000 years ago our ancestors painted and engraved images of their life onto the rocky surfaces of their natural environment. These figurative representations, known today as rock art, served as the earliest form of communication.
Learn more when renowned scientist Jean-Michel Geneste gives his talk Predator and Prey: The Art of Chauvet for the Royal BC Museum’s Distinguished Lecture Series on Friday, Sept 11 at 7pm. Geneste, a featured expert in the documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams, is the current Chief of Scientific Studies of the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in southern France, one of the world’s most impressive and fragile sites for cave drawings. Admission is free.
On Saturday, Sept 12, Floating Museum Series – Deep Sea Volcanoes will connect an audience via live streaming to Ocean Networks Canada crews engaged in important underwater research 300 kilometres off the BC coast.
Facilitated by Dr Kim Juniper, Ocean Networks Canada’s Chief Scientist, the public is invited to attend this free event to learn more about the science of hydrothermal vent ecosystems, a challenging but rewarding environment to research. Participants will also connect live to a research vessel operating in the Pacific to learn more about life on board the ship.
A free screening of the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria’s new film Perspectives on Faith & Identity: A Youth Documentary Project will be held at the Royal BC Museum on Saturday, Sept 12 at 4 pm. In the film young participants from various spiritual and secular backgrounds come together to share and reflect on how their personal spiritual life and cultural identity motivate them to take action for their community here in Victoria, and within the wider context of world religious politics.
The Gold Rush Film Festival, held at The Vic Theatre on Friday, Sept 18 and Saturday, Sept 26, will present a series of feature length and short documentary films related to the BC gold rush and the Royal BC Museum exhibition Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC.
On Sept 18, filmmaker Eva Wunderman will present her film Canyon War, a look at the Fraser Canyon War on 1858, and its consequences. A series of short films on Sept 26 will explore the gold rush from the perspectives of Chinese, Aboriginals and women.
The Gold Rush Film Festival is $10 per person, per night.
The final Field Trippers walk of the year will take place Sunday, Sept 20 at 9 am at the Esquimalt Lagoon. This free birding field trip will be guided by Entomology Collections Manager Claudia Copley and Bird and Mammal Preparator Darren Copley.
The month will finish off with Wonder Sunday – Gold Rush, an exploration through games, crafts and stories of the Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition. Rumour is there is plenty of fun to be found if you know where to look!
Wonder Sunday is an interactive, learning-based special even that happens from 1-3 pm on the last Sunday of every month (excluding July, August and December).
For more information on all of these events visit http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/events/calendar/.
