live on stage in APRIL 2023

April is such a lively month and what’s on stage at ArtSpring is no different! We kick off on April 1st with a MET Opera: Live in HD performance of Falstaff. In this all-new production, baritone Michael Volle stars as the caddish knight, gleefully tormented by a trio of clever women who deliver his comeuppance, in Verdi’s glorious Shakespearean comedy.

Live on Stage April 2023

Met Opera: Falstaff | April 1

Ladom Ensemble | April 12

Met Opera: Der Rosenkavalier | April 15

Constantinople w/ Marco Beasley | April 19

Archipelago Opening Reception | April 21

Ladom Ensemble on April 12 combines piano, cello, accordion, and percussion in a unique blend of acoustic chamber and world music that is passionate, sophisticated, and wild. Their all-original repertoire incorporates inspirations from Argentinean tango, Serbian folk and dance traditions, Persian classical repertoire, as well as music from the classical (Bach, Prokofiev) to progressive rock worlds (Radiohead). Ladom doesn’t pretend to represent any one tradition, but rather expresses an authentically Canadian fusion.

In the last opera of ArtSpring’s season, Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, broadcast live from The Met on Saturday, April 15, assembles a dream cast for this grand Viennese comedy. The following Wednesday, Constantinople is back with Italian tenor Marco Beasley to celebrate in music a bridge that Leonardo da Vinci designed in 1502. The longest and boldest bridge of the time, it was to span the Bosporus and link Europe with Asia. It was never built. Five centuries later, audiences are immersed in the imaginary and audacious world of da Vinci’s drawings, with works belonging to the repertoires of two centres of musical culture of the time – Persia and the Ottoman Empire and renaissance Italy.

April 21 will be the much-anticipated opening reception for ArtSpring’s first international visual arts exhibition and cultural exchange Archipelago: Contemporary Art of the Salish Sea. It is a unique collaboration between the creators and communities of the Southern Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands, two of North America’s most feted art communities. ArtSpring will be exhibiting the works from six noted San Juan artists in glass, painting, photography, printmaking, and stone sculpture until May 24, with Salt Spring Arts hosting the Southern Gulf Island artists April 14-30.

The month is rounded out by a fun Spaghetti Western show from Viva Chorale, and the lobby and galleries are full all month long with local and international art. So much to see at ArtSpring this April!

Box Office – Tuesday-Friday 10am-2pm | 250.537.2102

Online Sales – tickets.artspring.ca

Little Known (Yet Essential) Facts About Emergency Contraception

The most common and well known option for emergency birth control is Plan B (a medication called levonorgestrel) . In BC this is available without prescription over the counter at the pharmacy, making it a readily accessible choice. What is NOT well known however, is that in 2014 Health Canada stated that Plan B is not effective for use in anyone with a BMI above 25. (Now, BMI is a flawed scale and methodology, but that should be the subject of another article). Given that a “normal” BMI is 18.5-24.9, it doesn’t take much to be above 25. To get an idea how this roughly corresponds to weight, this means that Plan B is less effective in those weighing 165-176lbs and not effective in anyone over 176lbs. This was quite shocking new information at the time (and may still be for you today). The alternative option is Ella (ulipristal) which is effective for those with a BMI above 25.

A second important note with both Plan B and Ella is that they are NOT effective if taken the day of ovulation or after ovulation. WHAT?! How many of you knew that? Plan B is often misused during this time (because of course, most frequently people seek emergency contraception during ovulation, when they are most fertile). This doesn’t mean it’s not ever worth using, because sperm can live in the vagina for up to 5 days, and if you ovulate during that window you may become pregnant. Plan B & Ella work by suppressing ovulation, so if you have already ovulated, they won’t work.

There is one more option. The copper non-hormonal IUD can actually be used as a form of emergency contraception. This works because the copper creates an inhospitable environment for sperm implantation. As a result, the copper IUD is effective at any time during the cycle, not just prior to ovulation. Another advantage here is that with proper use Plan B/Ella are 95% effective if taken 24hrs after intercourse, and 85% within 1-2 days, declining to 58% within 2-3 days. The copper IUD can be inserted up to 7 days following the unprotected intercourse, and is more effective than either of these methods. Another advantage of this IUD is that then you have an ongoing effective contraceptive method (99.7% efficacy) that last 10 years.

The disadvantage of the copper IUD is it can be difficult to access. If you do not have a GP who is trained to provide IUDs you can seek this care through my practice at Madrona or at the Vancouver Island Women’s Clinic in Victoria.

Copper IUDs are recommended as the best form of emergency contraception for all women who have unprotected intercourse. Surprising but true! I hope you found this information enlightening, and I encourage you to tuck it away in your back pocket for when you or someone you know may need it!