Introducing: The Secret Salon Series


We are delighted to announce our Secret Salon Series, offering immersive cultural experiences that merge art, education, science, music, and nature in unexpected ways. Events are held at Secret Headquarters, our beautiful new studio in East Vancouver, home to hundreds of enchanting lanterns as seen at our Annual Winter Solstice Festival.

Inaugural Secret Salon Series Event

THE SECRET LIFE OF CROWS: DECODING THE MYSTERIES OF CORVID BEHAVIOUR
WEDNESDAY MAY 24, 2023 [SOLD OUT]

Thursday june 1, 2023

7:00 - 9:30 PM PST

Holy crow! People have flocked to this event. The original date is SOLD OUT and as a thrilling result we are adding a second date! Thursday June 1, 2023

Celina Starnes, educator, artist, and bird expert will host an evening of corvid inquiry and intrigue. Have you ever wondered what the crows flying above you are thinking? Do you want to learn about crow facts and folklore? Celina’s presentation will reveal secrets of corvid intelligence and will include crow artifacts, crow stories, and a neighbourhood walk to observe and interpret local crows’ behaviour. Feel free to bring your own crow curiosities and experiences to share! 

Featuring live music by Susan Gerofsky (mathematical artist, squeezebox player, Squire of Tiddley Cove Morris Dancers and UBC math education professor), hot tea, and secret surprises along the way, this event is sure to tickle your feathers!

  • Tickets are available by sliding scale: $20-$40. Suggested admission: $30.

  • Space is limited to 30 participants so please register early.

  • This event is for participants ages 16+.

  • Be Prepared: We will be walking for approximately an hour so please dress accordingly.

Artist Bios

Celina Starnes’ day job is the Operations and Outreach Director at the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance, a national conservation organisation. There, she is driving forward solutions to the biodiversity and climate crises by fostering meaningful collaboration across diverse stakeholders, accelerating conservation on a national scale. She grew up in Montreal, and took full advantage of all the culture the city had to offer as she started a career in visual arts. She then switched to conservation and, after completing her schooling at the McGill School of Environment, she headed west to British Columbia to start contributing to nature protection. After the workday is done, she enjoys dreaming up creative ideas for nature-centred events that introduce people to the natural world in fun and sometimes weird ways! These events are a throwback to her many years in environmental education as a tour leader at Ducks Unlimited, an events coordinator Metro Vancouver Parks, and as the public education manager at Stanley Park.

Susan Gerofsky is a UBC professor in math education, working with embodied ways to learn mathematics through the arts and outdoors. She is active as a poet, playwright, musician and filmmaker, and works with dance and fibre arts. She is the Squire of Tiddley Cove Morris Dancers and a member of Sospiro Misterioso, playing acoustic traditional music from Canada and Europe. You'll often find her cycling around town with a baritone horn or an accordion.

Images from The Secret Life of Crows 1 + 2:

Getting Here: Secret Headquarters is in the 1300-block of East 3rd between Clark + McLean Drive. Bus # 22 is within walking distance; VCC Clark and Commercial Skytrain Stations are within 10 minutes' walk. Free parking on the street and in the large parking lot in the alley between 3rd and 4th.

Accessibility: Secret Headquarters is wheelchair and walker accessible. If you have specific accessibility needs, please get in touch with us at (778) 917-7859 or production@secretlantern.org.