Arts & Culture

Punk Rock Flea Fest celebrates ten year anniversary

The Punk Rock Flea Fest celebrated a ten year anniversary in late September, kicking off with an exhibition opening at TAP Centre for Creativity on September 24. It featured an array of live music, local vendors, and afterparties. While the Punk Rock Flea Markets happen seasonally, the distinctive Punk Rock Flea Fest ten year anniversary celebration was bigger, louder, and with more live music and local venue involvement.  For the exhibition opening, Victory Tattoos from the Old East Village provided affordable flash tattoos on site to gallery visitors, while local indie-fuzz garage rock band La Rent played songs from their…

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Man carries a replica of himself in a hospital gown in his arms. The text says "The Sickling" in all caps.

“It’s affecting us the most”: Gabriel Badejo’s The Sickling brings sickle cell crises to light

Growing up as a Nigerian immigrant, my parents were acutely aware of the sickle cell crisis facing Nigeria. So much so that when I turned 17, my dad made sure to tell me that when I start dating, I need to get my blood tested to figure out if I was a carrier. At the time, sickle cell anemia was more of an idea that my parents were fanatical about than an active risk to my health. Going into health research in university, I would learn more and more about how common it was in Nigeria. Sickle cell anemia is…

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“This is not a landmark”: Downtown London bustles with cheer for cultural festival Nuit Blanche 

London’s downtown core has suffered in the last few years from a bad reputation. Between the many Farhi-shuttered storefronts and an unhoused population neglected by an overloaded shelter system, it’s a sad state of affairs. London’s softest suburbanites quiver in fear at the idea of a casual stroll down Dundas, lest they be faced with the visual evidence of our failing systems.  Nuit Blanche is the answer to our mid-sized Canadian town’s downtown void. A cultural festival pitched annually by the London Society of Architects from 2010 to 2017 and revived in 2025, this year’s theme is This is not…

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Author Sam Demma brings good will to London

On Thursday, Bestselling author and Canadian speaker Sam Demma comes to London as part of his cross-country tour dedicated to his new book Return on Goodwill.  The tour, dubbed Return on Goodwill Live, sees Demma sharing stories and the impacts of the goodwill he has received from others throughout his life, and championing the world he hopes to be part of. One that focuses on “return on goodwill” rather than return on investment. For Demma, the fundamental difference between the two is expectation. “Return on investment, there’s always an expectation. When you give money to a financial advisor, you’re not…

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“MARIAN’S BIG DIG” by Laura Bontje, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

The mind of a child is a truly wondrous thing: full of curiosity and a different way of seeing the world. That is made manifest in “Marian’s Big Dig”, the most recent publication by local author Laura Bontje and award-winning illustrator Scot Ritchie. The story follows Marian, an adventurous and imaginative child who follows her true passion: rocks and fossils. When she makes a discovery that leads her to believe she’s found a fossil, she’ll use every ounce of her curiosity and determination to show her discovery to everyone she knows. In an interview with Antler River Media, Bontje explained…

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Abbas Wahab’s “Dialed In” comedy special

September 19 saw London comedian Abbas Wahab return for a stop in his “Dialed In” to a delighted crowd at Aeolian Hall. The born and raised Londoner of Sudanese descent began his comedy career 10 years ago after leaving an engineering career in the Detroit automotive industry. Since then, he’s worked on developing his craft as a comedian and has also branched into acting in television and film, featuring in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and M. Night Shyamalan’s “TRAP”.  “Dialed In” finds Wahab two years after his last tour “No New Regrets”, following a profound period of change. Since…

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Collage featuring three photos. The top photo features a screen lit saying Forest City Film Festival. The bottom left photo is of shoes on the Imagine Cinemas patterned floor, the bottom right photo is of a fan choice award ballot titled "Best of the world fests fan favourite award ballot" with the text "Let your voice be heard! Score this film by RIPPING through a number at the bottom of this ballot. 1 is poor. 5 is excellent." The balloted film is titled NO OTHER CHOICE. The numbers range from 1 to 5.

What the Forest City Film Festival brings to London

Last year, the tenth anniversary of the Forest City Film Festival (FCFF) brought together film fans, popcorn enthusiasts, and budding filmmakers from all around London for 10 days of celebration, artistry, and creation.  As we approach the festival’s 11th year, Antler River Media reflects at what having a festival like FCFF means for people here in London. Amidst many long-time fans, there were first-time attendees, like Elliott Cooper, who vowed to return for future editions.  “It’s cool to be able to just go see something that’s not out in most theaters yet,” said Cooper. “You can also help support local…

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Small city, big dreams: Hong Kong night at TIFF 2026

For such a tiny peninsula/island combo, Hong Kong is, weirdly, a big deal.  Growing up there and taking it for granted, it has always been a pleasant surprise when people beyond our tiny confines recognize our movies and our music, and cite to me the atmosphere in Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love, the humour in Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, and the choreography in Wilson Yip’s Ip Man or any Bruce Lee film. So, it is unsurprising, but no less pleasurable, to stumble upon an evening dedicated to Hong Kong cinema and its future on the world…

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An Interview with indie post-rock band QUOTAS: Outsider, countercultural, and loud  

Étienne Lavallée documents London’s current art scene with The Honey Dip Archives, a series of interviews with bands that performed at Honey Dip’s one year anniversary celebration. Here, he meets Amanda Mead, Mike Lurz, and Mark Ganassin of QUOTAS, a 1990’s inspired, indie post-rock band from South Ontario. Their music can be found on Bandcamp. *** QUOTAS audio interview: Étienne Lavallée: How long has your band been together, where are you from? Amanda: We’ve been together a year and a half, and two of us are from Brantford, one of us is from Stratford.  Étienne Lavallée: How would you describe…

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An Interview with indie-fuzz-garage rock band La Rent: “It wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did”

Étienne Lavallée documents London’s current art scene with The Honey Dip Archives, a series of interviews with bands that performed at Honey Dip’s one year anniversary celebration. Here, he meets Kade (vocals/ guitar/ drums), Jeff (vocals/ guitar/ drums), and Emma (bass/tambourine/backing vocals) of La Rent, a London Ontario-based indie-fuzz-garage rock band. They’re regular performers in the South Ontario region and can be found at Honey Dip and other local venues on a regular basis. Their most recent releases, STEEL DRAGON KARATE(2025) and a to zap!(2025) can be found on bandcamp.  *** La Rent audio interview: Étienne Lavallée: The two of…

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