Directed by Francis Lawrence, Written by Suzanne Collins, Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth Katniss Everdeen leads the final battle against the malevolent President Snow, with the assistance of her friends Peeta and Gale in order to attain freedom for all citizens of Panem and the 13 districts. With all eyes on Katniss, it’s not an easy road ahead in the midst of a war, as she faces many dangerous obstacles and decisions including matters of the heart. The anticipated final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy has emerged with a bang. The film doesn’t take too long…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne is the co-founder and editor of SHIFTER magazine. Born and raised in Toronto, Kevin currently resides in Ottawa with his wife Koliah and their three children. He's a big fan of hip-hop, pop culture, and urbanism and spends most of his time keeping up with the Kardashians.
What is a creative voice? How do I discover it? I’ve been pondering it for quite a bit. I thought about what it would look like to others and perhaps what the dictionary definition would be. When I think about our voice I think about our freedom of speech and self-expression. I see it as an opportunity to share our values and beliefs, cares and hurts to the world. So where does the creative part fall into this? It’s a way of expressing our voice through our own art form. Having a voice doesn’t necessarily mean being a politician or…
Directed and written by Ryan Coogler, starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson. “Creed is the latest installment into the Rocky franchise and follows Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of the late world famous boxer Apollo Creed. With the help of his father’s friend, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), Adonis will try to overcome the legacy that his father has left behind and make it in the boxing world.” Rocky is arguably the world’s most famous sports film franchise ever, so when Creed was announced there was apprehension. Could this film, not helmed by Stallone and not…
I’ve been to a few concerts and seen many live performances featuring K-OS. Pretty much any time he does a show in Toronto, I’ll go. From what I’ve seen though, I have to admit that his performance style sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. But when you make great music, sometimes you just get a pass. Full disclosure, I’m a fan. On Friday, November 20th, the historical Danforth Music Hall was the setting for the Toronto tour stop, right on the heels of his latest album Can’t Fly Without Gravity, released in August. The album is great, but being…
The music industry is changing and the model of how the business works is also evolving. The internet has changed the game as streaming and digital downloads are increasing in popularity, but so is the availability of free music. As the rules of engagement change there’s more and more musicians get ripped off. Russell Brennan has written an insightful article for LateralAction.com about how musicians can avoid being taken advantage of. To most bands and musicians the Holy Grail is to get signed up by a major record label. But all that glitters is not gold. Although the major labels…
Art and creativity have many uses. They can be used to shed light on issues, influence public perception, or challenge us to think. This week it was used to heal and bring a country together. If you’ve followed the terrorist attacks in Paris this week you may have seen ‘Peace for Paris’, an image by French graphic designer Jean Jullien. When Jullien heard of the attacks his first reaction was to create. In an interview with NPR he stated: “Last night I was about to go for dinner. I turned on the French radio. I heard that it was an…
What do Akon, Alicia Keys and Angelina Jolie have in common? Well, you’re right, they’re all magnificent at what they do. But they also find ways to use their creative influence to solve social issues. This year R&B singer, Akon, launched his Lighting Africa project which will bring electricity to 600 million people in Africa. He also started the Solektra Solar Academy which is helping train African engineers. This inspirational artist and philanthropist is using his influence to change and revive Africa. Grammy Award-winning songtress, Alicia Keys, is a HIV advocate. She is the co-founder of Keep a Child Alive…
It’s celebrated by young people in cities across North America and even in the United Kingdom, from Toronto to Los Angeles to London. This past Tuesday WE Day stopped in Ottawa, Canada. Over 16,000 students from over 500 schools punched their ticket to the event by taking part in both a local and global action. Students gathered at the Canadian Tire Centre to be encouraged to dream big, use their imagination and go from, “Me thinking to We acting”. Guests included YouTube sensation Lilly Singh, who received the biggest ovation, United States Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, recording artists Kardinal…
If you ask the average adult whether they’re concerned about the next generation they’ll probably say yes. As soon as you cross that threshold into your 30’s you instinctively start shaking your head when you see young people doing anything questionable. You also start asking, “Were we like that when we were teenagers?” To which the answer is, “Yes.” But not all teenagers fit the stereotype. There are teens all over the world “creating their world” and doing amazing things. Time Magazine’s Most Influential Teens list provides optimism that the world will be in good hands in the next ten…
Our Joe Mebrahtu and Kevin Bourne sat down with former rock musician turned church leader, Shawn Gabie, to talk about influencing culture, building a personal brand and leadership. Joe Mebrahtu: Your background is music; you’ve been a drummer for a few rock bands and you’re used to being in the background. As a church leader you’re a professional communicator how was it transitioning from being in the background to being a public figure? Has the transition been easy? Difficult? What was the process? Shawn Gabie: Because of my type of communication, the transition from being in the background to being…
Tonight members of the SHIFTER Magazine team attended A Voice for the Voiceless; an exhibition by Canadian artist Delphine Saint-Fort. The collection was a celebration of a few firsts for the artist- her first exhibition, as well as her first time experimenting with photography. Her creativity and use of different textures was in full display as she blended different mediums, including photography, paint and applying materials like newspaper and cardboard boxes. Saint-Fort explains the concept stating: How often do we miss things that are right in front of us? This concept of being “Overlooked” is what inspired me for my…
Can art be fashion? Can fashion be art? The answer is yes. As artisans gathered for an event like no other and first of its kind in Ottawa. The evening consisted of thought-provoking and visual spectacles of fashion presented by local designers. Music provided by Blast the Radio enhanced the night market as well as a delectable selection of appetizers provided by Savour Italy. Attendees were treated to a showcase hosted by the lovely Miss Barbara Laurenstin. The show featured nine different designers, all presenting their own eclectic brands of clothing and accessories. As models strutted their stuff on the…
