Culture Days Stories: Margaret – Bay Roberts, NL

December 20th, 2011 by Culture Days

The following story “Fairies and Far Away Places” was submitted by Margaret Ayad, board member of The Bay Roberts Cultural Foundation , and documents their Culture Days 2011 experience.

To understand what Culture Days means to our small town, you need to be aware of the unique cultural heritage in Newfoundland and Labrador.  For at least 400 years, Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans have been living on this island, and in the case of Labrador, along an isolated coast. Traditions are strong.  Remember, Newfoundland and Labrador did not join Canada until 1949.  We have much to preserve and share.  One aspect of our cultural heritage that is unique in the Canadian experience is our fairy stories.  Although fairy stories did not form a special event during Culture Days, fairy stories have been woven into life in this far away corner of Canada.

Geocoaching Weekend on the Bay Roberts East Shoreline Heritage Walk
For the geocoaching weekend on the Bay Roberts East Shoreline Heritage Walk, each participant was given a “Cacheport” which led to three sites on the 8 km. trail.  In each of the geocoaches was a question about the heritage of the town.  The participants wrote the answers in allotted spaces on the “Cacheport.”  The completed Cacheport was then entered into a draw for a prize, which was awarded on Sunday.

Fergus Island from Shoreline Heritage Walk

The 8km, spectacular hiking trail is located at the tip of the Bay Roberts peninsula and covers the first settled area of the town.  Welcoming visitors are whispers of wind and waves from the Atlantic Ocean, cries from wild birds, echoes from setters of the past, and imagined beckoning calls and music from fairies.  Hikers stand where French fishermen, as long ago as the 1500s, cured their fish on flat beach rocks calling the area Baie de Robert.  They walk through foundations of homes, restored rock walls, family grave yards, and refurbished root cellars on land where English fishermen and later their families lived and worked for almost 400 years.  There is even a legend that a Viking, on his way to the New World, stood on the mast of his boat and made markings on the rocks at Scoggins Gulch.

It is so easy to imagine a fairy enticing the solitary hiker or berry picker into the wooded areas or to the edge of 100 foot cliffs plunging to the Atlantic Ocean.   Local people, who went to the barren areas berry picking or to the wooded areas looking for firewood, turned their clothes inside out and carried a crust of bread in their pockets to keep the fairies away.  Our fairies do not treat intruders kindly – they have put people “into the fairies,” which is a trance like state, from which people never recover.  They injure the limbs or the cause the person to be covered in hair which will not stop growing.  They have even kidnapped children, leaving a changeling fairy instead.  So, hikers must remember to bring their crust of bread or turn a piece of clothing inside out while Geocoaching!

David French’s Salt-Water Moon
It was so special to watch David French’s Salt-Water Moon performed in the town where the play is set.  David French was born in Coley’s Point which is part of Bay Roberts.  The Victoria LOL#3 Museum and Playhouse was able to offer the play two nights for free to the general public because each night was sponsored by local real estate businesses, and a door prize was offered each night by two local B&Bs.

Robyn Brockerville as Mary Mercer and Bobby Hogan as Jacob Mercer. Directed by Marc Warren

Although Salt-Water Moon is performed all over the world in different languages, it speaks especially to the heritage of our town.  Many people in this area of Newfoundland and Labrador were involved in the Labrador fishery.  They worked for a local merchant, traveling to Labrador on his sailing ship, and living on the Labrador coast from spring to fall.  When they returned home in the fall, they shared profits from the voyage.  In Salt-Water Moon, Jacob Mercer’s father, was what he called “in collar” to the merchant because they did not have a good fishery that season.  Jacob ran away to Toronto because he was so angry at the way his father, a war hero from Beaumont-Hamel where so many Newfoundlanders had died, was being humiliated by the town merchant.

Jacob and Mary speak of walking to North River to have a person charm Jacob’s tooth.  Charming a toothache is part of local tradition.  The person who charms the tooth speaks a few special words or prays or touches the tooth in a certain way… and the tooth ache is gone.  A similar method is used by healers in the community to take away warts.

David French’s characters, Jacob and Mary, also talk about turning clothing inside out and carrying a crust of bread for the fairies while they were walking through the woods.

You cannot imagine how heart-warning it was to hear the dialogue of Salt-Water Moon. Each night’s performance was greeted with a standing ovation.  So much in the play is local, that it is a real tribute to David French’s writing that it can be viewed and appreciated on another level by people from all over the work.

Mussels and Music at the Three Sisters
The Mussel Boil at the Three Sisters was another wonderful event.  The weather was warm so people were in their summer clothes.  MP Scott Simms from the neighbouring constituency dropped by – so we had a celebrity visitor!   David Fitzpatrick, a local singer and songwriter, performed with Christine Saunders, and her son, Kimbel.  David actually performed a locally written song called Madrock which referrers to an area on the Shoreline Heritage Walk at the end of the peninsula where the seas are mad.

David Fitzpatrick and Christine Saunders

We hope the fairies enjoyed the music and laughter as much as we did!

The Bay Roberts Cultural Foundation organized these activities for the 2011 edition of Culture Days.  With modern communication and travel and increased immigration, people across the world are currently sharing a similar cultural milieu.  What we sought to do during Culture Days was to celebrate what has been unique about culture and heritage in our town.  Being part of the swirling seas of modern culture is amazing, but we do not want people in our community to lose their roots, or as Ted Russell, a well-known Newfoundland and Labrador author, who was also born in Coley’s Point, put it … we do not want them to lose their “Holdin’ Ground.”

If you have something to say about public participation and engagement in arts and culture, post it on the Culture Days blog! Submit your vision or post from your own blog via email at stories[at]culturedays[dot]ca and Culture Days will share your story with the growing network.

Culture Days Stories: The Saskatchewan Arts Alliance – Regina, SK

November 30th, 2011 by Culture Days

The following story “Buzzing about buttons with the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance” was submitted by David Sereda, Communications & Outreach Officer of the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance, and documents their Culture Days 2011 activites.

There’s something magical about making buttons. Bringing several existing parts together but adding your own dash, statement and individuality. We thought this could be a Culture Days activity for all ages, hands-on, and that the activity would draw people in because of the fun factor. While we were making buttons together, we could have a conversation about what the arts meant to each participant. Some of those ideas would end up on one-of-a-kind buttons that would travel the city, the province and beyond. Every day is Culture Day at the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance.  Every day we look for ways to increase the visibility of arts and cultural activity, and spur conversations about the importance of the arts to a truly healthy society. Culture Days, which celebrates artistic activity, seemed the perfect platform to inaugurate our button-maker.

The Saskatchewan Arts Alliance held two Button Bees in downtown Regina, one outdoors and one inside. We teamed up with two of our member organizations, The Globe Theatre and the Dunlop Art Gallery, who provided set-up space and tables. This was our first time to participate in Culture Days, and we decided that partnering would not only increase our potential audiences but it reflected the work we do as an organization: we represent artists and cultural industries across the province. With the help and encouragement of Johanna Bundon, one of the Saskatchewan Culture Days animateurs, we found others who would be a good fit with our activity then decided that we’d make the most of it by linking with two organizations. We brought materials for people to collage with, a variety of coloured pens and pencils and also had ready-made designs with slogans about the power of artistic activity. These new slogans were the fruit of our online Slogan Brainstorm held this summer on our facebook page: The Arts Live Here, Powered by the Arts and Art Works. (You can download these from our website: www.artsalliance.sk.ca)

The Button Bees were buzzing: we had line-ups on Scarth Street even as we were setting up outside the Globe. There were lots of smiles, intense concentration, and pride in the finished pieces. At the Dunlop, we had dueling machines in the foyer of the film theatre, where the Sound Jam led by composer Jeff Morton was spinning its aural magic. The arts engage us, for even in a simple activity we use so much of ourselves: our aesthetic sense, emotions, and ideas. We share our results with friends and strangers, admire each other’s work and think about the possibilities of what a small circle can hold. It was a wonderful activity, and in the style of bees of the past, an opportunity to share ideas and information in words and in buttons.

If you have something to say about public participation and engagement in arts and culture, post it on the Culture Days blog! Submit your vision or post from your own blog via email at stories@culturedays.ca and Culture Days will share your story with the growing network.

Culture Days Stories: Sandi – Elgin County, ON

November 28th, 2011 by Culture Days

The following story “Author Bonnie Burnard visits Elgin County Library for Culture Days” was submitted by Sandi Loponen, Coordinator of the Elgin County Library, and documents her Culture Days 2011 activity.

Bonnie Burnard, Giller Prize-winning author of A Good House, appeared at the Aylmer Old Town Hall Theatre on Friday, September 30th for a special engagement hosted by Elgin County Library to celebrate Culture Days. Library staff jumped at the chance to invite Ms. Burnard, whose stories and characters are also based in rural, southwestern Ontario. The library celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2011, so Culture Days provided us with a perfect excuse to bring in an author of Ms. Burnard’s calibre.

Burnard charmed the audience with a reading from A Good House and offered advice to book clubs on approaches to discussing literary works. The audience also enjoyed the opportunity to ask the author questions about her life as a writer and her major works. The evening wrapped up with a wine and cheese reception and an opportunity for fans to have their books signed by the author.

Author Bonnie Burnard (left) is interviewed by, Library Coordinator, Sandi Loponen.

Planning our Culture Days event was a lot of fun for our staff. It was truly a team effort, with everyone bringing their best ideas and input to the table. We had a lot of fun offering a lovely night out for book lovers!

We received a lot of positive feedback from those in attendance. For some, it was an opportunity to join with kindred spirits who love a good book. For aspiring writers, it was a chance to seek advice and learn more about the craft.

Bonnie Burnard confessed that it has taken her longer than she hoped to finish the novel she is currently working on. As encouragement, library staff assured her that they would love to invite her to speak again… just as soon as she finishes her next great novel.

If you have something to say about public participation and engagement in arts and culture, post it on the Culture Days blog! Submit your vision or post from your own blog via email at stories@culturedays.ca and Culture Days will share your story with the growing network.

Ontario Press Coverage Word Cloud

November 14th, 2011 by Aubrey Reeves

A word cloud created with the headlines of 2011 Ontario Press Coverage

With 296 newspaper articles about Culture Days in Ontario there is just too much to read! So we’ve condensed all the headlines into one word cloud.

Tips For Writing A Culture Days Story

November 7th, 2011 by Culture Days

Storytelling is a great way to share your Culture Days experience! But sometimes it’s easier said than done, so Culture Days has compiled a few handy tips to get the creative ball rolling.

Sharing your story will undoubtedly inspire others to take action in their communities and support the arts and culture! Whether you were an activity organizer or member of the public who participated in the over 5,500 activities that took place throughout the country over the Culture Days 2011 weekend, your first-hand experience is distinct and insightful – so don’t be shy!

Because your story is uniquely yours, feel free to use the format in which you feel most comfortable (ie. short story, essay, question and answer, etc.) with a maximum length of 500 words.

Here are some questions to get the ball rolling and to help ward off that pesky writer’s block! Feel free to use them as a guide to help you document your experience.

For Activity Organizers
Who are you and what do you do?
Why did you want to get involved in Culture Days?
What opportunities did you identify for you/your organization/community’s participation?
What did you organize for the Culture Days weekend? Describe your activity and the goals you set out for your activity.
What made your Culture Days 2011 activity unique?
What kind of feedback did you get from those who attended your activity?
Are there any moments from the lead up to and during the weekend that stand out?
Any moments during the weekend that made an impression on you?
What were the keys to your success?
What did you learn from your experience of Culture Days overall?
Do you foresee any long-term benefits for you/your organization and/or cultural community?
Is there anything else about your Culture Days experience that you’d like to share?

For Public Participants
Who are you and where are you from?
How did you discover Culture Days?
Why did you want to participate in Culture Days 2011 activities in your community?
What activities did you participate in and what attracted you to them?
Did you participate alone, with your family or friends?
Are there any moments during the weekend that stand out in your mind?
What did you learn/take away from your experience of Culture Days?
Are you planning on participating in Culture Days again next year?
Is there anything else about your Culture Days experience that you’d like to share?

Please submit your story to Culture Days via email at stories@culturedays.ca and it may be included in an upcoming blog post or newsletter.

Tips on How to Maximize Your Culture Days 2011 Experience

October 11th, 2011 by Culture Days

Thanks to everyone who participated in and helped make Culture Days 2011 a weekend to remember! Your participation transformed September 30, October 1 & 2 into a wonderful celebration of arts and culture from coast to coast to coast.

Though Culture Days is an annual 3-day event, the movement continues to grow year-round! Here are some tips to help maximize your Culture Days experience:

Thank yous! If you had volunteers, friends and/or trusty aids help out, remember to thank them for all the hard work they poured into your activity. Simply acknowledging the important role they played in helping to make your activity a success is a great way to strengthen your bond and make planning your Culture Days 2012 activity(ies) a whole lot easier!

Stay connected! As suggested in the Checklist for Hosting an Activity, if you collected email addresses, business cards or even Twitter handles to form or grow a mailing list, now is the time to get in touch with participants you met during Culture Days weekend. Reach out and thank them for participating in your activity and take the opportunity to promote your upcoming and ongoing artistic and cultural endeavors!

Social Media! If you are active on social media channels, like Facebook or Twitter, continue your Culture Days conversation online and maintain interest in your activities! Speak to the masses with a simple click and build a network with the growing Canadian arts and culture community.

Share pictures and videos! Did you capture your Culture Days experience? Upload and share your photos and videos via the Culture Days Flickr pool and YouTube channel. Be sure to submit high-quality photos to Flickr and allow for downloads and re-distribution on YouTube as they could be featured in the 2011 Culture Days Highlight Reel!

If you made a video of your activity or weekend celebrations, upload it to YouTube and share the video URL with Culture Days (via email, Twitter or Facebook), so it can be featured on the Culture Days YouTube channel! Check out the free, downloadable video bumpers available for use in your videos here.

Share your anecdotes! Send in your Culture Days anecdotes or stories to stories[at]culturedays[dot]ca and your Culture Days 2011 experience could end up featured in an upcoming newsletter or blog post!

Checklist for Hosting an Activity

September 27th, 2011 by Culture Days

Whether you are a first time activity organizer or you’re participating for the second year, Culture Days has created a checklist with suggestions to help you host your activity and maximize both your and your participants’ Culture Days experience!

Here are some things to keep in mind as you finalize preparations for your activity:

  • Everyone loves a friendly face! Your connection to participants begins by simply welcoming them to your activity, so don’t be shy! Introduce yourself and be sure to thank them for participating in your Culture Days activity. Who knows, this may be the beginning of a lovely friendship and/or collaboration!
  • Is the environment comfortable? If applicable, provide seating, ensure there is proper lighting in your space, accessible washroom facilities and, if you wish, refreshments!
  • The Culture Days weekend is a great opportunity to promote your artistic and cultural endeavors, so if you have promotional materials (i.e. business cards, flyers, signage…etc.) be sure to have some on hand.
  • Your activity is also a wonderful way to introduce your work to a new audience, so keep in touch! Have a notebook and pens on hand so people can sign up to receive more information from you via email about upcoming activities or events you may have lined up after the Culture Days weekend. Building a mailing list is a good way to stay connected with those interested in you and your practice or organization.
  • Is your activity location identifiable as a “Culture Days activity” ? Culture Days Bright Spots Venue Identifiers help ensure that the public will be able to find you! These FREE vinyl clings can be picked up at your local Sun Life Financial Center and are available everyday until September 29th, from 8:30am to 4:30pm, local time. Please consult the Culture Days blog to find the one closest to you!
  • Do you have volunteers or a team helping you host your activity? Be sure they are aware of the key messages you want to communicate. Messages such as: instructions on how to participate, your wish to connect with them after the Culture Days weekend or the promotion of an upcoming activity or event – or anything else you want to communicate.
  • Are you active on social media channels, like Facebook or Twitter? Social media is a great platform to build and maintain an interactive dialogue with the public. Tell participants that you’re on Twitter or Facebook and encourage them to follow or “like” you and don’t forget to connect with @CultureDays on Twitter and Facebook too!
  • Document or ask a friend to help capture your Culture Days experience by taking photos or shooting video of your activity. Don’t forget to upload and share your photos and videos via the Culture Days Flickr pool and YouTube channel! Be sure to submit high-quality photos to Flickr and allow for downloads and re-distribution on YouTube as your photos could be featured in a Culture Days ad in the Globe and Mail and your videos used in a 2011 video highlight reel! Be sure to include important information with your photo/video submissions such as the activity name, location, names of those captured in the images and photo credits. All this information can be included in the file name of your photo or with your video upload. Please contact Culture Days for more information if you are capturing photographs of minors.
  • Videos are a fun and innovative way to capture your Culture Days weekend! Check out the free, downloadable video bumpers available for all to use HERE. Once uploaded on YouTube, share the video URL with Culture Days via email, Twitter or Facebook, so it can be featured on the Culture Days YouTube channel!
  • Last, but not least; have FUN!

Join CBC LIVE A Kick Off to Culture Days on September 30th, 2011!

September 26th, 2011 by Culture Days

Whether you’re live in person outside the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Center or in the comfort of your home, join CBC for the kick-off to the 2nd annual Culture Days weekend! CBC LIVE will be connecting audiences coast to coast to coast to a star-studded lineup of CBC personalities and arts and culture events in a festival setting outside the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre on Hamilton, between Robson and Georgia. On Friday, September 30th, from 10am to 10pm, celebrate the art of broadcasting in all forms with an entire day of live events and broadcasts hosted by Jian Ghomeshi and a lineup of CBC personalities. This jam-packed Culture Days-themed day culminates in a live network TV music special. Midnight Music: A Concert For Culture Days will feature Stars, The New Pornographers, The Midway State and many surprise celebrity appearances, and will be broadcast live across the country at midnight and re-broadcasted on Saturday, October 1 at 12 noon.

Like the much-adored Hockey Day in Canada, CBC’s participation in Culture Days will provide Canadians with an opportunity to unite and celebrate their love of arts and culture. Culture Days is the largest-ever collective public participation campaign undertaken by the arts and cultural community in this country and CBC’s commitment not only includes the nationally broadcast CBC LIVE event, but the opportunity for Canadians to celebrate the art of broadcasting, in its many forms and in a variety of ways, at CBC Broadcast Centres across the country, with 75th Anniversary open houses taking place on Oct 1.

For more information about CBC LIVE – A Kick Off to Culture Days, please visit www.cbc.ca/live

“Culture Days Week” on CBC

September 26th, 2011 by Culture Days

Culture Days’ National Broadcast Partner, CBC, kicks off a week of special culture themed, multi-platform programming today, as a lead up to the upcoming Culture Days weekend (September 30, October 1 & 2).

Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, CBC demonstrates how it has been a driving force in Canadian culture over the years and its commitment to supporting the Culture Days movement. Throughout the week, on-air hosts and personalities will explore the vibrant arts and culture scenes in communities throughout the country and reveal the cultural secrets of a city/region as explored and unveiled by prominent local residents.

In celebration of CBC’s 75th anniversary and as part of the Culture Days weekend, CBC Broadcast Centers across the country will also be opening their doors to the public on Saturday, October 1st. Visitors will have a chance to explore all areas of the “art of broadcasting” on all platforms: from studio tours to operating equipment, the public will experience the CBC as an integral part of arts and culture within their communities and country!

“Culture Days Week” on CBC will culminate with CBC LIVE A Kick-Off to Culture Days, broadcast from Vancouver on September 30. Consisting of a star-studded day of live events and broadcasts, the event will conclude with Midnight Music: A Concert for Culture Days, hosted by Jian Ghomeshi and featuring some of Canada’s top musical talent. The concert will be broadcast live at midnight across Canada on CBC Television. Tune in this Friday, September 30 for this exiting kick off event!

For more information, please visit www.cbc.ca/live

Bright Spots Venue Identifiers Now Available for All Activity Organizers!

September 20th, 2011 by Culture Days

Thanks to the generous support of national Lead Founding Visionary Partner, Sun Life Financial, Bright Spots Venue Identifiers are now available to all Culture Days activity organizers!

These free, 1’ diameter round vinyl clings will serve as vital tools for organizers in helping to identify activities as “Culture Days activities,” and ensuring that the public will be able to find them. These clings can be affixed to windows, walls and almost any other surface to help identify the location of your activity. Be sure to place them in a highly visible location outside your venue!


Not only do these identifiers tell the public that they’ve found the right place but there’s also a “call to action” on them to encourage people to use social media platforms via their smart phones to publicize that they’re at your activity; helping to further promote you, your practice or organization.

The free Culture Days Bright Spots Venue Identifiers are now available and can be picked up at your local Sun Life Financial Center.

To find the Financial Centre closest to you, please click the link below that corresponds to your province and use the geo-location map on the Sun Life Financial Canada web site to locate the center nearest you:

British Columbia
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labrador

For those in the territories, please email Reuben Finley (reubenfinley[at]culturedays[dot]ca) for more information on how to obtain your free Culture Days Bright Spots Venue Identifier.

Bright Spots Venue Identifiers will be available at these centres from September 21st to September 29th, Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 4:30pm, local time. Should you not be able to pick up your identifier at your local Sun Life Financial Centre, please contact your Provincial Representative for information about how you can obtain one.

A printable version of the Bright Spots Venue Identifier is also available for download via the Culture Days web site as part of the many free tools in the Culture Days Marketing Kit. You can download and print a colour version of the Bright Spots Identifier on an 8.5” x 11” or 11” x 17” sheet of paper.