On Friday May 25th, Culture Days and Culture pour tous, producer of Québec’s annual Journées de la culture event, in collaboration with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française and the National Arts Centre, will host a one day professional development conference entitled Renewing the Dialogue Between Art, Artists and Citizens: Issues, Collaborations and the Impact of Cultural Mediation Practices. Being held at the National Arts Centre in French, this conference will bring together a diversity of actors from the Franco-Ontarian cultural sector to share their experience and practices and to explore and further define the concept of cultural mediation. If you are in the Ottawa/Gatineau area and want to participate, registration is free and includes refreshments and lunch. Stay tuned, a recap and highlights of this conference will be shared with the Culture Days community later this summer. A great opportunity to learn what thinking, innovations and actions are taking place around cultural engagement.
Archive for the ‘uncategorized’ Category
Renewing the Dialogue Between Art, Artists and Citizens: May 25th Conference in Ottawa
Culture Days Workshops Offered Across Ontario
Culture Days (Ontario) is offering new skills development opportunities for artists, professional and volunteer-run cultural groups, libraries, museums, municipalities and anyone else wishing to present an activity during the pan-Canadian celebration of arts and culture next September 28-30. Aimed at helping participants increase the impact and success of their Culture Days activities, a variety of workshops will take place in communities from mid-April to early June.
“The growth of Culture Days since its launch in 2010 is truly remarkable representing a tremendous demand for exchange and collaboration within the burgeoning cultural network,” said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I am delighted to see Ontario’s talented artists and committed cultural workers seizing the opportunity to showcase their process and work to the public – helping to inform and inspire people across the province.”
2012 Culture Days Workshops in Ontario include:
- On May 25, a one-day French-language symposium exploring topics related to community arts, outreach and arts education will be presented at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. This unique event is produced in partnership with Québec’s Culture pour tous (producers of Les Journées de la culture), the Fédération culturelle canadienne-français and the National Arts Centre.
- More than 25 Information sessions are taking place in communities across Ontario hosted by community arts councils and municipalities. Culture Days staff will share tools and resources available to participants while encouraging networking and collaboration in the community.
“These learning events will help local activity organizers create rewarding experiences during the Culture Days weekend and have a positive impact on the public’s engagement in arts and culture throughout the whole year,” said Warren Garrett, Chair of the volunteer task force for Ontario Culture Days.
EVENT DETAILS
Cultural Mediation Symposium
This one-day symposium will bring together stakeholders in the Franco-Ontarian community in the National Capital Region to discuss the concept of “la médiation culturelle” – an expression current in Québec that brings together ideas of community art practices, arts education, audience development and outreach strategies. The aim of the symposium is to present various positions on cultural mediation, and discuss initiatives undertaken by arts, community, and municipal groups. Attendance is free but requires pre-registration, please click here to RSVP.
| Date | Time | City | Location |
| May 25 | 8:30 am – 5pm | Ottawa | National Arts Centre |
Information Sessions
Communities throughout the province are hosting Culture Days information sessions, where everyone is welcome to learn about tools, tips and resources available to Culture Days activity organizers. Early info sessions have already been held in London, Stratford and Cornwall attracting enthusiastic participants. Info sessions bring together artists, arts and cultural groups, municipal cultural staff, community arts councils, business improvement associations, local media and other people interested in forging collaborations to organize Culture Days 2012 activities. All info session are free to attend. The following information sessions have been scheduled:
| Date | Time | City | Location |
| April 23 | 7:30pm (bilingual) | Cornwall | Cornwall Regional Art Gallery |
| April 24 | 7pm | Kitchener | Waterloo Region Museum |
| April 25 | 7pm | Mimico | Lakeshore Arts |
| April 30 | 6pm | Niagara | MacBain Community Centre |
| May 2 | 6:30pm | Hamilton | Hamilton Public Library |
| May 3 | 6:30pm | Brantford | Brantford Public Library |
| May 7 | 5pm | Barrie | City Hall Rotunda |
| May 8 | 3:30pm (CDT) | Red Lake | Chukuni Communities Development Corporation (Webinar) |
| May 10 | 2pm | Windsor | Windsor and Region Arts Council |
| May 15 | 10am | Durham Region | The Regional Municipality Of Durham Headquarters |
| May 16 | 5pm | Mississippi Mills | Mississippi Valley Textile Museum |
| May 17 | 7pm | Smiths Falls | Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario |
| May 23 | 3pm (bilingual)5:30 (bilingual) | Sudbury | Art Gallery of SudburyTom Davies Square |
| May 24 | 2pm | North Bay | North Bay City Hall |
| May 24 | 2pm | Ottawa | Arts Court |
| May 28 | 3pm | Etobicoke | Arts Etobicoke |
| May 28 | 5:30 | Mississsauga | Mississauga Civic Centre |
| May 29 | 6:30 | North York | North York Civic Centre |
| May 30 | 1pm | Peterborough County | Douro Community Centre |
| May 31 | 2pm6:30pm | Thunder Bay | Thunder Bay Public Library – Mary J L Black BranchThunder Bay Art Gallery |
| June 4 | 12pm | Trent Hills | Trent Hills Public Library – Campbellford Branch |
| June 4 | 4pm | Cobourg | Northumberland County Economic Development & Tourism |
| June 5 | 6:30pm | Guelph | Guelph Arts Council |
| June 6 | 7:00pm | Oakville | Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre |
| June 7 | 4pm | Kingston | Kingston Art Council |
| TBC | TBC | Kenora | TBC (Webinar) |
ABOUT CULTURE DAYS
Culture Days invites everyone to explore, discover and participate in arts and culture in every community across the country. In 2011, the second annual Culture Days event took place in more than 800 Canadian cities and towns, with attendance topping 1.2 million Canadians. Last year, more than 1265 activities were presented across Ontario, a 36% increase over the first year’s participation levels.
This year’s Culture Days weekend will take place on September 28, 29 and 30, 2012. Once again, the event will feature free, hands-on, interactive activities that invite the public to participate “behind the scenes”—and to discover the world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, and designers at work in their community.
Early-registration continues until April 30. Individuals and organizations are invited to register one or more activity before April 30 to be featured in a national Globe and Mail advertisement. To register a Culture Days activity or to see who has already joined the movement, visit www.culturedays.ca
For more details about Ontario Culture Days announcements please visit: www.on.culturedays.ca. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.
Culture Days in Ontario is supported by the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Government of Ontario in recognition of Celebrate the Artist Weekend.
-30-
For more information about Culture Days in Ontario:
Aubrey Reeves
Ontario Culture Days Manager
(416) 646-7469
1-800-387-0058 ext. 7469
London Arts Council Hosts a Culture Days Information Session
Learn about tools and resources available to Culture Days participants at an information session hosted by the London Arts Council with Culture Days staff in attendance. Aimed at helping participants increase the impact and success of their Culture Days activities, this information session is open to artists, professional and volunteer-run cultural groups, libraries, museums, schools and anyone else wishing to participate in the third annual pan-Canadian celebration of arts and culture taking place on September 28-30, 2012.
EVENT DETAILS
DATE / TIME: April 11 at 4pm – 6pm
LOCATION: 251, Dundas Street, London, ON
Ontario Culture Days staff will be in attendance to answer questions and facilitate. The information session is free and open to all.
London Arts Council contact:
Dhira Ghosh
Events Coordinator
London Arts Council | London Heritage Council
(519) 661-2500 ext.8474
Call for Participation: Take Part in Culture Days at the Toronto Public Library
Photo by: Christian Badanjak
“Kir Stefan the Serb Choir was very pleased to be a part of such an amazing movement. We certainly hope to participate next year too. Judging by the comments, the audience enjoyed the event and we even got a new choir member!”
– Nada Dimitrijevic
Kir Stefan the Serb Choir
2011 Culture Days @ the Library participant
The Toronto Public Library (TPL), the Neighbourhood Arts Network (NAN) and Culture Days are pleased to continue Culture Days @ The Library for a second year. This exciting partnership was created to help artists and arts groups share their creative work with the public. Now in its third year, Culture Days is a pan-Canadian celebration of arts and culture. For more information, visit www.culturedays.ca.
The Toronto Public Library is offering free venues to Toronto-based artists and cultural groups wishing to be part of Culture Days on September 28-29, 2012. This partnership enables artists to take their practice out of their private studios into the accessible spaces of library branches so that the public can discover and engage with their work. Past participants describe Culture Days @ the Library as a great opportunity to connect with new audiences and to build strong community relationships. From Etobicoke to Scarborough, North York and downtown, some 40 TPL branches spanning the city will provide venues at no cost.
Toronto-based individual artists, small and medium-sized professional arts as well as volunteer-run cultural organizations, collectives or groups that wish to organize their events at a TPL branch are invited to submit to the simple application by April 30, 2012. Activities in all artistic disciplines are encouraged as well as those that appeal to families and to audiences of diverse ages. To be considered for a space, the arts activity must be free and interactive.
TPL staff will make their selections from among the applications and contact activity organizers for further information. Decisions will be based on the suitability of the activity for the branch’s venue space and the interactive nature of the activity. This program cannot provide any financial assistance for supplies or equipment; however, participants do receive administrative, marketing and promotional support for their activity via the joint efforts of Culture Days, TPL and NAN.
40 Toronto Public Library Branches Open their Doors
“I just wanted to tell you how wonderful Culture Days @ the library was. I had such a fabulous afternoon at the Annette St. branch. It was a pleasure to work up there. What a supportive, generous environment.”
– Lindsay Zier-Vogel
Independent artist
2011 Culture Days @ the Library participant
The following branches have committed to hosting Culture Days activities. The majority of activities will be scheduled on Saturday, September 29, with a limited number scheduled on Friday, September 28. For location and other details about each branch, go to http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/hours-locations/index.jsp
Participating Branches
| Agincourt | Evelyn Gregory | Mount Pleasant |
| Albert Campbell | Gerrard/Ashdale | North York Central Childrens’ Dept |
| Amesbury Park | Guildwood | Northern District |
| Annette Street | High Park | Pape/Danforth |
| Beaches | Humberwood | Parliament Street |
| Bendale | Jane/Sheppard | Queen/Saulter |
| Brentwood | Kennedy/Eglinton | Riverdale |
| Bridlewood | Leaside | S. Walter Stewart |
| Centennial | Lillian H. Smith | Sanderson |
| College/Shaw | Main Street | Spadina Road |
| Don Mills | Malvern | Taylor Memorial |
| Downsview | Maryvale | Weston |
| Dufferin/St. Clair | McGregor Park | York Woods |
| Eglinton Square | Morningside |
How to Participate
A simple application form is now on-line. Applications will be accepted from now until April 30, 2012.
Applicants will be matched with the appropriate library branches based on the suitability and interactive nature of the activity. Those applicants who meet the criteria will be contacted by Toronto Public Library Branch Heads in the latter part of May to discuss in detail their activity and may be required to submit further information related to space requirements, equipment, etc.
Notification and Confirmation
Branches will send out confirmation notifications by May 30, 2011.
About Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library is the world’s busiest urban public library system. Every year, more than 18 million people visit our 98 branches and borrow more than 32 million items. As cornerstones of their neighbourhoods, our libraries connect people to each other and to their community, inspiring the spirit of exploration, the joy of reading and the pursuit of knowledge for people of all ages and backgrounds. To learn more, please visit www.torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131.
About Neighbourhood Arts Network
Neighbourhood Arts Network is the place where arts and community engagement meet. NAN helps artists and community organizations do what they do best: enrich Toronto and transform it into a more vibrant, beautiful, and liveable city. We catalyze new relationships and conversations, collect research and share information. We envision a Toronto where all residents are empowered to discover and shape the cultural life of their communities. Neighbourhood Arts Network is a project of the Toronto Arts Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.neighbourhoodartsnetwork.org
For more information about Culture Days @ The Library, please contact:
Aubrey Reeves
Culture Days Ontario Manager
(416) 646-7469
aubreyreeves@culturedays.ca
Tips on How to Maximize Your Culture Days 2011 Experience
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
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!
- If you would like additional venue identifiers and/or signage, browse the “Promote Your Activity” section of the Culture Days website. There are plenty of free, downloadable tools being offered that aim to promote and increase the visibility of registered activities. These tools include printable venue identifiers, customizable posters, flyers and more!
- 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!
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
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!
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.