Posts Tagged ‘Manitoba’

Culture Days Stories: Susana – Winnipeg, MB

July 28th, 2011 by Culture Days

As the Culture Days weekend approaches, some activity organizers have taken to the web to document their participation in the movement.

Here’s an excerpt from a great blog post written by Susana (aka Lemon Dear).

The key to keep up with all the happenings is to be informed. Recently, misinformation cost me not being able to attend Winnipeg’s very own Soca and Reggae festival, which I had been looking forward to for quite a while (I must keep my senses more open).

After Michelle encouraged me to participate in Culture Days, ideas starting flowing and since then, she has kindly helped me shape them into their current form, her input has inspired me so much and all of her suggestions have made my projects bloom, so this is, in the very core, a thank you note to her and Culture Days.

It is not easy being a newcomer, and being able to participate in this amazing event is a truly beautiful way of feeling welcomed and home at last.

I am developing a personal project (a comic book!), alongside with working on my Culture Days activities, and soon my tiny flat will be an explosion of thread, fabric, paper and super fine pens… actually, it already is!

Thankfully, there are some very kind people out there willing to inform us! I was blessed to meet one of those wonderful persons (Michelle Rosner) during a Freeze Frame workshop given by the great local photographer Dustin Leader in which I was one of his assistants.

It was a pleasant surprise and an honour to find out about Culture Days through Michelle, and when I say an honour, I truly mean it, since Culture Days is, to me, an open arms invitation for all the inhabitants of Canada, regardless of their country of origin, to participate and express themselves and release their creativity – and in my case, to do one of the things I aspire to with my art: to honour my roots.

Click here to read Susana’s blog post in its entirety.

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.

View Comments | Posted in Culture Days stories, Manitoba, for activity organizers, opinions, ways to get involved | Tags: , , ,

Flin Flon’s MLA weighs in on Culture Days

November 28th, 2010 by Culture Days

Read below for remarks about Culture Days from Gerard Jennissen, MLA for Flin Flon, Manitoba. Published by The First Perspective: News of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, November 25, 2010.

Dancing down Main Street, Culture Days 2010 in Flin Flon, Manitoba (photo: Crystal Kolt)

Mr. Speaker, on the weekend starting Friday, September 24th, Flin Flon and surrounding communities hosted the very first, and super successful, Culture Days. It comes as no surprise to me that there is overwhelming support for arts and culture in Northern Manitoba.

The first Culture Days were part of a grassroots movement across the country to encourage participation in the arts and culture by hosting a weekend of free activities across Canada.

In Flin Flon, a dedicated group of volunteers – spearheaded by the Flin Flon Arts Council and its many partners – put on an impressive program of events over the weekend that showcased a variety of local art and performances. The activities in Flin Flon included artists and participants from Northern Manitoba and across Canada.

Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross and I had a chance to participate in the opening ceremonies which took place at the Gala Café tent near the Flin Flon community centre. We spent much of the day sampling the many creative offerings. We enjoyed watching mask-making at the R.H. Channing Auditorium as part of the youth programming and were impressed by the creative exhibitions in the Sportex, among other things.

There was much to choose from. There were explorations of the rich history of Manitoba’s earliest mining community, live concerts showcasing Northern artists, workshops for young people, and a variety of art exhibits. Hundreds of people joined in a Flash Mob Dance down Main Street on Saturday night and the museums had to stay open extra hours to accommodate the high demand.

Over 5,000 people attended Culture Days. Attendance rivaled that of major centres in Manitoba. Flin Flon and region’s Culture Days events were spotlighted in national media coverage – which just goes to show what a success it truly was. Arts and culture are alive and well in this vibrant region of Northern Manitoba.

Congratulations to all of those participating in Culture Days – especially the North’s most creative sparkplug, Crystal Kolt. I’m not sure how the artistic community in Flin Flon is going to outdo itself next year, but as always I’m confident there will be even greater and more sophisticated artistic activities on the horizon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Gerard Jennissen, MLA for Flin Flon, Manitoba

View Comments | Posted in Community spotlight, Manitoba, community organizers, provincial updates | Tags: , , , , ,

Inspiration

August 31st, 2010 by Helen Yung

After officially launching the movement 4 months ago, we’re now only a few weeks from the first edition of Culture Days. Here in Central Canada we’ve also got the dog days of summer going on. Boy is it smuggy around here. My cat says she doesn’t want to go outside unless we shave her. (So we are all opting to stay caged indoors.)

At times like this, you know what keeps me going? Believe it or not, my daily inspiration actually comes in the form of an automated email – Google Alerts for Culture Days! Check out these mentions of Culture Days from just today (and the day isn’t even over yet):

Alberta Arts Days at the Banff Centre
Banff Crag & Canyon
A founding partner of national Culture Days, The Banff Centre will host Banff’s flagship Alberta Arts Days event on Saturday, Sept. …

Kingston Arts News: Join us for the launch of our Culture Days …
By josh
As part of Culture Days and the fantastically successful Art After Dark, we are pleased to welcome photographer Peter Bregg to speak about his experiences in Africa on Thursday, September 23 at 7pm in the Davies Lounge of the Grand …
Kingston Arts News – http://kingstonartscouncil.blogspot.com/

Introducing: The Mayor’s Spirit of Atikokan Culture Awards
Atikokan Progress
The timing of the awards coincides with Culture Days, a national campaign … Culture Days is a collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the …

Culture Days | Celebration Schedule | Cultural Currents:River as …
To celebrate Culture Days, the Exploits Valley Economic Development Corporation will undertake a cultural celebration that will invite and encourage every …
culturedays.com/…/4c34c2ee-f058-4f47-9316-65a34c4a89be

Twitter / Culture Days: RT @cbcmanitoba: Send us a …
RT @cbcmanitoba: Send us a video of how you celebrate arts & culture in your life. It could be seen on national TV! http://bit.ly/bDMRni.
twitter.com/culturedays/status/21596372190

Press Releases – Simcoe County: ONTARIO EMBRACES CULTURE DAYS WITH …
By Nicolebh
Hundreds of individual artists, groups and organizations in every province and territory have created and registered free arts and culture activities as part of Culture Days 2010 – the nation’s largest free weekend-long arts and culture …
Press Releases – Simcoe County – http://sclifeandtimes.blogspot.com/

Culture Days « Miriam H. Harrison
By Miriam H. Harrison
Categories: Uncategorized. For this year’s Culture Days, I’ll be co-coordinating the launch of Jennifer Rouse Barbeau’s first novel, Swampy Jo. For more information, be sure to check the Culture Days website. …
Miriam H. Harrison – http://miriamhharrison.wordpress.com/

Get in touch with your elected representatives Culture Days
By Aubrey Reeves
When you are spreading the news about your Culture Days activity, don’t forget to also contact your elected representatives. This will support the Culture Days objective to build public awareness for the importance of arts and culture …
Culture Days – http://culturedays.ca/blog/

CULTURE DAYS at 918 (Sept. 25 & 26) | The 918 Bathurst Centre for …
By 918 Bathurst
Come and celebrate CULTUREDAYS at 918 Bathurst: Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education! You can check out samples of our Fall 2010 Programs – there will be hands-on activities and demos. WHEN: Saturday & Sunday | September 25 & 26, …
The 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture,… – http://918bathurst.com/

Congratulations everyone – it’s a real pleasure building this movement with you! Keep up your inspirational great work.

You move me.

Press Releases – Simcoe County: ONTARIO EMBRACES CULTURE DAYS WITH …
By Nicolebh
Hundreds of individual artists, groups and organizations in every province and territory have created and registered free arts and culture activities as part of Culture Days 2010 – the nation’s largest free weekend-long arts and culture …
Press Releases – Simcoe County – http://sclifeandtimes.blogspot.com/
Culture Days « Miriam H. Harrison
By Miriam H. Harrison
Categories: Uncategorized. For this year’s Culture Days, I’ll be co-coordinating the launch of Jennifer Rouse Barbeau’s first novel, Swampy Jo. For more information, be sure to check the Culture Days website. …
Miriam H. Harrison – http://miriamhharrison.wordpress.com/
Get in touch with your elected representatives Culture Days
By Aubrey Reeves
When you are spreading the news about your Culture Days activity, don’t forget to also contact your elected representatives. This will support the Culture Days objective to build public awareness for the importance of arts and culture …
Culture Days – http://culturedays.ca/blog/
CULTURE DAYS at 918 (Sept. 25 & 26) | The 918 Bathurst Centre for …
By 918 Bathurst
Come and celebrate CULTUREDAYS at 918 Bathurst: Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education! You can check out samples of our Fall 2010 Programs – there will be hands-on activities and demos. WHEN: Saturday & Sunday | September 25 & 26, …
The 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture,… – http://918bathurst.com/
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Manitoba Update

July 26th, 2010 by manitoba

Have you checked out the Culture Days celebration schedule for Manitoba lately? Below you’ll find links and updates on how things are coming together for Culture Days in Manitoba’s towns and cities. Winnipeg has some fantastic activities planned, as do Flin Flon, Brandon and Portage la Prairie.

New Culture Days activities for Manitoba are being registered often and we expect to see activities posted in Gimli and Saint Eustache in the coming weeks. There will be lots of opportunity to explore the arts and cultural scene en français in Saint Boniface with activities in the works for the Maison des artistes, the Saint Boniface Museum, The Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre and more!

Keep checking the website for updates and remember it’s not too late to consider organizing your own Culture Days activity!

Big city sizzle

Come Culture Days, Winnipeg will be ready to show us why it was awarded Cultural Capital of Canada this year! Wonderfully creative activities are planned for the community’s Culture Days celebration including interactive art-making experiences at the cre8ery, Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library’s Crafternoon event, a celebration of independent theatre with playwright readings at FemFest 2010 and the CITY STORIES mobile story exchange project to name just a few.

Existing events and festivals are tying into Culture Days, too. Thin Air, Winnipeg’s International Writer’s Festival and its francophone component Foyer des écrivains will have plenty of free events during the Culture Days weekend. Prairie Theatre Exchange is moving Winnipeg’s largest celebration of new plays to September and the full three-day schedule of free play readings, backstage tours and acting workshops will be added to the Culture Days Celebration Schedule very soon.

The first edition of Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche celebrations is being launched during the Culture Days weekend in Manitoba – watch the blog for more details on this all-night celebration of the arts on Saturday, September 25!

Brandon joins the party
September 25 is shaping up to be a blow-out celebration of arts and culture in Brandon! The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba invites daytime visitors to contribute to a graffiti mural, a collective needlepoint project and to join in the fun of making a comic book! At 7:00pm it will be time to head down to 10th Street for performances, artist talks and other hands-on activities. Keep watching the website as new information is added to the Culture Days Celebration Schedule for Brandon.

Arts and culture northern style
Culture Days in Flin Flon will have something for everyone from hip hop to animation to quilting, from concerts to modern visual arts to traditional birch-biting displays and plenty of opportunity to meet and mingle with professional artists. Heritage figures will roam the towns to share their stories with passersby and the Gala café in Flin Flon will have entertainment every evening in an elegant setting.

The Flin Flon Arts Council and its many partners have been very active in organizing Culture Days activities. Check out this blog post from Crystal Kolt reflecting on how they’re creating such a vibrant Culture Days celebration for Flin Flon.

Portage la Prairie

In Portage la Prairie, be sure to check out the War Brides exhibition at Portage & District Arts Centre – this exhibition of paintings and multimedia installations from Calgary artist Bev Tosh depicts the experience of young women from around the world meeting and marrying their husbands during World War II, including Tosh’s own mother. The War Brides exhibition has been making it’s way across the country since 2006.

Manitoba’s Culture Days Project Manager

Manitoba’s Culture Days Project Manager Nicole Matiation has been liaising with many other groups across the province about their plans and ideas for Culture Days. There is still time to register a Culture Days activity so be sure to connect with Nicole.

Important note! Plans are underway for a printed bilingual Manitoba Culture Days program guide and other promotional opportunities. Please register on the Culture Days website by August 10 to be included in the Manitoba print program guide. The same deadline applies for inclusion in the francophone and bilingual activity guide.

Nicole Matiation
Culture Days Project Manager for Manitoba
Email: nicolematiation@culturedays.ca
Phone: (204) 942-8221

Keep Reading
Browse through the Culture Days blog for more information on Culture Days in the Manitoba region.

View Comments | Posted in Manitoba, community organizers, for activity organizers, provincial updates, ways to get involved | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Tips on how to participate in Culture Days

June 24th, 2010 by manitoba

In Manitoba we circulated a quick “5 tips to help you get started” document for Culture Days based on the post from Aubrey Reeves. The documents (English and French versions) are available below in case they might be helpful to you as well as look for easy ways to get involved and take advantage of all the promotional opportunities available through Culture Days.

View Comments | Posted in Manitoba, community organizers, for activity organizers, provincial updates, ways to get involved | Tags: , , , ,

Update from Manitoba

February 18th, 2010 by Culture Days

Manitoba call for participation – coming soon!

Under the leadership of Provincial Task Force Chair Jean Giguère and Manitoba Task Force members, Culture Days Manitoba continues to surge forward with exciting updates. A few highlights:

  • Culture Days Manitoba will take place September 24 – 26, 2010.
  • The first edition of Nuit Blanche Winnipeg will be launched on the Saturday of Culture Days 2010.
  • A project manager is in place to support the many groups that have joined the provincial movement.
  • The Task Force continues to work hard to engage colleagues within the cultural sector and outside of it. An example: Task Force member Crystal Kolt, Cultural Coordinator at the Flin Flon Arts Council was invited to speak at a luncheon hosted by the Norman Regional Health Authority. Topic: Culture Days Manitoba. The local media were on hand to take notes on the great activities being planned for Culture Days Manitoba in the Flin Flon-Creighton area (which spans across both the Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces), including theatre and visual arts showcases, music concerts, Busking Bonanza, Museum Musts, Panning for Gold, seniors’ and youth activities, Metal Madness, Pottery Classes, Aboriginal Art and Customs, Amazing Race-Heritage, Hip Hop Dancing, and Multicultural Flavours.
  • To mark Culture Days, Winnipeg Canadian Cultural Capital (WCCC) 2010 will launch “City Stories,” a program that will entertain and engage the diverse and wide spread population of Winnipeg. By creating a mobile story exchange centre to travel the length and breadth of the city, the City Stories team will encourage citizens to interact with performance artists in the creative process of storytelling. In keeping with the WCCC 2010 vision of Arts for All, the project will involve creative participation from across the cultural spectrum.
  • Manitoba Task Force members, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Homecoming 2010, and WCCC 2010 kicked off the cultural year with a sold-out concert featuring Manitoba artists. The event was dubbed a “two-hour mini Culture Days.”
View Comments | Posted in Manitoba, provincial updates | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Culture Days in Manitoba

January 15th, 2010 by Culture Days

Bringing together a host of collaborators with new and existing initiatives, Culture Days Manitoba is moving quickly towards a province-wide launch in September 2010. Activity organizers, artists and other cultural professionals and amateur or community-based groups are needed to bring their (your!) unique touch to the celebration. Each provincial initiative is supported by a volunteer group known as the Provincial Task Force. Charged with facilitating connections and helping to promote and develop provincial events, the Provincial Task Forces also help liaise between provinces to encourage continuity and to share expertise. For a list of Manitoba Task Force members, which broadly represents cultural leadership from across the province, including urban, rural, Francophone, Aboriginal, arts education, support, and cultural industries groups, please click here.

To get involved with Culture Days Manitoba, please contact the Manitoba Task Force.

News:

  • The community of Flin Flon held its first Culture Days planning meeting to look at how the community will participate in the September 2010 launch! Representatives from the Flin Flon Arts Council, the City of Flin Flon, the Flin Flon Indian / Métis Friendship Centre, the school division, local museum, and Canadian Parents for French were all present for the meeting.
  • Other cities contacted so far include The Pas, Churchill and Thompson.
  • Task Force member Tina Keeper is organizing a roundtable of Aboriginal artists to discuss their plans for Culture Days.
  • To continue spreading the word and inciting interest in the movement, Culture Days was featured during the 2009 Manitoba Contact Showcase. Attendees included 120 delegates from arts organizations across rural and northern Manitoba, as well as 25 performing artists.
  • The Alliance for Arts Education is almost done producing their new DVD, Between Hearts and Minds: The Arts in Education, which educators will be encouraged to use to promote the arts in their local communities. An e-poster will be distributed to every school across the province, highlighting arts and cultural events designed for families and younger audiences. School principals and other educators will be encouraged to insert the poster into newsletters and/or post the events on school websites.
  • The Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre has successfully obtained funding which will help them showcase Francophone culture in the visual arts, architecture and fashion during Culture Days 2010.
  • In conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the Company, and the 40th anniversary of the School, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet will open its doors to the community during Culture Days 2010 for an open house and block party extravaganza.
  • For Culture Days 2010, The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra plans to host an event on opening night with audience and musicians playing starring roles.
  • A committee has been established to develop Winnipeg Nuit Blanche in collaboration with Homecoming Manitoba 2010, the Franco-Manitoban Centre and Culture Days 2010.
  • Others, including the Manitoba Museum and the Prairie Theatre Exchange, have committed to participating in Culture Days 2010.
  • Early marketing collaborators include Travel Manitoba and the unique new Winnipeg-based initiative, Culture In Every Corner. Homecoming Manitoba 2010, a year-long project that brings former and current Manitobans together for events and celebrations, has also agreed to sponsor Culture Days 2010!
View Comments | Posted in Manitoba, provincial updates | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,