Posts Tagged ‘tips’

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!

An Inspiration Tune-up

September 15th, 2011 by SaskCulture

Below is a blog entry by Paul Wilson, an active Culture Days Animateur in Saskatchewan. Paul is a writer and publisher, and has been engaging the public through an exercise of creating an “Invisible Library”.


Some writers will tell you that inspiration is for wimps, or that it doesn’t really exist and the only way to produce as a writer is to put your butt in a chair until the ideas come. I take a different approach with inspiration, I want to be inspiration’s friend and I want to know all I can about our on-again, off-again relationship.

When I feel inspired to write a poem, I’m usually so pleased to have creativity on my side again I rarely stop to notice where and when I was given the impetus to write. However when I’ve hit a dry spot in my creativity and nothing seems to inspire me I spend a good deal of time pondering this mysterious process.

I would like to suggest that there are two distinct kinds of inspiration. The first is Primary Inspiration; of course each of us has our own distinct sources of this form of inspiration. For me these sources  include  solitary sojourns into nature, walks in the city which involve people watching, relationships with people I love and people I barely know,  also collect small snippets of conversation I hear in cafes and other public places. Then of course I have to mention my senses which are arbiters of primary inspiration.

Often a phrase or poetic line has arisen from a particular fragrance or an unexpected sound. Suddenly I’m transported to a heightened sense of awareness or become aware of a potent memory which in turn leads to a poem.  Touch and taste play less of a role with my creative process yet I am aware that images involving touch reoccur regularly in my writing. Visual artists, dancers, actors, musicians would likely share some of the same sources of inspiration but may also contrast sharply in other areas.

Secondary Inspiration arises when we are moved by the creative intent within a work of art, not our own. We may be in an art gallery or a library and the instant we see a painting or read a particular story or poem we feel we have been given something that we must in turn share with the world. Writers read, painters look at paintings, dancers study choreography and so on. While artists are compelled to learn more about their art form, it is also natural to be inspired by other artists. As a writer I am inspired by writers in all genres and  I am equally inspired by the works of painters, musicians, dancers, in fact most art forms. If we want to understand the the transformative nature inspiration plays in our lives we must live by the declaration: I will take inspiration from where I find it.

What is an inspiration tune-up?

Does inspiration just happen, do we have any control at all over how, when and where it arrives? Perhaps not but we can become more sensitive to what specific conditions bring our inspired impulses to the forefront.

Try this: for one week keep a small notepad with you at all times. Make a running list of inspired ideas as they arise as well as the time, location and experience that triggered the ideas. Were you in the shower, on a walk, waking up or falling to sleep, waiting in line a Tim Horton’s? At the end of each day review the list looking for connections between the experience and the ideas themselves. Do you always get an idea for a painting or a poem when you get up early and eat breakfast alone? Maybe this is because as a child this alone-time allowed you to write and illustrate your own stories. Over the course of your tune up week you will find that certain experiences fall into the category of “primary inspiration”. As you become more attuned to these experiences take time each day to cherish these moments. Don’t be discouraged when ideas don’t come, just relax in the knowledge that inspiration is on the way and you will be ready to act when the time comes.


Follow Paul on Twitter! @InvisiblePoet11

My Invisible Library

September 15th, 2011 by SaskCulture

Below is a blog entry by Paul Wilson, an active Culture Days Animateur in Saskatchewan. Paul is a writer and publisher, and has been engaging the public through an exercise of creating an “Invisible Library”.


I’ve been writing poetry since I was a baffled teen, about forty years. I have published four books of poetry and have just completed my fifth collection, “The Invisible Library”. I am also a culture worker, editor, and publisher (Hagios Press). Currently I have the best summer job ever as an Artist Animateur for SaskCulture promoting Culture Days, September 30, October 1 and 2, 2011. Culture Days is a celebration of arts and cultural involvement from coast to coast to coast in Canada. I’m proud to be one of its champions this year. for the last three years as I have worked on a poetry manuscript titled “The Invisible Library”. Invisible books have no substance beyond the context given in the books where they are mentioned. They are fragments of the imagination of the author, but yet somehow they light a flame in the imagination of the reader. What would that book be like?

Once aware of the invisible library I began to notice entries in books I was reading. It seemed a short leap from these discoveries to wanting to create entries in the invisible library myself. In this writing process I have been inspired by the invisible library but all the titles used in my poems are original and not borrowed from other sources. Soon the poems I was writing took on more imagistic and metaphoric weight. I found that the concept was leading me into fascinating thematic and psychological territory.

In June I began a term position as an Artist Animateur for SaskCulture in aid of supporting and promoting Culture Days, Canada’s celebration of arts and culture from coast to coast to coast. This summer I have acted as Poet in Residence (at the Invisible Library) at several events in southern Saskatchewan, where I have read poems from my book and engaged people in the creative act of writing their own “invisible” titles into a book I’ve carried with me. The response when I ask someone to participate is usually a smile or even a chuckle at the thought of them becoming an instant author. While the writer may want to pause and think it over, I encourage them to use the first good thought they have. Many of the participants use their own name but they are also allowed to sign a pseudonym that plays off the title.

Here are a few samples of the anonymous entries I’ve collected:

The creation of a book title, imaginary or or real requires a creative leap and writing the title of an invisible book one that resonates, requires employing one’s intuition. It’s fascinating to watch participants as they contemplate and then write their invisible book title. While many have not written a book, they all have read books and have perhaps entertained thoughts of writing one day. They may tap into a humorous idea or one that speaks to them personally and as they do they are also thinking about the the importance of books in their lives.

So far I have collected over seventy book titles in my Invisible Library, and welcome more via e-mail: wilsonhpaul@gmail.com. At the end of my term I will post the complete list of titles here on my blog and the “library” will be archived with SaskCulture. I look forward to seeing your entry into the world of invisible books.


Follow Paul on Twitter! @InvisiblePoet11

Volunteers Can Make All the Difference!

September 2nd, 2011 by Culture Days

Nazanin Shoja, OAC’s Ontario Culture Days Animator/Coordinator, interviewed Gina Rim, Volunteer Coordinator Reel Asian International Film Festival, about how to recruit, train and show appreciation for your Culture Days volunteers. The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival  is Canada’s Premier Pan-Asian International Film Festival. The 15th Anniversary Edition takes place  November 8-13 in Toronto and November 18-19 in Richmond Hill. Check out their 2011 Culture Days event “Meet the Festival.”


Nazanin Shoja
– How far in advance do you post a call for volunteers? Where do you advertise?
Gina Rim – Since the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian) holds year round events, I post monthly calls through our volunteer e-bulletin. For the film festival in November, I post a call for volunteers in September by inviting them to our Culture Days event, ‘Meet the Festival’. It’s a great way for all our potential volunteers to meet the entire staff, learn what happens behind-the-scenes, and hear about the roles they will be playing during the festival. I also advertise volunteer postings through our various social media, such as Facebook, and I spread the word through local community and student groups as well.

NS – What incentives do you give?
GR – We offer free volunteer t-shirts, vouchers for any of the films at our festival, and a letter detailing their contributions.

NS – What draws volunteers to the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival in particular?
GR – Volunteering at Reel Asian is a great way to interact with film and the industry, as well as a great opportunity to meet people. Every staff member at Reel Asian including myself, is a previous volunteer for the festival so we treat all of our volunteers like family.

NS – What is involved with training to become a volunteer?
GR – Training varies depending on their volunteer roles but our general training sessions are done at the theatres that we use during the festival. Chris Chin, our Operations Manager, did a walk-through of the venues with the volunteers, gave them an overview of the night, examples of questions that may be asked, and what to do in certain situations. We try to train all our volunteers with as much information as possible so that they feel confident in what they do and have fun while they volunteer with us!

NS – What role do the volunteers play at your festival? What tasks are involved?
GR – Like any other film festival, Reel Asian relies on the help of dedicated volunteers for various tasks – from office help to ushers and front of house support, industry series and special events hospitality.

NS – How do you communicate with your volunteers and determine scheduling?
GR – I have a one-on-one scheduling session with each and every volunteer. This allows me to get to know my volunteers better, what their background and interests are, and see if what we have available for them suits their schedule.

NS – How do you ensure their commitment?
GR – During our volunteer orientation and the one-on-one scheduling session, we make sure that the volunteers clearly understand that they play a very important part in our festival and that they are the ones who puts into action the months of work and planning.

NS – How do you show your appreciation to volunteers? How are they recognized?
GR – We have a volunteers appreciation party with food, drink, music and some great prize giveaways a week after the November festival. This year, Reel Asian will also have a screening just for the volunteers before the party as well. We realized that last year, a lot of our volunteers didn’t have time to watch many of the films because they were volunteering instead. To appreciate such participation from our volunteers, we decided to have a screening of one of the festival selections just for them as our way of saying thank you.

NS – How do you ensure that your volunteers return year after year?
GR – The most important thing is for the volunteers to have a positive experience with us. If the volunteers enjoyed their experience and had fun during their previous shifts, they are more likely to return to volunteer with us again this year. We already have a few volunteers from last year who volunteered with us on our pre-festival screenings this year!

Culture Days Stories: Catherine – Kingston, ON (Part 3)

September 2nd, 2011 by Culture Days

Ripple Effect” is the third installment in a series of blog posts that document Catherine’s (aka Kingston Through My Lens) experience and participation in Culture Days 2011.

Find out more by reading the first and second installments.

One of the greatest things that can happen when you embark on a journey to make change in your community is knowing that it has inspired change in other places as well. Through My Lens started off as an initiative in Kingston, and has now grown to include an event in Toronto as well as a second initiative to come in Kingston through the Kingston Frontenac Public Libraries. Here’s an excerpt from Jenn’s latest blog post about Toronto Through My Lens.

Over 100 photographers will be taking city inspired images for 10 days in Toronto. For added inspiration, we are leading 4 neighbourhood walking tours around Toronto. Their images and stories will be collected for our Nuit Blanche exhibit in Parkdale.  We are 1 of 18 rental truck installations in Leitmotif and 1 of 5 community based installations. Our truck installation is an interactive city building themed truck.

When you come to visit us on October 1, you are the curator of our exhibit. You will help us design our exhibit with hundreds of city images, then we will  layer your stories and build dialogue. Inside the truck you can participate in storytelling and a photo shoot with a cardboard city scape backdrop. We are looking to gain insight into what the community focuses on in the city and how we can inspire positive change.

Change can start anywhere and from the smallest of ideas. What can you do to inspire change in your community?

Click here to learn more about the Kingston Through My Lens project and follow Catherine’s Culture Days journey.

UPDATE: Click here to read Catherine’s summary blog post detailing her Culture Days weekend experience with Kingston Through My Lens.

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: Catherine – Kingston, ON (Part 2)

August 25th, 2011 by Culture Days

Confessions of a First-Time Organizer” a great blog post written by Catherine (aka Kingston Through My Lens) and is the second installment in a series of posts that documents her experience and participation in Culture Days 2011.

Click here to read Catherine’s previous post.

Organizing Kingston Through My Lens has definitely been a whirlwind adventure. We’ve experienced many ups and downs, but already the results are amazing. We’ve inspired multiple other photography projects, and we’re looking forward to the start of the project. Thinking back, there are three things that I have gleaned from starting this initiative. They’re my three tips for successful community engagement practice if you will.

Be excited and spread the word

People need to know what you’re up to, and they need to see that you believe in the project. Bring other people on board who can share that excitement with you as well.

Dream big and be flexible, but never lose sight of your mission

You need to have a clear goal of what you hope to achieve from your project while being able to adapt to the circumstances. We all have the ability to be creative, so tap into that! It’s really important, though, to remember why you decided to start the project in the first place, and to make sure the end result is true to that original vision.

Use your connections and don’t be afraid to build new ones

Starting with the people you already know is a great way to go. Further to that, with technology and online media being what it is today, it’s even easier to send someone an email and let them know what you’re doing. You’ll be surprised with how willing people are to meet you and learn more about your project.

Click here to learn more about the Kingston Through My Lens project and follow Catherine’s Culture Days journey.

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.

Self-Promo and Marketing Info Session – Summary

August 3rd, 2011 by Culture Days

Thanks to all who participated in last week’s Info Session on Self-Promo and Marketing!

This Info Session was the first in a series dedicated to self-promotion, so if you weren’t able to join in, mark these upcoming sessions in your calendar:

- Tuesday, August 16 at 2pm ET – Self-Promo: Public Relations

- Tuesday, August 23rd at 2pm ET – Self-Promo: Marketing Tools and Social Media

Be sure to reserve your spot for these sessions here.

Last Tuesday, we reviewed some of the FREE Culture Days marketing tools now available for download off the Culture Days web site, including: logos, e-flyers, web banners, and web badges. You can maximize the use of these tools by uploading logos to your social media profile, sending e-flyers via email, or posting the web banners and badges on your website or blog; all you have to do is simply copy and paste the provided embed code!

Culture Days will continue to release free marketing tools, including customizable posters, post cards/flyers, web banners, and more! Stay tuned for the release dates of these items, along with a PR Tool Kit, which will be made available over the next couple of weeks.

Also discussed during the Info Session was how word of mouth is a powerful and effective tool, as seen in the Culture Days elevator pitch. This pitch was created as a guide to help activity organizers explain the Culture Days movement and spread the word. There has been some great feedback about the pitch and many are creating their own! Feel free to share your pitch with the growing Culture Days network in the “Comments” section, here.

Those who participated in the Info Session also posed questions about how to find a venue and how to “hub”. In both instances, the best place to start is on the Culture Days web site. Check out the “Looking for a space to share” page – this is where available venues are listed. Also, use the search functionalities on the web site to search for other activities happening near you and see if you can work with other organizers to share venue space and resources. You can also contact your regional representative – they can connect you with other organizers and also make suggestions for possible venues.

One of the key marketing tools available to you is your activity page. With an engaging title, clear description and an enticing photo, your activity page will be ready for its close up! To learn more about how to write a captivating description, check out this informative blog post. Not sure how to upload a photo? It’s quick and easy! Click here to learn more.

Did you know that your activity page has built-in social media tools? Maximize your activity’s visibility by “liking” the activity and have it automatically shared with friends on Facebook and Twitter. Social media is a great resource when wanting to share a message to many in a short period of time – you can copy the URL for your activity page (the address for your page at the top of your web browser) and send it out to your network of friends, family, colleagues, and whoever else via email, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform. Don’t forget to  ”like” and “follow” Culture Days on Facebook and Twitter, as well; Culture Days encourages cross-promotion and wants your activity to become a success, so be sure to use the Culture Days social media channels made available to you!

Capture the Public’s Eye: Uploading an Image to Accompany Your Activity

July 19th, 2011 by Culture Days

As we get closer and closer to the Culture Days event weekend (September 30, October 1 & 2) it’s time to start thinking about how you can maximize the visibility your activity  on the Culture Days web site! The site offers a wonderful opportunity to generate enthusiasm for your activity, particularly when you supplement your information with an eye-catching image. While uploading an image to accompany your activity is not a requirement, it will go a long way to enhance your activity listing on the web site.

Uploading an image to your activity is easy! Once your activity has been registered, log into the system and, head to the “My Culture Days Activity Page.” Click the “View My Culture Days Activities” button. You will then see a list of the activities you’ve registered. To the right of the activity(ies) you’ve registered, under the header “Actions”, you will see a series of options, including “Activity Image”. This link will take you to the Culture Days activity image upload screen. Follow the instructions on this page, taking special care to ensure that your image’s file size (in both “weight” – ie megabites, and “dimensions” ie pixels) falls within the system’s processable range. Here’s a list of some things to keep in mind:

  • it’s a good idea to keep your images well under 8MB in size; 1 – 3 MB is ideal – Before uploading your image, you can check its size by right-clicking on the image icon and choosing “properties” from the pop-up menu. (or if you’re on a Mac, click the image icon and hit “command + i”). If your image is too big, don’t worry! There are a number of free sites that specialize in resizing JPG and other files to suit your needs, most notably Shrinkpictures.
  • the ideal dimension for your image is 240 x 160 pixels – the maximum size you can upload is 1000 x 1000 pixels
  • horizontal (or “landscape”) images work much better than vertical (or “portrait”) images when displayed on the Culture Days web site

Once you have an appropriately sized image prepared, the rest is easy! Simply click on the “browse” button next to the “Your Activity Image” field and choose the file from its location on your computer. Don’t forget to give credit where credit is due in the “photo credit” field. Then press the “Upload & Process” button at the bottom of the page and you’re done!

Your activity will now be ready for prime time!