Blog
The Culture 365 Blog is your source for innovative and inspirational stories of cultural engagement and participation from across the country. In the Culture 365 blog, Culture Days extends the conversation all year-round, highlighting best practices and lessons from writers and contributors who represent not-for-profit cultural organizations, individual artists and cultural creators from all walks of life.
The Road Less Travelled: Three artists reimagine success and career
Linh S. Nguyễn for Culture Days – June 14, 2021
In her piece "The Road Less Travelled: Three artists re-imagine success and career", Linh S. Nguyễn shares a personal look at what it means to pursue what you’re passionate about professionally and gets honest about the process of art-making as a living.
Make Room For... Alia G. Peoples
Culture Days x Alia G. Peoples – April 19, 2021
Artist and activist starting important conversations on anti-Black racism through creative expression.
Make Room For... Desmond Tompkins
Culture Days x Desmond Tompkins – March 15, 2021
Artist, artistic director, and student passionate about the intersection of creativity and social justice.
Make Room For... Creato
Culture Days x Fiorella Martinez – February 16, 2021
A dedicated space and platform for Latinx creatives in Canada you need to know about.
Step Into the Process (Part 5 of 5): Molly Beatrice
Tamar Tabori – October 26, 2020
Molly Beatrice is a queer emerging theatre artist with a focus in directing, devising, and producing. Molly is co-creator of Apricity Theatre Project, an initiative designed to provide a platform to queer and trans youth for artistic expression, including...
Step Into the Process (Part 4 of 5): Coral Santana
Tamar Tabori – October 16, 2020
Coral Santana is an Afro-Latina writer, producer, and activist born in the Dominican Republic, currently located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. She is a 4th-year student at UBC, majoring in Film...
Step Into the Process (Part 3 of 5): Damian John
Tamar Tabori – October 5, 2020
From Ymir, a small town in the Kootenays, we have Damian John. Damian is an acrylic and graphic painter, as well as a poet with a focus on how to create beauty in the world. He uses deep, saturated colour to present deep, saturated storytelling. As a memb...
Step Into the Process (Part 2 of 5): Bambi
Tamar Tabori – September 21, 2020
From Revelstoke, we have French-Canadian artist and graphic designer Bambi. Influenced by the great outdoors and its endless capacity for adventure, she utilizes colours and humour to inject joy into her works of art. Her work invites the viewer to smile,...
Step Into the Process (Part 1 of 5): Edward Fu-Chen Juan
Tamar Tabori – September 14, 2020
Based in Vancouver, Edward Fu-Chen Juan is an emerging artist whose current practice is printmaking on paper with water-based ink extracted from natural ingredients. He forages endemic flora of the chosen region, and extracts colour to create ink paste fo...
Dancing at a Distance: Interview with Jolene Bailie, Artistic Director of Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers
Émilie Michalik – September 9, 2020
Jolene Bailie, Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (WCD), delves into the contemporary dance scene in Winnipeg and the new implications of her upcoming performance of Hybrid Human.
Strangers and Fiction
Anne Logan for Culture Days – September 2, 2020
Birthday parties and Yoga classes aren’t the only things that have gone digital—here's a look at the new Book Club in the time of social distancing.
What happens when you mix an artist, a scientist and a very bright light?
Vivian Orr for Culture Days – August 18, 2020
Art and science are natural collaborators. In the same way that art alters a perspective, or provides an unexpected revelation, so does science…
At the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, They Build More Than Boats
Aleen Leigh Stanton for Culture Days – August 5, 2020
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic's "Building Boats, Changing Lives" program is building capacity in practical building skills, traditional wooden boatbuilding, and heritage craft. But they are doing much more than that.
Chinatown's Living Room: The gathering place for a budding activist community
Anto Chan for Culture Days – July 21, 2020
Welcome to Tea Base—an indie arts collective and tea house in the basement of the Chinatown Centre in Toronto where community programming, LGBTQ+ friendly artists, activism, and elders' traditions thrive.
Listen to the River: An Ode to the Columbia River
Saba Dar for Culture Days – July 8, 2020
An artistic investigation that delves into the destruction inflicted upon by the damming and development of the Columbia River, in the wake of the renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty, and how to heal our relations with the land and water.
Building 21: Make zines, not research papers
Greta Rainbow for Culture Days – June 15, 2020
Is the current university model exciting enough for today’s young people? Is it responding to today’s problems? Enter Building 21, an experiment in experimental learning.
“People are Finally Listening”–Indigenous Animation Rises Up
Chris Robinson for Culture Days – April 14, 2020
The world of independent animation has never been perfect, but it’s always felt like a community that has generally been a step ahead of the rest of the artistic world. Operating primarily outside the animation industry, indie animation has long been a to...
Meet our Organizers: Julia from Graffiti Art Programming in Winnipeg
Culture Days – April 9, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. Julia Wake is the Programs Director at Graffiti Art Programming Inc. (GAP), an organization that promo...
Meet our Organizers: Karen from Jube School in Alberta
Culture Days – March 30, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. The Jube School is an invitation to Alberta’s communities to explore the technical, visual, and perfor...
Meet our Organizers: Art Bomb Festival in Gananoque
Culture Days – March 21, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. The Art Bomb Festival is a celebration of arts and culture in Gananoque, ON, organized by Pam Staples...
Until the Lights Go Out
Taylor Basso for Culture Days – March 12, 2020
It started as a weekly evening pickup game, but this group of actors have taken basketball from centre court to centre stage, creating a unique crossover of sport and theatre.
Meet our Organizers: Sebastian from Prince George
Culture Days – March 9, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. Last year, Sebastian Nicholson in Prince George, BC, organized a city-wide treasure hunt for hidden mu...
Meet our Organizers: Rosemary in Sackville
Culture Days – February 27, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. Dr. Rosemary Polegato is a professor at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB and every year works...
Meet our Organizers: Vrunda in Regina
Culture Days – February 18, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. Vrunda Upadhyay moved from Mumbai to Regina in July 2019 and quickly jumped feet-first into the local...
Meet our Organizers: Quinton of the Piikani Nation
Culture Days – February 7, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. As the Special Events and Marketing Coordinator for the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, AB, Quinton Crow...
Meet our Organizers: Kaitlyn in Milton
Culture Days – January 29, 2020
Looking back on the 2019 celebrations, we want to highlight some exceptional organizers who help make the Culture Days weekend what it is across Canada. As a community organizer in Milton, ON, Kaitlyn Patience plays an integral role in ensuring the weeken...
An Inspired Legacy: The Evolution of Les Journées de la Culture
Culture Days – January 9, 2020
For Culture Days’ 10th anniversary, we sat down with Louise Sicuro, President of Culture Pour Tous. On the agenda was the origins of Les Journées de la Culture and the evolution of Culture Days as an initiative inspired by its success.
Concepts and Participation: Reflections on an Exhibition
Dave Dyment – January 8, 2020
Curator Dave Dyment looks back on Ontario Culture Days’ 10-year exhibition, DO BLUE BUTTERFLIES EAT PARTS OF THE SKY. Dyment reflects on the success of the exhibition, what happened during the weekend, and ideas for further discussion.
Museums as Collaborative Spaces
Samuel Bernier-Cormier – November 29, 2019
As museums find new ways to engage the public and widen their audiences, their role as keepers of knowledge is being re-examined, transforming them from spaces where singular narratives exist to ones where intersecting perspectives are celebrated.
Innovation on the Margins: Carving Out Space for Arts & Culture in the North
Taylor Basso – September 12, 2019
Arts and culture thrives in all corners of Canada, from the populated to the remote. Across Canada's Yukon and Northwest Territories, local artists do innovative work, while residencies attract new faces to experience an increasingly alluring part of the...
A Look Back on 10 Years of Culture Days in BC
Kristen Lawson – September 5, 2019
Culture Days in BC has grown from a handful of organizers to a cultural institution. In celebration of our tenth anniversary we’re looking back at the journey from 2010 to now.
Weaving Reconciliation: Arts & Culture as a Catalyst for Change
Shelley Fayant – August 23, 2019
“We knew Indian Head was a Métis town but our museum didn’t reflect that. We knew we wanted to collect and share those stories, and that Culture Days would be the ideal opportunity to do so..."
Putting in the Time - investigations in participation
Dave Dyment – August 22, 2019
Curator Dave Dyment talks about the 2019 Ontario exhibition, DO BLUE BUTTERFLIES EAT PARTS OF THE SKY?
Bridging Generations: The Value of Mentorship - Part 2
Kristen Lawson – August 16, 2019
Photo: Rust - Dance class for 60+ by Lynda Raino and Dyana Sonik Henderson.
Bridging Generations: The Value of Mentorship - Part 1
Kristen Lawson – August 12, 2019
Part 1 of 2. [Part 2](https://culturedays.ca/blog/bridging-generations-through-mentorship-2) will be published August 16, 2019. Ten emerging artists were chosen to act as ambassadors for BC Culture Days this year. Ambassadors are tasked with producing a...
Elbow's Small Town Charm Big Part of Culture Days
Busayo Osobade – August 8, 2019
How Elbow, Saskatchewan, is promoting community unity through Culture Days.
Sparking Creativity Across BC - Part 2
Kristen Lawson – July 18, 2019
Creativity is vital for the health and wellness of a community. Art can bring people together, provoke discussion and make change. BC Culture Days chose ten local emerging artists to act as spokespeople...
A Step to the Side: Culture Days @ the Library Offers Resilience, Beauty, and Joy
Taylor Basso – July 17, 2019
Across Canada, libraries hold a unique and revered position. By offering free resources, knowledgeable and welcoming staff, and a physical space to come together, they serve as hubs to reinforce the strong link between community and well-being.
Connecting to Colour
Aubrey Reeves – July 17, 2019
"Colors are forces, radiant energies that affect us positively or negatively, whether we are aware of it or not…The effects of colors should be experienced and understood, not only visually, but also psychologically and symbolically." - Johannes Itten
Sparking Creativity Across BC - Part 1
Kristen Lawson – July 11, 2019
Creativity is vital for the health and wellness of a community. Art can bring people together, provoke discussion and make change.
Music to Soothe
Aubrey Reeves – July 10, 2019
"This winter, during my treatment for cervical cancer, I was put into several situations where not only was I able to really concentrate on music and appreciate it fully, but by doing so, it helped to relieve the anxiety and pain I was experiencing."
Knit One, Purl One, Relax Some
Aubrey Reeves – July 3, 2019
Studies show that knitting, crocheting, weaving, quilting and other textile crafts are excellent for body and mind—such activities can even bring a sense of calm to the chemotherapy unit.
Reframing Aging Through the Arts
Leah Sandals – May 22, 2019
Arts activities can increase social connectivity and a sense of well-being—as well as help move the needle on unhealthy, ageist norms.
Being an Artist Means Health Risks—And Better Care Is Needed
Leah Sandals – April 11, 2019
From repetitive motion injuries to PTSD, artists are subject to different health risks than the general public. Here’s what needs to be done about it.
Living Solo / Being Social—Social Aspects of Arts Participation
Frédéric Julien – April 8, 2019
More and more Canadians are living alone. In 2016, for the first time, one-person households became the most common type of household in Canada, surpassing couples with children. Should this be seen as a concern or as an opportunity for performing arts or...
Building Mental Health Through Art
Leah Sandals – March 19, 2019
Working with art can help us find community, express emotions, and develop resilience.
When Art is the Best Medicine
Leah Sandals – February 5, 2019
With artists sketching at hospital bedsides and doctors writing prescriptions for museum visits, links are growing between arts and medicine sectors in Canada.
An Artist's Survival Guide
Mandy Rushton – September 17, 2018
You must invest in your art, your child within, for what moves you ultimately moves others. This life is a “choose your own adventure,”so if you are not invested in your own journey, then you can become derailed rather quickly.
Showing Up
Elana Bizovie – August 27, 2018
Bums in seats. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard this phrase. In theatre, this refers to the number of people in the audience of a performance. We strive for it, worry about it, obsess over it. We want to sell tickets!
Surprising Similarities - A Discussion Between Get Creative and Culture Days
Meaghan Froh Metcalf – August 24, 2018
We like to think that Culture Days is a unique model for arts and culture engagement, but a remarkably similar campaign exists in the United Kingdom called Get Creative.
Reasons Why Public Space is Important
Lisa Yang – September 10, 2015
"Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs
Avoiding Art History?
Paul Byron – December 3, 2014
A lot of artists and art students I’ve encountered over the course of time have had fairly strong feelings against learning art history.
What We’re Really Talking About When We Debate the Value of the Arts: A reflection on the #CultureShock Debate
Shannon Litzenberger – December 1, 2014
Shannon Litzenberger shares her take-aways from the Culture Shock debate entitled "Hard Facts VS. Proverbial Truths: The Impact of Arts & Culture on Canadian Citizens & Communities"
What's the Matter with Numbers?
Inga Petri – November 24, 2014
Inga Petri shares her take-aways from the Culture Shock debate entitled "Hard Facts VS. Proverbial Truths: The Impact of Arts & Culture on Canadian Citizens & Communities"
Pursuing an Uncertain Career
Paul Byron – November 5, 2014
One of the greatest issues with being a creative professional is that one’s ability to innovate is always being tested, both creatively, in the art work one makes, and in the professional directions one chooses.
The Beauty of the Beast… and the Power of Performance: An interview with violinist Andréa Tyniec
Lana Crossman – September 11, 2014
Toronto-based violinist Andréa Tyniec has thrilled audiences across Canada with her incredible talent and her 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin on loan from the Canada Council’s Musical Instrument Bank.
Holiday Affairs: Programming for Corporate Audiences
Shannon Litzenberger – December 12, 2013
Acting Up Stage offers a ‘signature event’ during the holiday season called UnCovered that is quite different from the others.
What We Know (and Don't Know) About Canadian Arts Audiences
Shannon Litzenberger – December 9, 2013
It seems like an understatement to say that the ways in which people are engaging in the arts is changing.
Mobilizing the Community: Local Artists in Partnership with the Toronto Public Library
Johanne Tremblay – November 1, 2013
The role of public libraries is evolving in today’s North American societies. Libraries are moving towards becoming places where people congregate, learn and live collectively, thereby becoming spaces of cultural and civic engagement.
Audience as Artist: Transforming Arts Experiences for a Contemporary Public
Shannon Litzenberger – October 26, 2013
Audience attendance figures are prompting a great deal of discussion and study in the arts and culture sector in North America recently as their numbers are dropping steadily - especially amongst younger generations.
Youth, Arts, Culture: A Win-Win
Penelope Kerr – August 14, 2013
Where do arts and culture figure on the Canadian public's priorities list? Pretty high, if a recent survey on 'Arts and Heritage in Canada: Access and Availability 2012' is anything to go by.
Strength in Numbers: the Creative Value of Artist-Run Centres
Cat LeBlanc – August 13, 2013
With the advancement of affordable technology, which has allowed filmmakers to have home editing systems and their own cameras and other gear, many feel that artist-run centres have outlived their usefulness in many ways.
Canoo: Opening Doors to Canadian Culture for New Citizens
Jess Duerden – May 29, 2013
Feeling connected and a sense of belonging is paramount for Canada’s newest citizens; after all, it takes courage to start fresh in a new country.
How to Increase Your Audience Size by 300% Overnight
Helen Yung – July 21, 2011
In this part of a chapter originally published in "Pluralism in the Arts in Canada," Helen Yung navigates the theory and the practice inherent in enabling Canadians to take culture, sometimes literally, into their own hands
