Earlier this week Nazanin Shoja, BC Culture Days Coordinator made a presentation to people interested in increasing Summerland’s participation in what is B.C.’s largest celebration of arts, culture and heritage — namely Culture Days.
This year Culture Days will take place Sept. 25 to 27 in all provinces and territories across the country. So what is Culture Days?
Culture Days is a collaborative movement to encourage awareness, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Now in its sixth year, this Canada-wide celebration represents the largest-ever public participation campaign undertaken by the arts and cultural community in this country.
Culture Days will feature free hands-on activities that invite the public to participate in the “behind-the-scenes” world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, and designers at work.
Through this exchange, artists and creators have a unique opportunity to engage people of all ages in their creative practice.
In previous years Culture Day activities in Summerland have included shows at the Summerland Art Gallery, exhibits at the Summerland Museum, various workshops and other events.
In addition various artists invited people to their art studios and, of course the Kettle Valley Steam Railway continued their magnificent work of bringing railway history to life. It will be interesting to see what special activities take place this fall during Culture Days.
A positive spin-off of last year’s Culture Days, in our neighbour to the north, was the creation of the first arts council on the Westside.
Suk’wtemsqilxw West Kelowna Arts Council, was officially launched in February after many participants, artists and businesses alike, voiced their enthusiasm and support of a westside artwork following last year’s Westside Culture Days.
However, before Culture Days comes Earth Day and in Summerland, the sixth annual Earth Week celebrations with many different activities including an historic walk along Summerland’s beautiful waterfront and Lower Town, an Imagination Station at the Arts Centre and the Blue, Green and Clean program at the Summerland Library.
The award-winning film, Elemental, will be shown at Centre Stage Theatre and a Philosophers’ Cafe will be held next Wednesday at the IOOF Hall.
Come out, join in, learn, celebrate and help enhance this beautiful community of Summerland.
David Finnis is the publicity chair and president of the Summerland Community Arts Council, P.O. Box 1217, 9908 Main St., Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0.