Manitoba Arts Network. Focusing on arts activity in rural and northern Manitoba communities.
CULTURE DAYS 2010
Information from the Manitoba Task Force
for Rural and Northern Communities in Manitoba
* NEW GLOBE & MAIL ARTICLE speaking to the important role that Culture Days will play in 'Cultural Participation'
* UPDATED INFO PDF - CULTURE DAYS - English (574K) As of January 27, 2010
* UPDATED INFO PDF - CULTURE DAYS - French (623K)As of January 27, 2010
Link to Manitoba Arts Network Member planning and Activity for Culture Days web page on this site.
The Journées de la culture, representing the combined efforts of players from professional arts and culture circles have been held in Quebec for over ten years. This event which invariably kicks off on the last Friday of September, brings hundreds of institutions, organizations, artists and crafts people into contact with people from an equally large number of Quebec municipalities. The intent was to put forward the idea that it was in the best interests of artists and cultural workers to plan and launch a voluntary movement to promote a better understanding of culture and the arts among fellow citizens. The project has allowed artists and citizens to affirm the importance of culture in our society.
Last year a National Task force which consists of representation from across Canada, was struck to explore the possibilities of extending Culture day into a celebration of arts and artists across Canada. The project aims to raise awareness among citizens from each province about the importance of arts and culture in their community's social and economic development. It is driven by voluntary involvement of citizens, professional and amateur artistic organizations who have been invited to develop and produce accessible, free activities. It will support and promote the artistic and cultural life that is lived, created and expressed in small and big towns alike. It will take the shape of artistic demonstrations, hands-on workshops or guided tours focusing on the creative process and the inner workings of the arts and cultural world and include those events already in place.
The National Task force has overseen the development of a business and implementation plan, a governance model, terms of reference for the provincial task forces as well as draft a web strategy. David Moss is the Project Manager based in Montreal. He made a Culture Day presentation at the recent Manitoba Arts Council workshop.
Initiated and supported by Canada's largest cultural organizations through the Canadian Arts Summit and endorsed and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta, Ontario, BC and NWT Governments, the Ontario Arts Council and now Manitoba Arts Council, Culture Days is gaining momentum with enthusiastic interest amongst leaders and provinces across the country.
The Manitoba Task Force has been established with positive results.
CULTURE DAYS / NUIT BLANCHE
The Manitoba Task Force
Jean Giguère (Chair)
Francine Morin (Chair, Assembly for Arts Education)
Cherry Karpyshin (GM, Prairie Theatre Exchange)
André Prevost (Manitoba Arts Network)
Kevin Walters (Manitoba Homecoming 2010)
Thomas Sparling (Arts and Culture Industries Manitoba)
Pat Sanders (Manitoba Arts Council)
Gerry Couture (Chair, Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Jeff Herd (COO, Royal Winnipeg Ballet)
Javier Schwersensky (Manitoba Museum)
Crystal Kolt (Flin Flon Arts Council)
Dorothy Dobbie (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra)
Judy Murphy (Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce)
Tina Keeper (Actor, Writer)
Carol Phillips (WAC)
Sylviane Lanthier (CCFM)
Trudy Schroeder (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra)