With the pandemic making it difficult to gather in big groups, the non-profit SaskCulture encourages residents to experience this year’s Culture Days indoors, outdoors and online.
Canada’s favourite fall celebration of arts and culture is set to deliver a month-long immersive and engaging arts and culture experience beginning on Friday, Sept. 25 and running until Sunday, Oct. 25, according to a news release.
The annual, nationwide celebration of arts and culture offers people of all ages and walks of life the opportunity to try out arts and culture activities for free. Experiences are normally hands-on and interactive and designed to entice more people to get involved in local arts and culture. This year, a new virtual option has been added to ensure the health and safety of organizers, volunteers and the public.
“COVID-19 created many challenges for the cultural community this year, but it also opened the door to some creative opportunities,” Dean Kush, CEO of SaskCulture, said in the news release. “Lots of discussion and brainstorming among national and provincial Culture Days partners resulted in a new way to highlight the cultural experiences found here in the province, as well as throughout the country.”
In addition to virtual programming, some small, in-person activities are also taking place where allowed by public health guidelines, and with COVID-19 prevention measures in place.
“SaskCulture offered sponsorships for community organizers to work together in hubs to offer safe, virtual programming,” Kush added. “The response was very positive, despite the uncertainty, and the creativity of our cultural sector is really shining through with the variety of different experiences they are offering.”
Culture Days hub communities include Gravelbourg, Prince Albert, Weyburn, Lloydminster, Regina, Saskatoon, Manitou Beach, Yorkton and Warman.
In Gravelbourg, an art workshop and moonlight screening occur on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Soucy Park and at the Gravelbourg Convent.
Facilitated by Lacey Langlois, this free three-hour workshop will explore the theme of grain elevators. There will be two workshops: one at 10 a.m. and one at 2 p.m. Pre-registration is mandatory, so email edo@gravelbourg.ca to get on the list. At 7 p.m., visit Soucy Park to learn about the Cathedral paintings in a short, in-depth video.
Visit www.culturedays.ca for the full lineup of activities in Saskatchewan and across the country.
