Early last week, plans for Culture Days were unveiled at events in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island. The Canada-wide celebration represents the largest-ever collective public participation campaign undertaken by the arts and cultural community in this country. Culture Days will take place on September 24 to 26 in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec (under the existing event Journées de la culture), New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; and on September 17 to 19 in Alberta (under the existing event Alberta Arts Days). Dates for Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon will be announced shortly.

Attended by Ministers of Culture, local performers and artists in each province, the announcements called on the arts and cultural community to offer activities that invite the public to participate in hands-on, interactive experiences during Culture Days. Interested artists and organizations can register online at www.culturedays.ca. Those who register activities will benefit from a national marketing and communications campaign as well as access to materials to help promote activities within their communities.

Through direct interaction with artists, curators, designers, historians, architects and other creative producers, Culture Days invites Canadians to discover the inner workings of the arts and cultural world and to explore their own creativity. Culture Days activities will be free. Professional, amateur, educational, heritage and community-based arts and cultural organizations as well as groups, artists, creative industries and municipalities in major urban centres, regional cities, towns and rural communities alike are welcome to be part of Culture Days.

To follow the development of the celebration, learn more about the Culture Days movement and to participate in activities this September, visit here.