ESTEVAN — With spring came the time to get inspired, learn and find new ideas.
The South East Sport, Culture & Recreation District Inc. is hosting its first-ever South East Summit on May 23. The event, sponsored by the Southeast College, will take place at the Estevan campus from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
"The South East Summit is a one-day, in-person event for all individuals interested in cultural vitality. It is a day to network, learn, engage, share, break bread and create through an itinerary of activities that includes table talks (OSAC, SK ARTS, SaskCulture, Age Friendly SK, Culture Days, Community Initiatives Fund), break-out rooms, a curated panel and features celebrated speaker and cultural advocate Cadmus Delorme as a closing keynote speaker," said Amber Andersen, community development consultant with the South East Sport, Culture & Recreation District.
"This is a forum to celebrate arts and heritage while inspiring all. The skies are the limit at the South East Summit."
The one-day forum is meant to act as an incubator for ideas and inspiration, she added.
"As a district, part of what we do is research and promote forward-trending ideas in sport, culture and recreation, and the future is hybrid in many ways. We are trying to encourage the undertaking of projects that fall outside the confines of tradition and embrace a larger community and audience," Andersen said.
The day will feature Delorme, founder and CEO of OneHoop, a Cree and Saulteaux, and the former chief of Cowessess First Nation, as the keynote speaker with his presentation "There is no Reconciliation without Truth" in the afternoon.
Delorme graduated from Cowessess Community Education Centre in 2000. He later moved to Regina to pursue a bachelor of business administration degree and a certificate in hospitality, tourism and gaming entertainment management from the First Nations University of Canada, and a master of public administration from the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. He has also received an ICD.D. designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and its affiliate institution, Kenneth Levene Graduate School of Business, representing a lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom.
Under Delorme's leadership, Cowessess First Nation prioritized economic self-sustainability and progressed renewable energy, as well as agriculture and land-use efficiency initiatives to create current and future business opportunities. Delorme is the chair of the Residential Schools Document Advisory Committee and the University of Regina board of directors, serves on the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation board of directors and is a 2023 Banff Forum delegate.
The morning of the summit will offer three break-out session options. "Arts Starts at the Library" will feature participating artist Regan Lanning and Southeast Regional Library community services manager Morgan Kelly. "Coronach in Bloom" will have presentations by Kelsey Manske, Town of Coronach community development officer, and Andrew Exelby, Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association Parks and Open Spaces consultant. And "All Aboard Ogema! Southern Prairie Railway", led by Southern Prairie Railway (SPR) lead volunteer and Ogema Mayor Carol Peterson, will be dedicated to Saskatchewan's first full-sized tourist railway.
The morning will also see table talks, offering an opportunity to connect with provincial funders and resources to build a culture in local communities. Each table talk is 10 minutes long, followed by a five-minute question-and-answer period. During this hour-long portion of the schedule, registrants can participate in any three table talk sessions. Organizations participating are Age Friendly Saskatchewan, the Community Initiatives Fund, Culture Days, the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils, Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association, SaskCulture, and SK Arts.
The summit will reconvene after the lunch break with a panel discussion, in which each presenter will provide a 10-minute PowerPoint lecture to discuss and explore the panel topic. The moderator will then pose questions to the panellists, followed by a brief question-and-answer period with the audience.
The theme is Transforming Spaces: How Art and Heritage Can Enliven Communities. This panel explores, the actions of communities big and small in partnership with arts and heritage groups that can create uniquely Saskatchewan experiences that highlight and celebrate the ingenuity and individuality of the communities.
Following will be a roundtable discussion, themed Artists in Communities. This session will help the South East District identify gaps so they can assist the communities in moving forward.
Registration for the summit is underway. Early bird tickets are available until April 30 at $30, then they switch to $50. Interested individuals can register online on the South East Sport, Culture & Recreation District's website at southeastdistrict.ca.
