Yorkton Council unanimously proclaimed Sept. 25 to 27 as Culture Days in the city.
The request to proclaim the days was made at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday, by Tonia Vermette, Adminstrator with the Yorkton Arts Council.
Vermette said Monday she was appearing on behalf of a numbers of organizations working together on local Culture Days activities including; New Horizons Senior Centre; Yorkton Family Resource Centre; Rediscover Downtown; Yorkton Film Festival; Yorkton Photography Guild and the Yorkton Arts Council.
In making the request of Council Vermette explained, “Culture Days is committed to reaching the goal of having all Canadians in every community declaring “I Love Culture” and making culture a daily habit.
“Founded in 2009, Culture Days is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a national network of cultural connections devoted to providing Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of arts and culture. Through an annual three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in hundreds of cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to participate in free interactive and behind-the-scenes activities to discover their cultural spirit and passion.”
Culture Days aims to:
• Foster appreciation and support of the artistic and cultural life that is lived, created and expressed across the country in urban centers and rural communities alike.
• Promote direct interaction between creators and the public as a key to increasing understanding and appreciation for art and culture.
• Affirm that every citizen is the guardian of the cultural life of his or her community.
“Culture Days believes that every individual – regardless of age, location or experience – has the right to access and participate actively in arts and culture.
Culture Days also believes that the arts and cultural sector makes a vital contribution in the economic and social development of Canada and contributes to the overall health of the country,” said Vermette.
The now annual event is about celebrating cultures in all their diversity, offered Vermette.
“Culture Days raises the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. With the support of volunteer groups at the national, provincial and local levels, hundreds of thousands of artists, cultural workers, organizations and groups, volunteers and supporters self-mobilize to host free participatory public activities that take place in hundreds of cities and towns throughout the country over the last weekend of September each year.”
Locally Vermette said the groups involved have a number of events and activities planned.
“Yorkton has numerous cultural activities and events that are part of our community on a regular basis. These could be considered “everyday culture” available to everyone, in that they are ordinary or readily available. As such, here in Yorkton, we are highlighting activities that are considered everyday cultural activities for our community. These include dancing, visual arts, multicultural activities, music and design,” she said.
