A child enjoys the opportunity to dance at a 2016 Culture Days event in Prince Albert. (Photo by Kevin Hogarth)
What did Culture Days in Saskatchewan look like in the beginning? Building momentum for any type of initiative from scratch is always a challenge. Fortunately, community leaders were ready for something that brought people together around cultural activity. There are so many creative people in this province — we only needed to share the idea, and many artists, cultural organizations, and community leaders banded together to explore possibilities.
where more people wanted to live. The province was focused on proving that Saskatchewan was a great place to settle and raise a family. We saw Culture Days as an opportunity to advocate for increased support for arts and culture in communities large and small. Along with the Culture Builds Community! idea, Culture Days provided tangible examples we could share with governments and businesses to demonstrate the impact of arts and culture. Activating Animateurs to engage others in interactive cultural activity Saskatchewan was the first province to introduce the Culture Days Animateur, thanks to SaskCulture’s support. The role, right from the beginning, was to help communities understand the concept, as well as encouraging creativity in sharing various activities with potential cultural participants. In the first year, we had one Animateur, by the next year, we had three artists, who helped encourage community cultural leaders and potential participants to get involved in Culture Days. The Animateurs were very helpful in demonstrating interactive ideas. And, they definitely helped to increase participation levels. Unfortunately, by 2017, resources were pared back and the program was put on hold. By 2020, the funds were designated to support a more responsive Culture Days Hub Sponsorship Program.
To help share the idea and build interest and momentum, SaskCulture developed the Culture Days Animateur position. Yes, we had an Animateur right at the start! Laura Hale, a mixed-media visual artist, was hired to visit different communities and meet with organizers. As part of her work, she drove around the province in a Culture Days van and demonstrated how an interactive arts activity could engage community members, help build awareness and get people involved. She invited locals to try a wire art activity, which encouraged them to create, express themselves and contribute their creations to a larger wire art project. In the end, the first Culture Days, held in September 2010, engaged 23 different communities offering over 180 cultural activities, resulting in over 7,000 participants attending registered activities. What were the most notable Culture Days innovations? Showcasing how culture builds community Culture Days emerged during the same period of time when thought leaders, such as Jane Jacobs and Richard Florida, were encouraging everyone to remember how arts and cultural activity added value — contributing to social capital, “place-making,” and creating communities
A 2016 Culture Days event in Prince Albert gave participants hands-on drawing experience. (Photo by Kevin Hogarth)
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SPRING 2025
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