We are just a month away from the 12th annual BC Culture Days. The 2021 celebration of arts and culture features a line up of free and interactive creative events hosted by artists and cultural organizations from across B.C. and Canada from September 24 to October 24, 2021.
Through 2021 Culture Days, themed – RE:IMAGINE – British Columbians are invited to imagine a post-pandemic world brightened through creative exploration and artistic expression. The month of events has been created for all comfort levels and abiding by current public health recommendations, including socially-distanced outdoor and pre-registered indoor events, pre-recorded videos, livestream presentations, self-guided activities, and more.
“As pandemic restrictions ease and we look towards the future with cautious optimism, it’s essential that we take this time to recommit to strengthening our communities through creative connection,” says BC Culture Days Program Director Nazanin Shoja. “We’ve all been impacted over the past 18 months and have had to adapt to new ways of interacting and communicating with one another. It is our sincere hope at BC Culture Days that the events and activities offered this fall will serve as a catalyst for British Columbians to rediscover their creative pursuits, safely reconnect with their communities, and collectively reimagine a new future supported by shared experiences.”
This year BC Culture Days kicks off with a brand new video series, RE:GENERATE, showcasing the creative resilience of five remote or rural B.C. communities, as they adapt to COVID-19 restrictions and re-emerge with inspiring ideas for the future. Each week of the month-long event, several new videos will be released online, featuring event coverage and interviews from one of five communities – Prince Rupert, Bella Coola, Sooke, Salmon Arm, and Kimberley.
To enhance the 2021 event and help boost community engagement, BC Culture Days has selected 9 emerging artists to participate in this year’s cultural ambassador program. Representing a wide array of artistic disciplines – dance, theatre, visual arts, storytelling, poetry, film, and music – each ambassador will host an interactive event free to the public, as part of the ambassador event series, RE:CONNECT. These events will encourage participants to explore new and creative ways of reconnecting with their communities. Ambassadors have been paired with an artistic mentor, already established in their chosen field who will guide them over the course of six months, as well as to help develop their BC Culture Days events.
BC Culture Days 2021 Ambassadors & Programs:
? Jeni Chen (Richmond) – Art Journaling for Beginners
? Laura Rechwan (Colwood) – INTERCHANGE Art Exhibition
? August Bramhoff (Vancouver) – Our First Conversation: Digital Art Show
? Jean Baptiste (Prince George) – Medicine Pouch Making
? Alyssa Amarshi and Her Tribal Roots (Vancouver) – Jam Out! With Her Tribal Roots
? Valeria Ascolese (Vancouver) – Where Do We Go From Here? Conversations About the Future of Performance
? Kenthen Thomas (Salmon Arm) – Secwepemc Stepetkwll: Legends that teach with Kenthen Thomas
? Tara Rajah (Port Coquitlam) – Environmental Vibrations
? Carter Kirilenko (Vancouver) – Climate Solutions Film Festival
For full artist biographies, visit culturedays.ca/en/bc/2021bcambassadors and to find BC Culture Days events in your part of the province or to register your own events visit culturedays.ca/en/bc