From
September 23-27 the Regional Municipality will be celebrating Alberta Culture
Days. Alberta Culture Days started in 2008 as Alberta Arts Day – one day to
recognize the value of the province’s arts and cultural communities, with 100
events held in 30 communities. Since then, it has expanded into an annual
three-day celebration that helped inspire the creation of Culture Days — a
pan-Canadian movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and
engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.
In 2014, there were more than 1,200 events in 98 Alberta communities.
The
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has taken part since 2009 and the event
has become so popular that three days are not enough to showcase the community’s
vibrant arts, rich heritage and cultural diversity. We are devoting five days
to promoting and appreciating the artists, creative professionals, volunteers
and non-profit groups that help make the region a great place to live, work and
PLAY! From
September 23-27, there are all kinds of activities and performances for
residents of all ages. All of the events are planned and presented by our very
own community members and are FREE to attend.
The World Meets in Wood Buffalo, created and organized
by the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, has been a highlight of the Alberta Culture
Days Festival for the past two years. The
event brings together cultures from around the world onto one stage to preform
cultural and folk dances plus music from their home countries. This year the
show will feature over 15 different cultural dances. Admission is free plus
there will be multicultural snacks for purchase. The event will be taking place
September 26, 6pm-9pm and September 27, 2pm-5pm at Shell Place, SP Grand
Ballroom CD. The World Meets in Wood Buffalo is proudly sponsored by Nexen, The United
Way, the Government of Canada, and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
The
Multicultural Association’s mandate is to support cultural groups and newcomers through services, programs, events and initiatives that foster cross-cultural
awareness and understanding. By integrating newcomers and encouraging local residents
to take pride in their heritage the Multicultural Association helps to build
and celebrate the diverse culture of Wood Buffalo. Their vision is to create unity in diversity
with the goal that our diverse cultures are reflected in all aspect of our
society from the economy to government.
“Building
bridges across different cultures and developing friendships are the bedrock of
building community; it also makes a community welcoming and inclusive and helps
people stand up against racism and discrimination. Multiculturalism adds colour
and vibrancy to the community, breaks myths and misconceptions about uncommon
cultures and building a place all can call home,” says Executive Director Mary
Thomas.
If
you would like to support the Multicultural Association they are seeking
volunteers to help at their upcoming events, their language clubs taking place
at local schools, and participants to take part in dialogues and discussions.
For more information on The World Meets in Wood Buffalo and
all the events happening at Alberta Culture Days please visit www.rmwb.ca/culturedays and download their online festival booklet. For further
information or questions please contact Michael Beamish, michael.beamish@rmwb.ca, 780-788-1498.
