The arts scene was alive in Ottawa from Sept. 26-28 with the spirit of the annual Culture Days.
The weekend of festivities was hosted across the country with 1,671 arts activities taking place in Ontario, according to the event’s website.
Ottawa hosted activities such as photography and puppetry workshops at the National Arts Centre (NAC), to pottery and ceramics demonstrations at Gladstone Clayworks Co-op.
“It’s really an alliance of hundreds of different cultural and arts organizations working under the umbrella of Culture Days,” said Aubrey Reeves, Ontario manager of the event. “The full spectrum is represented; dance, music, theatre, [and] visual arts.”
The weekend of activities, she said, gives anyone the chance to get involved with the arts community.
“The main goal is to really put a spotlight on the richness and the diversity of arts and culture in Canada and to show Canadians that it is happening all in their community.”
High school dance teachers Sarah Hopewell and Katie Hill visited the NAC during the weekend, taking part in dance workshops and backstage tours.
Hill had recently attended the theatre to see The Book of Mormon during the summer, but being behind-the-scenes was a different kind of experience, she said.
Both teachers said the event would be great for students to attend.
“It’s kinda just neat—the feel of what it would be like to be in a show or in a production. You can really imagine a lot clearer when you’re in the forum itself,” said Hopewell.
“That’s why I think it’d be really good to take kids here, because they can decide for themselves ‘Wow is this something I want? Is this my dream, something I want to push for?’ It makes it much more attainable.”
Ottawa, added Hill, is an active arts hub, whether it is in the suburban communities or urban core.
“Kanata has a Kanata theatre and there’s tons of dance studios. I know the arts culture in Kanata is pretty big, it’s growing too,” she said. “But going downtown there’s always something going on, there’s a buzz.”
