Rhythmic Persian music drifts from a speaker, and a dance instructor addresses her class, “One-and-two-and-three-and-four,” she counts out the beats, turning in a circle, one hand on her hip and the other extended outwards. The four students follow suit. It’s their first exposure to Persian dance, so Maria Sabaye, the instructor, has made sure to keep it simple. That doesn’t make it any less interesting — or less fun.
This free Persian dance workshop was only one in a myriad of workshops, classes, and open houses held in the Ottawa area this weekend. They were part of an annual initiative known as Culture Days: a nationwide movement that aims to “provide Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of arts and culture”.
It’s a self-described celebration of diversity, a way to bring people together and expose them to new ideas – and it’s been a huge success.
Since its founding in 2009, it is estimated that 10 million Canadians have attended Culture Days across the country. 500,000 of those participants per year come from Ontario alone, according to the Culture Days website. They’ve participated in activities so diverse and varied that it’s impossible to summarize them succinctly. Want to take part in an African acappella workshop or a Masala Bhangra workout? Both were offered in Ottawa’s Byward Market last weekend. Is an afternoon at an art gallery more your style? Countless galleries across the country opened up their doors, including the Shenkman Arts Centre on Centrum boulevard. Even ice cream making and vintage camera exhibits were available across Ontario.
Rosalind Crice, an attendee at Sunday’s Persian dance workshop, couldn’t say enough good things about it.
“I think [Culture Days] can ignite a passion for something you might otherwise never have been exposed to,” she said. The dance class was the second Culture Days event she had attended; she’d also been at a writing workshop the day before, which she described as “wonderful”.
“It’s nice to get to explore new things. You never know – you might be really passionate about something if you have the chance to try it!”
She added she didn’t feel some events were publicized enough – something which Maria Sabaye, the instructor, was quick to agree with.
Despite the success Culture Days has experienced, many workshops still only attract a few participants, Crice said. This allows for a more personal learning experience for those who do show up, but increased visibility is needed for these workshops to boost their attendance.
Culture Days also act as a springboard for larger-scale future initiatives. The AOE Arts Council, an organization that promotes art throughout the Ottawa region, held an open house event at the Shenkman Arts Centre this weekend. They announced that they’d been awarded the Government of Canada’s Canada 150 Fund — a grant which aims to foster Canadian pride. They said they plan to use it for a variety of art projects around the Ottawa region.
“We believe that Ottawa is a dynamic cultural capital, where the practice of art is meaningful and contributes positively to the development of the city,” Cristiane Doherty, AOE’s media spokesperson, said in a statement. “Culture Days is an appropriate way to share the impact the arts can have with residents.”
