« September 26, 27 & 28 marks the 5th Anniversary of the annual Culture Days weekend, a national celebration offering all Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast an opportunity to immerse themselves in the exciting behind-the-scenes world of artists, creators, historians and cultural practitioners of all types, regardless of their socio-economic background or experience. Last year alone, over 1.7 million Canadians participated in over 7,500 free activities in 825 communities across the country in what is now considered a mainstay event in the cultural calendar of almost every Canadian city and town.”

Culture Days has certainly had an impact on raising cultural awareness and Canadians’ participation and engagement in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Since its inception in 2010, over 5.5 Million Canadians have participated in over 25,000 free activities hosted by more than 4,400 Canadian artists and arts, cultural and heritage organizations. Findings from an independent study* commissioned in October 2013 indicates that of those who have participated in Culture Days activities for at least two years, 52% have since attended more arts and cultural events than they had in the past; 33% have become supporters of local artists and/or cultural organizations; 32% visited more art galleries or craft studios and 22% have taken on volunteer roles in arts or cultural organizations. Click HERE for an infographic with additional findings.

While choosing from over 7,500 free activities this year may seem daunting, people can easily make their choices from the myriad of exciting activities by visiting culturedays.ca and simply searching for activities by city, activity type, time, organizer or day. Whether one chooses to stay within their own community or venture out to explore activities and communities in surrounding areas – putting a personalized schedule together could not be easier thanks to the Culture Days Bright Spots Schedule.

This free and easy-to-use scheduling tool is back this year due to the generous support of National Partner Sun Life Financial through its Making the Arts More Accessible™ program. Participants can create, share and print their own schedule; while artists and organizations hosting and promoting their Culture Days activities can use this as a valuable marketing tool to create, and share multiple schedules using their own uniquely generated URL links provided to them through the Bright Spots program. Click HERE for a tip sheet that shows just how easy this tool is to use.

“Approaching this 5th Anniversary milestone gives us cause to reflect on the remarkable growth that Culture Days has experienced in just a few short years, and the tremendous impact that it is having on individuals and communities throughout Canada,” noted Antoni Cimolino, Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival and Chair of Culture Days National Board of Directors. “From the astonishing passion and dedication of the volunteers and organizers to the eagerness of the participants, this infectious love of the arts and culture clearly continues to spread to legions of Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.”

“In the past five years, it has been our sincere privilege to support Culture Days in helping thousands of individuals enjoy the rich cultural landscape our country has to offer,” says Paul Joliat, Assistant Vice-President, Philanthropy and Sponsorships, Sun Life Financial. “Through our Making the Arts More Accessible™ program, we’re proud to fund programs that enable Canadians of all means and backgrounds to enjoy the very best.”

The official national celebratory launch event entitled Conduct Us takes place in Toronto on September 26th in partnership with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Hosted by Marci Ien, Co-Host of Canada AM, this free event is open to the public. Members of the participating audience will be drawn randomly at the event and be invited up to the stage to pick up a baton and conduct the full orchestra alongside Conductor and TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian for two minutes each. Click HERE for more details. 17 additional celebratory launch events are also set to take place in cities right across Canada including Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Milton, Barrie, Stratford, Timmins, Montreal, Quebec and Saint John. For more details on all of the Culture Days official launch events – click HERE.

*Independent research conducted by the Strategic Counsel

About Culture Days
Culture Days is committed to reaching the goal of having all Canadians in every community declaring « I Love Culture » and making culture a daily habit.

Founded in 2009, Culture Days is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a national network of cultural connections devoted to providing Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of arts and culture. Through an annual three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in hundreds of cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to participate in free interactive and behind-the-scenes activities to discover their cultural spirit and passion. »

-from Culture Days press release, Sept. 15