Come and celebrate Culture Days in St. Catharines! Join us from Sept. 20 to Oct. 13, 2024, as we celebrate art and culture through a diverse range of free live and virtual performances, workshops, and events. Culture Days is a nationwide initiative that brings together creators, artists, community groups, and institutions to offer free arts and cultural experiences to the public.
Each year, creators, grassroots community groups, public libraries, independent artists, collectives, municipalities, as well as major arts, culture, and heritage institutions participate in Culture Days by organizing free arts and culture events. In 2023, over 4.4 million people across Canada attended thousands of events in their communities.
In 2024, we will collaborate with the St. Catharines Public Library and the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts as location hubs during Culture Days. We will also partner with the Rodman Art Institute of Niagara (RAiN) to offer free and pay-what-you-may activities, in addition to working with artists and community partners who received funding through the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program.
For a seamless experience, visit culturedays.ca, where you can easily search for activities based on location, demographics, and genres, and access registration information as applicable.
Here are some of the exciting events that will take place in 2024.
September 20 to 30, 2024 |
Flag Raising and Exhibition Opening Join artists, activity organizers, Councillors, and City staff to raise the Culture Days flag, signaling the start of three weeks of free arts and culture events in St. Catharines. After the flag raising, join us inside City Hall for the opening of the City’s 15th Annual juried art exhibit, entitled "Phases". The Breath Balm Campaign with Eve Atoms Saturday, Sept. 21 at St. Catharines Public Library, Atrium and Rotary/Bankers Room Participants can record their breath, while others paint and write words of inspiration on balsam poplar leaf cutouts. Leaves and audio samples will be collected, arranged and exhibited in a multisensory, soundscape installation at local art galleries. No registration required.
Puppet Extravaganza with Carousel Players Saturday, Sept. 21 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Carousel Players Arts Education Centre, 366 St. Paul Street An afternoon of puppet performance and puppet creation for all ages. Families can watch Carousel artists performing in short puppet plays at timed intervals, see examples of puppets used in past Carousel Players shows and enjoy participatory activities. No registration required.
Composing Community Movement Workshops with Vik Mudge and Skye Rogers
At Robertson Theatre in the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul Street Artists Vik and Skye will hold a two-day workshop series focused on movement practices, improvised choreography, and community building. Folks do not need to identify as artists, dancers or movers to participate. Pre-registration required.
Collage-a-thon! with Jenn Judson Sunday, September 29 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Niagara Artists Centre Join artist Jenn Judson for a drop-in style event featuring the barrier-breaking medium of collage! The event is open to anyone and everyone that is curious about the collage. No registration required
Check back soon - more activities and events will be added throughout the summer. |
October 1 to 6, 2024 |
Muguloo Workshop with Rajshree Jena Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Dr. Huq Family Library Branch 425 Carlton Street
Muguloo is form of decorative art practice in southern India. Participants will create geometric patterns on a canvas, adding colours, textures and other media. No registration required.
"Dia de los Muertos" Mexican Day of the Dead Workshop with Luis Martin Flores Sunday, Oct. 6 at Brock University's Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts., 15 Artists Common, Room 151
An event for the whole family to make your own "Ofrenda de Muertos" decorations. Paint and decorate sugar skulls, "Calaveritas de Azúcar", or learn how to make colourful carpet pieces with painted wood chips. No registration required.
Check back soon - more activities and events will be added throughout the summer.
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October 7 - 13, 2024 |
Composing Community Dance Showcase with Vik Mudge and Skye Rogers Sunday, Oct. 13 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Robertson Theatre in the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul Street An opportunity for community-building and curious creation. Over the course of the festival, the artists will engage in the wild act of generating an entire movement-piece in just three weeks, as they dig into and enliven the idea of a Community Garden. Pre-registration required.
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If you’re an organizer interested in hosting a Culture Days activity in St. Catharines, you may be eligible for funding through the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP). To be considered for funding, activities must be interactive and engaging, providing hands-on cultural experiences to the public. The application deadline for the 2023 Culture Days Activity Program has passed. Applications for 2024 will open in the spring of 2024.