By Staff
March 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Culture has taken on a deeper commitment from city council, due in large part from a delegation made by Trevor Copp, who asked city council why he had to travel to Toronto to ply his trade.
The Performing Arts Centre had opened and was going through a difficult phase but the public had become used to the place and had begun to understand that the city was going to have to continue to subsidize it forever.
In 2009 the federal government created and funded Culture Days which was to become a national network of cultural connections to provide Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of art and culture.
Different artists were able to take a tent during Culture Days last September and paint or sculpt of make pottery in Civic Square
Through a three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to discover their cultural spirit and passion.
This national initiative aims to raise the awareness, provide accessibility and encourage the participation and engagement of residents in the arts and cultural life of Burlington.
Burlington’s 2014 Culture Days was a resounding success due in large part to their being staff dedicated to managing the event.
The push from the cultural community and the creation of the No Vacancy event put new energy into culture at the street level.
The holding of the first No Vacancy event in 2013 at the Waterfront Hotel was what appears to be the beginning of the community creating its own events. No Vacancy is a private initiative that gets peanuts from the city.
The sixth annual Culture Days weekend will take place from Sept. 25 to 27, 2015.
A workshop will be held on Friday, April 24 at the Burlington Art Gallery for Culture Days event organizers to learn about resources available from the city and Culture Days Ontario. Space is limited and registration is required. RSVP to Adam Belovari, culture coordinator at adam.belovari@burlington.ca or 905-335-7600, ext. 7335.
Local creative organizations, venues, professionals and businesses are again invited to host events during the Culture Days to promote free, hands-on and interactive activities. The public is invited to participate in behind-the-scenes activities to see how artists; creators; historians; architects; curators; designers; and other creative people work and contribute to culture in Burlington.
Trevor Copp talks with Angela Pap during the unveiling of the Spiral Stella at the Performing Arts Centre earlier in the week. Paparizo is now the manager of Arts and Cultural for the city.
Paparizo, manager of arts and culture,
Angela Paparizo, manager of arts and culture expects to repeat the 2014 success in 2015, offering three days featuring different types of events, working closely with Doors Open, the Art Gallery of Burlington, the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Burlington Libraries, Burlington Museums, Tourism Burlington and Burlington artists to make this happen.
This national initiative aims to raise the awareness, provide accessibility and encourage the participation and engagement of residents in the arts and cultural life of Burlington. For more information, or to participate in Culture Days, visit www.burlington.ca/culturedays or contact Angela Paparizo, manager of arts and culture, at angela.paparizo@burlington.ca or 905-335-7600, ext. 7352.
The Sound of Music kicks off the festival season for the city. Rib Fest follows, then the third year of the No Vacancy offering which will take place on Old Lakeshore Road this year and then the three Cultural days in late September.
The city came very close to having an ArtFest on Old Lakeshore Road as well but the “adamant refusal’ by three business owners on the Old Lakeshore Road put the boots to that opportunity. Council wanted the event – the event planner wanted to hold it in Spencer smith Park but they couldn’t get together on a date.
It would have been a major arts event – drawing several thousand people to the city and to a part of town that has significant potential as a location. No one is saying who the tree commercial establishments that said no way to the idea – they felt their business would suffer.
The effort to bring a large art sales event to the city by an experienced and proven promoter started back in October of 2014 – everyone was involved in the effort but three business people apparently would not budge so the planned 100 tents spread out along Old Lakeshore Road housing the wares of different arts won’t happen this year.
Emma’s Back Porch was so keen on the idea that they agreed to turn over their parking lot for the event. They had gone so far as to plan an Artists Feast for the occasion.
Expect this event to come back for another try.
There is plenty of space and venues/parks in North Burlington that could handle Artiest or any other cultural event . Why are all these events happening in the Downtown overcrowded ,lack of parking core .
Secondly in regards to the quote The Performing Arts Centre had opened and was going through a difficult phase but the public had become used to the place and had begun to understand that the city was going to have to continue to subsidize it forever.” The public have not got used to subsidizing this money losing facility ,Council keeps giving them our hard earned tax dollars because they don’t want to admit that there is no place for this facility in an area already saturated with performing arts centres ( Ie Oakville, Mississauga and Hamilton)
It doesn’t take much to work out who opposed the idea.
I would like to know who the 3 business people were so I can be sure to never, ever use their services. Allowing 3 people to ruin things for everyone is asinine.