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City of North Vancouver hosts kickoff for virtual BC Culture Days

Hundreds of in-person and online events taking place throughout province
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Organizers behind the BC Culture Days event are hoping the need to go largely virtual this year will at least mean more British Columbians will have the opportunity to take in the annual celebration of arts, culture and heritage happening throughout the province and country.

BC Culture Days is traditionally held during the last weekend of September, but since so many of the activities and showcases are taking place online this year, organizers are extending it by a month, from Sept. 25 to Oct. 25.

“That was done to not only give organizers time to prepare their events, but the big thing was to allow audiences and participants to be able to experience everything because there’s so much going online,” said Nazanin Shoja, BC Culture Days manager. “It’s a bit of a silver lining. Culture Days happens all across the country at the same time. For organizers especially, it feels like a very collaborative effort as we all come together and co-ordinate across the country. It’s nice for audiences to be able to experience that as well.”

Hosted by the Bridge Society, the purpose of the massive month-long campaign is to celebrate arts in every community in the province to raise awareness and increase participation in the cultural fabric of British Columbia, according to Shoja.

There are hundreds of digital recordings, small-scale in-person events, livestreamed demonstrations and self-guided tours planned throughout the province, with the City of North Vancouver playing a big role in this year’s campaign.

Every year, BC Culture Days selects an ambassador city to kick off the campaign with local flare. Last year’s official host city was Mission – this year it’s the City of North Vancouver.

While events were originally to take place at the Shipyards, organizers have instead planned a free 45-minute virtual event for Thursday at 4 p.m., featuring a host of talent including North Shore poet Andrew Warner, a musical performance from Cuban-Canadian artist Alex Cuba, and formal acknowledgements to officially launch Culture Days from local First Nations and Mayor Linda Buchanan.

“We have a lot to choose from. Culture Days is open to a variety of ages and I encourage everyone to explore our website and try something new. You never know what you’ll discover,” said Shoja.

At least 25 events, either in person or online, are slated to take place in North and West Vancouver during the month including a virtual backstage tour of Hendry Hall, a self-guided scavenger hunt using the North Shore Culture Compass, the livestream creation of a crow-sourced mosaic, and much more.

Visit culturedays.ca/en/bc for a full list of events taking place throughout the province.

“The arts have been really impactful during this time. Not only for artists, but for individuals who are looking for a relief from all the challenges that have been taking place this year. Art heals,” said Shoja.