News
OAC welcomes new board members William Aitchison and Verlyn Francis
We are pleased to welcome Stratford resident
William Aitchison and Toronto-based
Verlyn Francis to the Ontario Arts Council board of directors.
William Aitchison was appointed to the OAC board of directors in April 2010. He has been involved in Stratford’s community life for more than 30 years.
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Verlyn Francis was appointed to the OAC board of directors in June 2010. She is a lawyer, mediator and arbitrator with a strong community-service background that spans more than 20 years. More
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Culture Days catching on in communities across Ontario
This September 24 to 26, Canada’s largest-ever public participation campaign will celebrate the arts and culture sector of this country. Across the country, in small towns and big cities, the public is invited to free activities in studios, rehearsal halls, community centres, libraries, parks, theatres, museums and galleries, public squares and downtown streets. Ontario’s rich cultural fabric will be showcased by more than 600 activities. Find out what is happening in your community by visiting
www.culturedays.ca
Culture Days Hotspots in Ontario
Plan your weekend by looking up your town in the Celebration Schedule and share your favourite activities with friends via e-mail or on Facebook and Twitter.
Perth County and Stratford’s family-friendly weekend
There’s a lot more than Shakespeare to see in Perth County and Stratford with 53 activities! Lots of kid-friendly events, as the multi-arts studio building Factory 163 opens its doors with hands-on workshops including a School Day on Friday. Savour Stratford celebrates the art of fine cuisine, and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival hosts a Peter Pan Picnic .
Communi trees in Huron County
The Heritage and Culture Partnership is challenging the people of Huron County with a simple concept: create art with a tree. The rural landscape of Huron County is perfect for inspiring people to participate and express their creativity in a project called Communi trees . More than 60 trees will be decorated and transformed (ecologically) by Huron County artists, clubs, schools, churches and businesses.
Doors Open all across Ontario
More than 80 Doors Open activities coincide with the Culture Days weekend in Brantford, Burford, Oakville, Oshawa, Paisley, Peterborough, Seaforth, Walkerton and Windsor. In Peterborough, 15 Doors Open activities have been integrated into their local Culture Days campaign, along with the city’s Arts Week and the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour .
Ottawa’s grassroots movement
Culture Days in the National Capital Region has taken root! Small and mid-sized arts organizations including Arts Court , Centre d’artistes Voix Visuelle , Nepean Creative Arts Centre and the Shenkman Arts Centre are hosting a variety of activities. Once word got out that there were more than 60 activities planned in Ottawa and the surrounding area, other larger organizations joined the grassroots movement.
Diversity and urban culture in Toronto
Culture Days in Toronto is dispersed throughout the city’s disparate neighbourhoods. Explore the Liberian Cultural Fest in Scarborough, get a sneak peak at choir training camp with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company in Lawrence Park or feel the rhythm at a Salsa, Samba and Rumba day at Lula Lounge in west downtown. Celebrate and discover the more than 140 activities in Ontario’s biggest urban centre.
Visit the Culture Days blog for news and tips such as:
The Ontario Arts Council is providing an Ontario Animator/Coordinator to help Ontario artists and arts organizations interested in participating in Culture Days, a volunteer-driven, grassroots event.
To find out more about Culture Days in Ontario, contact:
Aubrey Reeves, Culture Days Animator/Coordinator, 647-258-5077, toll free 1-800-387-0058 ext. 5077, on@culturedays.ca
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Adjusted Criteria for National and International Residency Program
To better accommodate the interests and opportunities of the arts community, the Ontario Arts Council has adjusted the criteria of the
National and International Residency program for Ontario artists. The adjusted criteria acknowledge that some residencies may indeed be shorter or longer than the current minimum of 4 weeks and the current maximum of 12 weeks.
Effective immediately, we welcome applicants who propose residencies of less than 4 weeks or in excess of 12 weeks. However, only the first 12 weeks will be considered for funding.
If you are interested in applying for support to conduct independent research or develop your artistic practice and creative ability for 12 to 52 weeks, we invite you to apply to the Chalmers Arts Fellowships program .
The National and International Residency program supports artists through periods of research, exploration, regeneration and rejuvenation and provides access to new cultural surroundings outside Ontario and Quebec for up to 3 months (12 weeks / 84 days). Projects may include a work plan with an experienced mentor. Grants cover travel, accommodation and living expenses, and personal insurance; grants do not cover the costs of purchasing, transporting and insuring other persons or materials.
- The next National and International Residency Program deadline is October 1, 2010.
- The next Chalmers Arts Fellowships deadline is June 1, 2011.
Contact information
National and International Residency Program : Aengus Finnan, Touring and Audience Development Officer, 416-646-7466, toll free 1-800-387-0058 ext. 7466, afinnan@arts.on.ca
Chalmers Arts Fellowships : Myles Warren, Dance and Awards Officer, 416-969-7422, toll-free 1-800-387-0058 ext. 7422, mwarren@arts.on.ca
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