Rocking out

West Winnipeg

St Vital

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This article was published 20/09/2023 (817 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Culture Days, a nationwide arts festival which runs from Sept. 22 to Oct. 15, will kick off its local festivities with Student Day at The Forks on Friday, Sept. 22.

The day’s workshops and entertainment, which run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., return this year after a three year hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to give participants a taste of a variety of different activities using free workshops, galleries, and activities offered by local organizations and artists from the city — including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Freeze Frame, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, and Royal Dance.

Throughout the day, the site will be lit up with different performances, which participants are welcome to watch for free.

One such performance will be by the Collège Jeanne-Sauvé guitar program. The Grade 10 students will perform on the stairs of the Johnston Terminal at The Forks. The concert will be a collection of different solos, playing songs of their choosing.

Philippe Meunier, founder and teacher of the school’s guitar program for the past eight years, said the students play a number of small concerts throughout the year. Culture Days will be the first, taking place just a couple weeks after the beginning of the school year.

“Anytime we go outside or perform, they’re excited,” he said. “They really like playing, and most of them (have been) with me since Grade 6, 7, 8, 9.”

Meunier said that the students play what they’re interested in, which is usually a mix of modern pop and some classic rock — anything from Taylor Swift to The Beatles.

“Some of them play electric, some of them play acoustic guitar,” he said. “We’ll bring our guitar amps. We’ll decide what’s ready.”

The Jeanne-Sauvé students will be one of the many free performances throughout the day, sharing the stage with other local talents including Daiisu, Ethan Lyric, and the Oak Park High School Dance Company.

Whether it’s a performance or a workshop, the day is centred around creating an accessible way for students to try out or witness something they might be interested in.

“We’ve got a lot of kind of great opportunities for students,” said Kerri Stephens, volunteer and event co-ordinator with Culture Days.

“And the bonus is that it kind of works out to be an introduction to some of these artists and different mediums that maybe they may not have access to otherwise. So it can kind of create an interest in these different artists, and get an idea on what some of these organizations, some of these nonprofits, or some of these arts organizations, what they offer, if they were to sign up and actually take courses through them.”

Many of the workshop instructors and participating organizations are volunteering their time, as well, she said.

“A lot of it, this is kind of the soul behind what they do,” Stephens said.

“Everybody has their hands a bit in the nonprofit side. Even if it’s an individual, they’re still physically connected to an organization.”

Student day workshop spots are limited, but those curious about availability at this time can reach out to Stephens at mb@culturedays.ca