COCHRANE— Bringing the community together to celebrate the rich art scene in town, The Cochrane Integrated Arts Society will be hosting its first-ever Cochrane Culture Days in September.
Cochrane Integrated Arts Society president Jane Kaczmer said it is exciting to bring a new iteration of Cochrane Culture Days to the Town. The Arts Society is partnering with the Town of Cochrane to host the event from Friday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 13.
Culture Days will be a celebration of the rich diversity of arts in the Cochrane area, she said, and serves as the perfect opportunity for the residents of Cochrane who have lacked activities during COVID-19 to come together.
“Our vision is for Cochrane to be a distinguished art destination that embraces all forms of art and provides an unforgettable experience for the residents of Cochrane and it’s visitors,” Kaczmer said. “That’s what we’re working towards.”
The launch of Culture Days is the first step in helping the Society build momentum for the arts scene in the Cochrane area. Kaczmer added the event will serve a critical role in helping to increase the public engagement with arts and culture in Town.
The festivities begin on Friday, Sept. 11 with a day of films at the Cochrane Movie House. The times are still to be determined, but six showings will be available. Kaczmer said the films will likely draw from the Toronto International Film Festival and include a message from Mayor Jeff Genung.
Saturday will be a day of non-stop activities from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The day features three outdoor performance stages— “Front Stage” at Centennial Plaza, “Up Stage” at Cochrane Town Square and “Centre Stage” at Cochrane Town Square.
The stage will feature different types of entertainment including dancers from Cochrane dance school, the Stoney Mini Thni dancers and musicians.
Stoney Mini Thni performer Nikki Clarke said the dance demonstration will feature different types of dance including the Jingle Dress, Fancy and Traditional from an all-female dance group ranging in age from 13 to 18. The troupe uses a mix of traditional drum music with more contemporary modern beats.
“We’re a more modern and contemporary dance troupe,” Clarke said, adding that she encourages people to clap and dance along, while maintaining social distancing. “Sometimes at the end, if there’s time will play a song and anybody can come and dance.”
Clarke said they were extremely excited when they got the phone call to perform during Cochrane Culture Days because it offered a chance to share their heritage and dances, while providing them with their first presentation of the year.
“Our very last performance was last year in November,” Clarke said. “As soon as the pandemic happened I knew we weren’t going to have anything because usually, we start-up in May.”
The group has been rehearsing for the event and is excited to show off their moves.
For those that catch the show, Clarke said they will happily explain the meaning behind dances at the end of the show to those who are interested.
“We’re very excited and will be bringing the same energy we usually do,” Clarke said. “Maybe more since it’s our first one of the year.”
For those looking for insights into the creation of art pieces, during the day the artists at the Route 22 Artist Collective Gallery will also be on hand leading art demonstrations outside, Kaczmer said.
“That’s going to be really cool,” she said. “They’re going to be out there in the parking lot.”
Opening at noon at the Cochrane Lions Club Event Centre guests will be able to explore an indoor Sculpture Garden featuring local artists that cover three-quarters of the arena.
The remaining space in the arena has been dubbed “Backstage” and will feature film industry presentations, including some guests from Cochrane. Some presentations will also include musical creators in the community.
“Their presentations, for the most part, will be a short movie that they’ve made and then they can talk about and talk about their journey in the film industry,” Kaczmer said. “This is the first time in a big way … To involve the film industry.”
During Backstage presentations guests can ask questions and talk about the film industry and how productions can help put Cochrane on the map.
There will also be an artist studio drive on Saturday where guests will be able to follow a map to visit various studios in Cochrane. Studios on the tour will be open and artists will demonstrate their techniques to guests.
She added Cochrane Culture Days has been designed to be COVID-19 friendly by having multiple venues and stages with different attractions. The hope is that people will be able to gather in small groups to explore, while maintaining social distancing.
To top it all off Cruise Cochrane will be hosting a cruise visiting all the different venues participating in Cochrane Culture Days.
Sunday will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and guests will be able to visit the performance stages.
Kaczmer said there are still some spots left on the performance stages and applications are still welcomed.
To make the most of the Cochrane Culture Days Kaczmer said she recommends spending the entire day exploring the different venues available to visitors.
“Start in one place and work your way to the end,” Kaczmer said.
Volunteers will be on hand for the event and can be spotted by their brightly colour T-shirts. Kaczmer added they are still looking for volunteers for the event and encouraged anyone interested in volunteering to email her at [email protected].
“By having an event like this, this is more public engagement,” Kaczmer said. “I’m very excited— People need to come out and have some fun.”
