Tag Archive for: iheartculture

Origami Boats at Rockglen School

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On September 15, I spent the day in Rockglen.

I met with two Board Members of Rockin’ Beach Regional Park to discuss their upcoming Culture Days event.

Plus, I facilitated two workshops at Rockglen School, which included all grades (1 – 12).  In those workshops, I explained the history and meaning of Culture Days and then gave a tutorial on how to make an Origami Boat.  Further, I extended an invitation to the students of Rockglen School.  I invited them to bring their Origami Boat (that they just made) to Rockin’ Beach on Wednesday, September 24th at 7:00 p.m..  I explained to them that at this time we are going to have a “Lighted Launch.”  We will put candles in the boats and launch them from either the shore or the middle of the lake (depending on the win) and enjoy the light show while we roast marshmallows and visit on the beach.

 

Moving to Melfort by Liezel

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Liezel moved to Melfort from the Philippines in 2002. In this digital story, she shares her adventure of integrating into Canadian culture as well as the challenges she faced as a newcomer to Saskatchewan. Today, she is happy to call Melfort home.

 

Moving to Eastend by Nathan

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Nathan moved to Eastend, SK when he was 12 years old. A self-described city boy at heart, Nathan wrote and produced this digital story on how he grew to appreciate living in a small prairie town.

 

SaskScapes – The Junior Curators – with guests Kayla & Spencer

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The Junior Curator program began in 2013 at the Meacham museum in Saskatchewan, and allows children who have a love of museums and history to take on some of the responsibilities of a museum curator. Kayla and Spencer share with us why they enjoy being junior curators….“It’s fun to do! Its cool showing people what you know”.

The Intricacies of a Knit-In

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On a superficial level, a ‘knit-in’ may look like nothing more than a group of (predominantly, but not necessarily) women sitting around clicking needles and playing with yarn.

But, it is so much more.

On a practical level, it is cultural transmission. It is the passing of tradition from one generation to another.  For instance, at the last ‘Knit North Battleford’ get-together there was an intergenerational group of three knitting in the corner–mother teaching daughter, teaching daughter.

On yet another level, equally intangible, is a transmission of knowledge.  People talk about what is going on around town or upcoming events.  They as well talk about things like health and nutrition.

But, on another level is the quintessence of ‘Knit-Ins’ (in my opinion).  It is the gathering of people, who are often strangers, who for no other reason than a common interest have come together for an hour or two, and share their time, their stories, their humour, their life.

A woman who is a recent newly wed and pregnant for the first time may be sitting in the same circle with another woman who has multiple children and is widowed or separated after thirty-some years of marriage.  A shy person may come and take comfort in the company of others without the imposition of speech.  A new immigrant may come because the gathering offers solace to his or her solitary new environment … and so on.

Bearing this in mind, I feel it is a real success when I hear of Culture Days endeavours like the ‘Knit North Battleford’ Group who have been asked to meet in venues above and beyond their already pre-scheduled locations.  Further, that they are discussing meeting after the Culture Days weekend.

 

 

 

 

The Wolf Clan Mother Mosaic is Installed

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Well, the ceramic tile mosaic of the Wolf Clan Mother is installed on Muskoday First Nation.

But, it never would have happened without the help and endurance of Jay Kimball and Shannon Smith.

Shannon spent two days inserting all the necessary tiny tile pieces into the spots that were missing tile–a job coveted by very few. Plus, she helped polish for the better part of an afternoon. Additionally, Jay Kimball agreed to a very long day of travelling, grouting, polishing, and installing on the powwow grounds.

The mosaic will be celebrated with a ceremony on the Saturday of Culture Days Weekend.  But, in truth, the mosaic will  be celebrated for years to come when people gather for ceremony and tradition on Muskoday First Nation’s Powwow Grounds.

 

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Making Mixed Media Sculpture at the SCC

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Typically, when I facilitate a workshop there is some structure. There is an example of what we are going to make. There are pre made parts.  There are steps to the process that I go through (one by one)…. There is an end goal.

But, this time, at the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s Mixed Media Sculpture Workshop, which was held in conjunction with the Broadway Street Festival on September 6, there was none of that.

When people entered the Affinity Gallery and approached the table, they were invited to create whatever they liked.  I would list all the fun materials they could play with (beads, wire, yarn, feathers, etc.), and I would list some potential possibilities (jewellery, architectural sculptures, wall hangings, etc.).  But, in the end people were encourage to “just create.”

And what a success that was.  People did just that.  They created.

Perhaps it was the inspirational artwork in the gallery, or the excitement of the festival, or maybe it was just people’s inherent creative nature that came through, but I didn’t hear once (out of approximately 120 participants) “I don’t know what to make.”

Considering that creativity is one of the ‘tag lines’ of Culture Days (“Create, Participate, & Celebrate”) I think more credence needs to be given to this type of ‘creation.’  True, it’s comfortable to go to a workshop where there is structure and an expected end result.  But, it is also extremely important to “Create for Creation’s Sake.”  It’s important to trust the process of uninhibited creativity.  Some of the most important inventions have come out of this kind of play and experimentation.  So I was happy to see us engage in and practice this type of creativity. photo-83 photo-84 photo-85 photo-80 photo-81

Knittin’ in the Mall

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Another group that is using knitting as a means of participating in Culture Days is a collective in North Battleford.

There are several ‘Knitting Circles’ scheduled during the month of September in various public locations around the city.  One such locale is the Co-Op Mall.  A group of 13 knitters gathered on September 4th for a couple hours and began their knitting contribution. Like the Waldheim Knitters (mentioned in the previous post), this group of knitters plans on meeting in Central Park on Saturday, September 27 to yarn bomb some trees and lamp posts.

But, before the big installation the group will meet several times, as they did on September 4th, and prepare their knitted pieces.

I have to admit, there was something amusing and inspiring about walking into a mall and seeing a group of knitters creating and visiting.  It was such a juxtaposition between what I consider a domestic, cozy, intimate, solitary practice and the sterile, public environment of a mall.  When I came around the corner and saw the group of knitters the space was instantly transformed.  It changed from a place of business and aloof transaction into a warm, friendly place.  Further, it morphed from a space of commerce and consumption to a giving place of hand-made production.

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Update on the Waldheim YarnBombers

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I stopped in to see how the Waldheim Yarnbombers are doing, and things are progressing.

Some of the students continued to knit during the summer and are ready to start stitching their pieces to the trees at the front of the school.  Other students were newcomers.  They came to our gathering for the first time and learnt how to knit and/or crochet, and are eager to create pieces for their yarn-bombed tree.

I selected my spot that I’ll be yarn-bombing, and am eager to install it on the morning of September 16th.

I was told by Wendy (the organizer of our group) that CTV is coming to the school on that day to report on the first phase of our installation–how exciting!  It will be good publicity for the school and their participation in Culture Days.

 

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SaskScapes – Whirls & Twirls

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Who knew that the secret to longevity could be found through square dancing! Join me, and 16 members of Kindersley, Saskatchewan’s “Whirls & Twirls” as we do-sa-do through their stories of Saskatchewan, and their love of square dancing.