Alberta Culture Days began in 2008 as Alberta Arts Day, a one-day event to recognize the value of Alberta’s arts and cultural communities. Since then, it has expanded into a vibrant, three-day, province wide celebration that has helped inspire the creation of Culture Days – a pan-Canadian movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.
Alberta Culture Days 2017 was held on September 29-October 1. It encouraged all Albertans to experience how culture contributes to a prosperous, vibrant society. Alberta Culture Days helped to achieve the goals of our province’s cultural policy, The Spirit of Alberta.
This is the first time that Filipino-Edmontonians participated in this event themed “KALINANGAN” which was spearheaded and organized by Jojo and Ida Lucila of the Philippine Arts Council.
KALINANGAN is the Tagalog word for culture, way of life, or cultivation of learning. It is an apt term for this event conceptualized as part of the Alberta Culture Days Celebration 2017. KALINANGAN featured a series of workshops that provided first-hand experience on Philippine dance, music, visual arts, martial arts, among others.
The Honourable Christina Gray, MLA for Edmonton-Millwoods, dropped by to participate in a dance workshop on Filipino cultural dances.
People of all ages had a fun time experiencing the various workshops prepared by the Council for free with the support of the Alberta Culture and Tourism.