‘Culture Days’ returns to Richmond for 15th year with events celebrating local arts and culture

“Culture Days” is returning to Richmond from Sept. 20 to Oct. 13, allowing the community to participate in free cultural events and activities unfolding across the city. 

The event’s opening weekend will start with a series of artist-led activities at the Richmond Cultural Centre and Annex.

“Each year, ‘Culture Days’ grows, and that growth happens to be in the total number of activities that are offered by organizers as well as the total number of participation from folks across Canada,” the City of Richmond says.

“In Richmond’s case, we know that we’ll have a ton of activities going on, which is in keeping with our tradition of being one of the most engaged cities in the country during ‘Culture Days.’”

The event also offers an opportunity to explore new creative spaces and programs, the city notes.

“The kick-off weekend is like a big open house, and it features what we refer to as our resident art groups. They are long-time community arts groups that call the Richmond Cultural Centre home, and they’ll be having a variety of events, workshops, live demonstrations, open studios, and participatory activities.”

The exhibition “O Zone Photo Documentation Project” runs throughout the festival at the Richmond Cultural Centre and showcases images captured by 22 volunteer photographers of the “O Zone” celebration site during Richmond’s participation in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The project was initiated by the City of Richmond Archives in partnership with the Richmond Photo Club.

Other events include the “Richmond School District Staff Art Show,” which showcases the work of Richmond School District employees and runs from Sept. 20 to 27 at the Richmond Cultural Centre, a “Harvest Culture and Celebration” event for family-friendly activities and an artist-led workshop on Sept. 20 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Richmond Public Library’s Brighouse branch, and a “Collaborating: Tying a Quilt” activity on Sept. 21 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, among others.

The exhibit “It begins with knowing and not knowing” runs from Sept. 20 to 29 and features seven artists who work in various media and explore themes of spirituality, ceremony, dreams, and ritual.

“Culture Days” used to be a three-day celebration for many years and extended to a three-week program after the pandemic, the City of Richmond says. It now includes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 in its programming. 

“The program runs over that time, and what I would encourage folks to look at is opportunities to connect with Indigenous-led programming or programming that involves themes around truth and reconciliation,” city staff says.

Indigenous-themed events include a screening of Wilfred Buck, a hybrid documentary feature by director Lisa Jackson.

The film revolves around Cree Elder Wilfred Buck bringing life to the “ancient teachings of Indigenous astronomy and cosmology to tell a story that spans generations,” according to the “Culture Days” website.

The screening will take place on Sept. 26 from 6:15 to 8:30 pm at the Richmond Cultural Centre. Registering in advance is encouraged and can be done by emailing programs@richmondartgallery.org.

“An Evening with Jody Wilson-Raybould” will take place on Sept. 23 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm 

at the Richmond Cultural Centre’s performance hall. The event will feature a discussion with Wilson-Raybould, a former federal politician and author of three books that explore reconciliation, who will discuss her role as an Indigenous leader.

The City of Richmond says “Culture Days” is a good chance for artists to get together, and hopes the celebration can introduce newcomers to the local culture and arts community, helping them stay connected for the rest of the year. 

“‘Culture Days’ creates an opportunity for different communities and groups to come together under one celebration and … create a lively and vibrant scene locally [and] provincially.”For more information about the event, visit www.richmond.ca/culture/calendar/special-events/culturedays.htm.