(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

celebrating culture

Culture deserves more attention, artists say during province-wide celebration

Sep 28, 2019 | 6:14 PM

From Irish dancing to poetry and filmmaking, Red Deer and central Alberta’s vibrant arts and culture scene has been on full display this weekend.

The 2019 edition of Alberta Culture Days (Sept. 27-29) saw communities across the province take part, with many of the activities in our city happening at the new Culture Services building downtown.

Annette Scheper, The City of Red Deer’s Community & Program Facilitator for Special Events, believes it’s important to showcase the arts and culture scene more because so much of it is hidden away.

“We’re kind of considered a sports town, which I get — we have fabulous athletes. But we also have amazing artists. What’s probably not that well known is the amount of activities happening in the city of Red Deer alone,” she says. “We have international artists that live in Red Deer, we have a wonderful group of artists that volunteer their time to put on great shows. When you think of your community theatre, visual artists and galleries, your dancers, they are all extremely talented.”

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At the Welikoklad Event Centre on Saturday was a screening of a short film by Matthew Watson, a 32-year-old recent graduate of Red Deer College’s Motion Picture Arts program; the film is entitled ‘Past the End.’

“People need stories as much as they need air,” said Watson, who has his start in the industry with a company in Calgary. “The goal is to make people think. I feel like whether they like it or not, if they’re thinking about it afterwards, I’ve done my job, and I’m just going to produce what I like, no matter what.”

Watson also believes the provincial government needs to realize filmmakers in this province are currently at a disadvantage compared to BC and Ontario where crews receive larger grants to shoot than those who choose Alberta.

There is currently a freeze filmmaking on grants in Alberta as the UCP is working on its election pledge to transition from a grant program to a film tax credit.

Elsewhere during Alberta Culture Days in Red Deer, the Norwegian Laft Hus welcomed Red Deerians to learn about the Sami people, an Indigenous population in the northern part of Norway, and the Urban Aboriginal Voices Peace Camp performed at The Hub on Ross.

On Sunday, festivities wrap up with the Garlic City Market Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Piper Creek Restoration Agriculture Project south of The City’s waste transfer station (40 Avenue).

More information on what’s happening in Red Deer’s arts and culture scene is at RedDeerArtsCouncil.ca.