Cultural Institutions

Wednesday June 5, 2013

Does Québec City Suffer from Festival Fever?

Throughout the summers of Québec, hardly a weekend goes by without a festival to attend... the Grand Prix, Montreal Fringe, a travel and outdoor festival in Québec city, and a dance festival in Trois Rivières, to name a few.

Antoine Robitaille of Le Devoir cautions that the Plains of Abrama are becoming a permanent Woodstock!

Is it possible to have gone overboard with our enthusiam for festivals? And furthermore, are festivals really an effective way to boost tourism?

Listen below to Jeanette's conversation with Antoine and let us know what you think - is Québec in danger of festival fever? Do you travel to other cities for the festivals or special events?

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Categories: Cultural Institutions, Culture Club

Sunday April 7, 2013

Young Canadians "getting short shrift"

Artistic Director Alisa Palmer has been touring the country interviewing hopeful applicants to the prestigious National Theatre School.

She's found hundreds of enthusiastic young people who love to tell stories, but their knowledge of theatre is hit and miss.

Palmer says concerns about future employment and a push to teach technology have resultued in less arts and culture taught in primary and secondary schools.

Which part of the country has the most well-prepared candidates?

You might be surprised.

Listen to her interview with Jeanette:

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Photo credit: David Cooper

Categories: Cultural Institutions, Theatre

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Museums changing approach to displaying human remains

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has returned a mummified, tattooed head of a Maori warrior to New Zealand.

In an emotional ceremony at the museum, a delegation of Maori people played music and chanted prayers.

They carefully wrapped the head in plastic, and then placed it in a box to protect it during the journey back to New Zealand.

The head was likely transported to Europe in the late 19th century.

Once seen as collectors items

At the time, the intricately tattooed Maori heads known as "toi moko" were considered a curiosity and collectable item. The facial tattoos were a sign of status in the community.

According to Maori mueseum leader Michelle Hippolite, the Maori people themselves participated in the trade.

Hippolite says the heads were usually sold after the person died, but sometimes the bearer of particularly "valuable" tattoos would meet an early death to accomodate the travel schedule of European traders.