Culture Days, an event that invites the public to see behind the scenes in the creation of arts and culture in their own community, is going Canada-wide this year.

Plans for Culture Days in all 10 provinces and three territories were announced Tuesday across the country.

Janice Price, Luminato CEO and chair of the Ontario Culture Days celebration, called the event a "collective call to action by the arts and culture community" at a launch event in Toronto, one of five such announcements across the country.

Culture Days feature free talks, workshops and interactive events to show people how art is created and invite them to do it themselves. The idea is to help people become engaged with local culture.

The dates are:

  • Sept. 25-26: British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
  • Sept. 17-19: Alberta (called Alberta Arts Days).
  • To be determined: Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

Quebec has had an annual Journées de la Culture for 13 years and Alberta began its Arts Days three years ago, but this is the first year the event has gone Canada-wide.

Community groups in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon have agreed to participate and a date is expected soon.

Local communities are still planning their events, which will be staffed by volunteers and have private and public sector funding.

Dozens of Culture Day activities will take place in each community. Among the events scheduled so far are:

  • Performances by Mike Plume, The Dudes and poet laureate Cadence Weapon in Edmonton.
  • Esplanade Art Gallery tours guided by the artists in Medicine Hat, Alta.
  • Symphony Nova Scotia performances and workshops across N.S.
  • Everyone being invited to create a multicultural mural with Arts Umbrella in Vancouver.
  • A freeze frame animation workshop for kids in Winnipeg.
  • An art sculpture walk in Ottawa.
  • A spoken word evening of poetry and readings in Sarnia, Ont.
  • A youth-oriented Nuit Blanche in Saguenay, Que.

Culture Days was initiated by four founding partners: the Canadian Arts Summit, Culture pour tous (producer of les Journées de la Culture), Canada Council for the Arts and the Banff Centre.