FOR FRANCES – After a 19-year hiatus, The Fort Frances Museum and Cultural Centre is bringing Culturama back.
Initially modelled after the Winnipeg Folk Festival and Thunder Bay’s annual Folkorama, Fort Frances Culturama allows community members to show off some of their cultural traditions to the public.
Beginning back in 1980 by the Rotary Club and the Multi-Cultural Association of Northwestern Ontario. Then after a couple of years of running the event, the Rainy Lake Multi-Cultural Association carried on the tradition of Culturama until 2003, when the event tapered off due to a lack of volunteers and community interest.
However, after so much has happened in the Fort Frances community over the year, the FFMCC felt that this year would be a good opportunity to bring back the cultural event in hopes to get the community back together.
“I was just talking to some colleagues who were reminiscing about the event,” said Kayleigh Speirs, Fort Frances Museum Curator. “There was a pot of funding from the government for the event. So, it just sort of happened and we thought it would be a good idea.”
The theme of this year’s Culturama is “Coming Together.” A theme that has great overtones amid the conflict oversea between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine culture has a long-standing connection to the Fort Frances area.
“Our community has dealt with a lot of stuff over the last few years locally, nationally, and globally,” said Speirs. “We have gone through really highly public conflicts between residents concerning Pride, there have been issues pertaining to a street sign called Colonization Road, and of course, the national reckoning about the violence our nation inflicted on Indigenous communities. So, we felt our community really needed something to come together. Also coupled with the pandemic and everything, it just reminded us how we need to rely on our neighbours considering we are undergoing the journey towards reconciliation. So, revitalizing this sort of festival can remind the residents of the vast diversity that live just outside their door.”
The slate of performances can be found on Culturama Facebook Page, but some highlights are Don Smith, Andrew Easton, Elton Bruyere, and Sandy Bruyere Drum Group which will take the Rainy Square stage on Friday at 5:30 p.m and 6:30 p.m. Kyle Councillor, a traditional Indigenous flute player, will perform at 7:00 p.m.
Then on Saturday, Nikki Komaksiutiksak, an Inuit Folk singer, will perform at 11:00 a.m. at Rainy Lake Square. Chaban Ukrainian Dancer will be performing at 2:00 p.m.
There will also be an auction Saturday night where proceeds go to Atikokan Stands With Ukraine.
To close out the event, singer Arden Bruyere will take the stage at 1:00 p.m.
However, song and dance is the only thing slated for Culturama, the will be a vendor’s market where community members can support their local artisans.
The community is also invited to contribute to a community mural painting throughout the weekend.
“One thing that’s happening the whole weekend is we have a local artist named Jessie Richard who has designed a mural but everybody gets the chance to paint it,” said Speirs. It’s going to be up in Rainy Lake Square. People can just stop by and paint it for a little bit.”
For more information including a full list and time of each performance follow Culturama on Facebook.
