Arts & Culture - City of Abbotsford

ARTS & CULTURE FEATURE: Check out some of the wonderful talent in our community by visiting:
www.abbotsfordartscouncil.org

www.gallery7theatre.com

www.abbotsfordchildrenstheatre.org

www.fraservalleystage.com

www.valleyconcertsociety.com

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Arts & Culture is thriving in Abbotsford

Abbotsford's arts and culture scene is rich and abundant offering award winning artists, dinner theatre, 2 Symphony orchestras, and a vibrant visual and performing arts community.
 
A sampling of the cultures represented in our community include the countries of:  Laos, Greece, China, Germany, Italy, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, England, Ireland, Israel, Scotland, New Zealand, Japan, Kosovo, Croatia, Albania, Herzegovina, Bosnia, Indo-Canadian, Korea, Poland, Vietnam, Ukraine, Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Arabia, Afganistan, Iran, Turkey, Spain, Mexico & Russia 

To find out more about the local scene - Some sites of interest for enthusiasts or those who wish to discover what Abbotsford has to offer:

Tourism Abbotsford: www.tourismabbotsford.ca

Abbotsford Arts Council: www.abbotsfordartscouncil.org

MSA Museum/Trethewey House: www.abbotsford.net/msamuseum

Abbotsford Downtown Business Association: www.abbotsforddowntownbia.bc.ca

Abbotsford Spirit of BC is working closely with 2010 Legacies Now to keep the community apprised of any and all funding and / or event opportunities related directly or indirectly to the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games.

If you would like more information on ARTS NOW or other 2010 Legacies Now Initiatives, please contact Brenda Erickson, Arts & Culture Coordinator with Abbotsford Spirit of BC at 604 850-7161 or brenda@abbotsfordspiritofbc.com


CONNECTING Abbotsford to the big picture!

The 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games are extraordinary opportunities for Abbotsford's creative community to  participate in a national/global celebration; to share stories that reflect what is distinctive about ourselves and our communities; and, to offer an experience of superlative creativity, showcasing Vancouver, BC and other Canadian creators on the global stage.

 Olympic and Paralympic Cultural Opportunities will be placed under three general categories of activity.

1. Pre-Games arts and cultural activity.
2. Olympic and Paralympic Arts Festivals, which revolve around the respective Games.
3. Games-time celebrations and live sites.

Arts Now outlined what they envisioned the term Cultural Olympiad to mean
“a multi-dimensional showcase spanning community celebrations, cultural festivals, national and international collaborations, special events and everything in between”

The Cultural Olympiad Backgrounder

Culture is the second pillar of the Olympic Movement. To touch the soul of the nation - that's the mission of Vancouver 2010. To do this the Cultural Olympiad is key to expressing that soul, nationally and around the world.

The Cultural Olympiad will deliver an outstanding program of pre-Games celebrations and Games-time arts festivals celebrating the best contemporary, classical and aboriginal artists of BC, Canada and the world.

The Cultural Olympiad will showcase the contemporary Canadian imagination through a series of three festivals of popular and fine arts with performances and exhibitions by a bold spectrum of creators from across the country - with something for everyone in these culturally-diverse, multi-faceted celebrations. Working in partnership with the artistic community, the Cultural Olympiad will highlight some of the most dynamic talent from British Columbia, Canada and the world - including contemporary, classical and Aboriginal music, theatre, dance, media, and literary, visual, interdisciplinary, culinary and street art.

Established and emerging artists will be showcased, new works will be premiered, artistic collaborations and intercultural exchange will be fostered. Activity will be concentrated primarily in Vancouver and Whistler, with the potential for provincial, national and international extensions through performing arts tours, visual arts exhibitions and new media activity.

VANOC will produce the majority of Cultural Olympiad programming in partnership with regional not-for-profit arts presenters, producers and festivals. Through co-productions and co-presentations VANOC will leverage our community's knowledge base, creativity, audience base and resources to maximize the scope, scale, relevance and overall community impact of the Cultural Olympiad.

The Cultural Olympiad will build over three years, launching in 2008 with an expected program of some 40 to 50 events comprising more than 100 performances and exhibitions. In 2009, participation and anticipation will increase with an expanded one-year countdown celebration. And, in 2010, the Cultural Olympiad will showcase the Olympic and Paralympic Arts Festival - a transformative arts and culture program that will create memories and legacies to last a lifetime and inspire a generation.


2009 Celebration
February 1 - March 21, 2009

Olympic and Paralympic Arts Festival
January 22 - March 21, 2010



Visit:  www.vancouver2010.com or www.2010legaciesnow.com to learn more