Over two days, 1450 teachers flooded the halls of Arts Commons, engaged in building their toolboxes for arts-based learning as part of Calgary City Teachers' Convention. The convention was topped off with a keynote from education's leading luminary, Dr. Chris Emdin, inviting not only teachers, but artists, and members of the creative community to be inspired.
Arts Commons Education invites you to bee-engaged this spring and show a little love for your pollinators with this easy to do craft.
For more than 55 years, Theatre Calgary has produced numerous plays by William Shakespeare, and have staged even more musicals in that span. But something that hasn’t been done before? The words of Shakespeare and music of The Beatles at the same time! That all changes this March, as Theatre Calgary presents As You Like It, a musical conceived by Daryl Cloran and the Beard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (Vancouver).
Arts Commons Board Member, Heather Campbell, sits down with Downstage team member Katherine Rawlinson to discuss favourite memories from Downstage’s 20 year history of creating theatre that sparks conversation around social issues. Downstage’s 20th Anniversary Celebration is taking place on Saturday March 9. After Party tickets are $20 and still available!
When people talk about Calgary and its arts scene, the story that often gets told is that emerging artists usually leave our city; they don’t choose to stay or move here to practice their art. There’s no support; they can’t make a living.
While that story may have had some truth to it at one time, it’s no longer accurate. Assistance for these artists has expanded significantly. Local organizations such as Arts Commons have created programs to provide educational and mentoring opportunities to accelerate emerging artists’ careers.
The performing arts mean different things to different cultures.
In Eastern Europe for decades, theatre was a medium that was feared by those in power, because of its ability to use metaphor to send a political message.
The most important part of the moniker "Black History Month" has to be the word "story". And there is nothing more reflective of the power of story telling than the musical art form known as "the blues". In preparation for BHM 2024, I got the chance to talk with two phenomenal blues singers in advance of their Calgary concert, at the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons on February 9th.
