Culture Days
Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture. At the end of each September and throughout October, millions of people attend thousands of free participatory arts and culture events both in-person and online. Culture Days programs invite the public to get hands-on and behind-the-scenes to highlight the importance of arts and culture in our communities. To learn more, visit Culture Days' website.
Oshawa Culture Days 2025
Join the City for Culture Days 2025 on Saturday, September 27 at the Arts Resource Centre on Saturday, September 27 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The City’s Culture Days activities this year also honours National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a time to reflect, learn and come together through culture and community.
- From 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. - enjoy delicious bites (first come, first served), take part in an art activity.
- At 1:30 p.m. - view a powerful documentary, Birth of a Family. The film is provided courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
View the trailer for the documentary Birth of a Family
The film follows a family dealing with the repercussions of the Residential School system and the Sixties Scoop. These realities are harsh and some potentially upsetting scenes and outdated language are included. Viewer discretion is advised.
This film is suitable for ages 14 and up.
Travelling Exhibition
Visit Art & Culture in the Hall, outside Council chambers in City Hall, 50 Centre Street South on Saturday, September 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to see the travelling exhibit “We Were So Far Away: The Inuit Experience of Residential Schools" from the Legacy of Hope Foundation.
This exhibit tells the stories of eight Inuit Residential School Survivors presented in their own words and illustrated with personal and historical photographs, including their memories of childhood and their experiences of school, the struggles they have already overcome and the challenges they still face today.
Past Events
| 2024 |
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Culture Days 2024 included a variety of activities for all ages at the Arts Resource Centre, including a Creative Writing Workshop with local author Erica London and a Pottery Workshop, led by the City’s pottery instructor in the Pottery Studio. The LivingRoom Community Art Studio provided drop-in arts activities outside the Arts Resource Centre. Also, an Artist Talk with Dani Crosby who discussed the inspiration and process behind the new public art mural, "Turning the Wheel". A film screening of "Robot Dreams" was also presented by Durham Region International Film Festival.
Photo Gallery: Culture Days 2024 will appear here on the public site.
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| 2023 |
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Culture Days 2023 was celebrated at Ed Broadbent Waterfront Park with an artist talk by Shay Conroy about her temporary exhibition "Port of Prosper" and at South Oshawa Community Centre with an artist talk by Amy Shackleton and Julian Brown, a Peony Painting workshop with Ting Chen, and a variety of drop-in arts and culture activities.
Photo Gallery: Culture Days 2023 will appear here on the public site.
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| 2022 |
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Culture Days 2022 was celebrated at Donevan Recreation Complex Urban Art Park. We hope you enjoyed watching artists Piper-Lee Blackey, Ace Ov Keyz and Chris Perez during the live street art demonstration, as well as, taking part in hands-on yarn bombing, paste-ups and slaps activities with the LivingRoom Community Studio Mobile Art Hive.
Photo Gallery: Culture Days 2022 will appear here on the public site.
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| 2021 |
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The theme for Culture Days 2021 was "RE:Imagine - What a post-pandemic world could look like and how we can each contribute to that picture being brighter." Programming took place September 24 to October 26, 2021. To celebrate Culture Days the City launched a Public Art Map + Activities guide, inviting community members on a self-directed walking tour of public artworks. The walking tour featured nine sites over a 3.5 km looped route, including The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and The Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens. Residents were invited to pick up a free activity kit containing all the art supplies necessary to follow along with the sketch, sculpt, and colour prompts detailed in the guide. |
| 2020 |
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Participants were able to view virtual exhibitions including works from the Unmasking Brain Injury projects conducted in 2018 and 2019 in partnership with the Brain Injury Association of Durham. TeachingCity/Durham College Community Collaborations Course (School of Media, Art, and Design) showcased student work from 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years. Lakeview Park Banners celebrated the Park's 100th anniversary and featured designs of 10 selected artists. Other activities included a scavenger hunt and culture bingo. |