Winnipeg is chosen one of the Cultural Capital of Canada for 2010

2010 is going to be an exciting year for Winnipeg and Heartland International English School. This honour means that there will be even more events and activities for students to partake in while in Winnipeg and have a Truly Unique Canadian Experience!

"Winnipeg is renowned for its unique diversity and passion for arts and culture, so to receive this designation as a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2010 is an immense honour," said Mayor Sam Katz. "And I would like to thank the Government of Canada for recognizing our ability to celebrate culture and for its contributions to support arts and culture in Winnipeg in 2010."


Highlights of Winnipeg's proposed 2010 projects:

• City Stories - the creation of a mobile story-exchange centre where writers, poets, and performance artists will engage Winnipeggers in storytelling.
• Art and the City: Symposium and Conference - a gathering of international experts to discuss the relationship between art and design and urban planning, with a focus on the environment and sustainability.
• A Future for Cultural Planning in Winnipeg - 2010 to 2020 - the development of a cultural plan for the next 10 years.
• River Barge Festival - a seven-day festival in which performances will take place on barges at the Forks, the juncture of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. It will feature Aboriginal and culturally diverse artists, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Theatre Centre, and well-known artists who began their careers in Winnipeg.
• Arts City North - the creation of a neighbourhood arts centre that will offer high-quality, free-of-charge programs to inner-city youth and families.
• Cross-cultural Marketing Strategy - marketing incentives to major Winnipeg festivals to develop new local, national and international audiences across cultures.
• Winnipeg's Arts Ambassadors - the appointment of four artists as ambassadors for a two-year period in music and the literary, visual, and performing arts, to raise the status of these art forms.
• International Cello Festival - the creation of the first international cello festival which will include a series of public concerts, master classes, young artists recitals, a gala recital, and the creation of a prize to honour Winnipeg-born cellist Zara Nelsova.
• Public Art Project - commissioning of a public art piece via a national competition.
• Winnipeg International Aboriginal Exhibition - a large-scale exhibition of Aboriginal art from Canada and around the world.
• Marketing and Awareness Campaign - the implementation of a campaign, in partnership with Destination Winnipeg and Travel Manitoba, promoting the Cultural Capital of Canada designation among Winnipeggers.