All Cultural Capital of Canada Stakeholders, Steering Committee Members and Heritage supporters are invited to attend the launch of the new Cumberland Museum and Archives Website, November 7th at 2pm. The event will be held at the museum located at 2680 Dunsmuir Avenue, in Cumberland.

The website has been funded through the support of the Cultural Capital of Canada designation and is considered a significant legacy component of the program as well as an exciting new tool in the continued development of the Cumberland Museum & Archives. For more information call 336.2445 or visit www.cumberlandmuseum.ca.

Dancing in the Coal Dust, Cumberland Style

The Showcase Theatre Festival Society recently announced their plans for their 2008 season. The new Cultural Capital of Canada funded play ‘Dancing in the Coal Dust’, written by internationally renowned local writer David Warrick, will play under the tent as part of a five week season in Cumberland.

‘Dancing in the Coal Dust’ will be one of a three play season, for 2008 which will include the play ‘Our Town’ and the musical ‘Hello Dolly’. The season will be launched in June, concurrently with another 2007 Cultural Capital of Canada funded event celebrating the workers of the Cumberland mines, Miner’s Memorial Week.

Contact the Showcase Theatre Festival office at 898.8399 or check out their website at www.showcasefestival.org for more information on their plans for 2008.

This artist residency is sponsored with federal funding through the Cultural Capitals of Canada program (department of Canadian Heritage) along with matched funding provided by the City of Courtenay, BC Arts Council and the Comox Valley Art Gallery.

The premise of this project is for the Comox Valley Art Gallery to host an artist who will reside here as our guest. We will provide accommodation, studio space, an honorarium and a purchase prize.

The chosen artist will be obliged to provide the following:

• Complete a piece of artwork that will be placed in a public space as a permanent structure

• Be available to the public at certain hours in the studio

• Provide at least two art talks in the Public Gallery

• Teach a workshop or two depending on the response (the artist will be remunerated for this)

• Samples of the artist’s work and history to be on display in the studio (this can be in the form of photographs in binders)

The jury will consist of a professor of Fine Art who is also a consultant with a leading Canadian University, a practicing Senior Sculptor and a practicing First Nations Senior Artist.

Please contact the gallery to obtain a submission form.
Artist in Residency Comox Valley Art Gallery 100-580 Duncan Avenue Courtenay, BC V9N 2M7 curator@comoxvalleyartgallery.com www.comoxvalleyartgallery.com
SUBMISSIONS MUST ARRIVE BY DECEMBER 6TH, 2007

Does your organization plan to take part in the BC150 Years celebrations? If so, it may be eligible for a BC150 Years Celebration Grant, available through the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch at the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

From September 2007 to August 2008, non-profit community organizations can apply for up to $10,000 of funding to go towards their projects that celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of B.C.

Project themes must fall under one of BC150 Years’ five pillars: Heritage, Communities, Multiculturalism, Aboriginal Peoples, Arts and Culture. Events should engage the broader communities through intergenerational and intercultural participation, while celebrating local history and generating interest throughout the province.

Applications should be submitted through the regular community gaming grant application process. For more information go to www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/gaming/grants/bc150.htm.

Note to all Cultural Capital of Canada groups: If you are planning to apply for this funding, do so very quickly. The funding for this program is limited (only $1 million to be shared among all non-profit groups in BC) and will run out very soon.