Improving access in rural communities: Culture Days fosters cultural engagement in small town

When small rural communities do not have libraries, museums, or art galleries, cultural programming can be limited. In Silton, that gap is being reimagined.

Through SaskCulture’s Culture Days Hub Sponsorship, along with casual pop-up programming, new opportunities have emerged to connect residents with art, culture, and heritage experiences in accessible and engaging ways. The community has held Culture Days events annually since 2021, thanks to the SaskCulture sponsorship, making cultural experiences possible for its residents.

Aileen Martin, volunteer, Silton Recreation Board, says, “Culture Days is a good program, with a national initiative behind it, that already has momentum and a voice, so it’s easier to pick up and join because people have heard of it before.

“Also, the Organizer Resources available on culturedays.ca, such as the marketing tools, help when you hold your events,” she adds.

Over the years, Culture Days has helped arts and cultural organizers in Silton build community connections that have led to more creative experiences in the area. Two years ago, when the Silton Recreation Board worked with the towns of Strasbourg and Nokomis to hold barn quilting sessions, it lit a creative spark within the community. Since then, the barn quilting sessions have grown into an ongoing initiative, now carried on by the different Sport, Recreation and Culture Districts around the province.

“There is even a Facebook page and people are always asking, ‘How can I get involved?’” Martin says.

This past year, Culture Days events also helped connect the community with the Long Lake 4-H Club, a local youth organization, and their youth leaders, creating new opportunities to support and expand cultural programming during Culture Days. 18

“With the 4-H Club’s help, we were able to do nature crafts, an outdoor scavenger hunt and a native plant walk, which was well attended. They were great to work with,” Martin says. “We also had a local artist from Lumsden come do a storytelling event and a workshop to paint a piece of Silton’s past, [and we also] brought a travelling museum from the Diefenbaker Center.”

Martin adds, “Without the Culture Days Hub sponsorship, our community wouldn’t have had these arts, culture, and heritage experiences. But, because we have, people now look forward to and have come to really value being a part of Culture Days.”