TORONTO and MONTREAL – CBC and Astral are joining various cultural organizations across the country to celebrate the arts and cultural life of their communities.
The inaugural Culture Days weekend will run from September 24 – 26 at numerous locations across the country, offering free events designed to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians.
CBC will get the party started Thursday by taking over Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with CBC LIVE! – a star-studded lineup of broadcasts, live events, music and celebrity meet and greets.
"As one of Canada’s largest cross-country cultural organizations, CBC is proud to support Culture Days as the National Broadcast Partner," said Kirstine Stewart, interim EVP of English Services and GM of CBC Television, in a statement. "We’re looking forward to kicking off the weekend’s festivities on Thursday with this magnificent event, and we invite all Torontonians to join us at Yonge-Dundas Square."
Astral Media celebrated its contributions to Canadian television and music with two humorous spots depicting what those industries could look like without such crucial financing. The first premiered on opening night at the Toronto International Film Festival, and both are now airing across the company’s pay-television and specialty services. Click here to watch them on Astral’s YouTube channel.
Astral said that it invests over $170 million in Canadian culture every year, through its pay and specialty TV channels, radio stations and The Harold Greenberg Fund.
"We are fortunate to live in a dynamic, inclusive and creative culture”, said Derev Antikacioglu, corporate marketing director, in a statement. “This unique point of view needs to be nourished and celebrated. We take much pride in the fact that Astral’s investments help great projects come to life, contribute to a creative product of quality, and support the talented artists and artisans behind these projects."
