Following this series we’ll have heard the perspectives of some incredible creative minds. Jeremy will attempt to gather their thoughts into an overview of the present, a prediction for the future, and a greater understanding of the role played by the cultural sector. Jeremy will explore how other countries and regions have responded to the cultural crisis and bring the Hamilton/Burlington response into view.

Prior to COVID-19, choirs and choruses were flourishing throughout Ontario, Canada, and the world and InstaChoir was part of our local musical tapestry.  In fact, InstaChoir was created to give the fun and exciting group singing experience to everyone and anyone.  Participants would show up one evening, take in some fun vocal warm ups, and then jump in to learning a popular song in 3 part harmony with only a lyric sheet in hand.  All of this would be recorded and shared over social media in the upcoming week.  Since the pandemic, choruses, choirs, and programs like InstaChoir have been forced online

We live in a broken home. How many times have you heard that we cannot stop building more pipelines or cutting down more forests because it would hurt the economy? The “eco” of economy is the same “eco” as the one we find in the word ecology. It comes from the Greek word oikos, which means “home.” You could say that Western culture’s history of industrialization is a history of the divorce of our home into two bitter and hurting rivals, Mother Earth and Father Paycheque. Our divided home has led us to accept an economy based

For the past 37 years, I’ve been fortunate to capture and document the city and environs with my camera. In this presentation, I’ll talk about how my job, and the industry as a whole, has changed and evolved to reflect the world in which we live. Through stories and photographs, I’ll share my perspective on my career, some of the events I’ve been fortunate to cover, and where I see journalism headed in the future.

Sue and Jim have been on a quest to locate the places that inspired the Group of Seven painters and Tom Thomson. 

Sue is a traditional rug hooker. In 1977 she was making a rug hooking adapted from A.Y. Jackson’s painting “Hills, Killarney, Ontario (Nellie Lake).” During a canoe trip in Killarney Provincial Park, Sue and Jim paddled to Nellie Lake and were surprised to find that they could locate the exact spot where Jackson had sat when he did the painting. After this initial success, they continued to search for other painting locations used by Tom Thomson and the

Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Music Director, Gemma New is a rising star in the world of international conducting and orchestral music interpretation. This passion for music started at an early age for this talented musician, and her dedication to her craft and the development of her fellow musicians is what sets her a part. A compassionate and energizing leader, Gemma has been leading professional and youth orchestras for more than fifteen years. With a guiding belief in the power of music and its impact in our lives, Gemma continues to engage and inspire audiences around the world.

One thing the COVID-19 crisis has done is put the role of culture and cultural producers in a unique spotlight.  On one hand our theatres and galleries are closed and artists and organizations are financially struggling – on the other major cultural issues such as Black Lives Matter have boiled to the surface. In this opening conversation Jeremy will explore the impact of culture on our communities during the best of times, and will share insights into what has changed during the COVID-19 crisis, and how it may influence our sector’s future.