“What drew me to BC Culture Days [is that it’s] a low-barrier, nonjudgmental space,” says Giffen. “That’s really important to give to people because creative practice can be intimidating.”

Launched in 2010, the initiative has become Canada’s largest public participation campaign for the arts. Culture Days returns in 2025 offering Canadian communities a space to celebrate art and culture, not as spectators, but as active participants.

An exchange of values

Giffen is among the emerging artists selected to be BC Culture Days ambassadors. The Ambassador Program invites select emerging artists to act as spokespeople for BC Culture Days, host events, and engage in mentorship with established artists.

“One of the best things about [the Ambassador program] is having a supportive cohort. That’s really valuable,” she stresses.

For Giffen, the experience represents an opportunity to redefine the art scene, for the public and practitioners alike, by challenging the notorious rigidity of artistic spaces. She sees play as an important part of her artistic practice – one that highlights the artist’s role.

“Sometimes it’s hard to find your community because people, and especially artists, take themselves too seriously,” she shares of her previous experience as an emerging artist. “We’re all coming together to create and make people feel more hopeful; we should be more playful.”

Giffen hopes to see this communitarian approach become mainstream, centering the concepts of inclusion and play in her storytelling workshop “Teach Me About You” (Oct. 10, The Gathering Place Community Centre). The concept, she explains, draws on her community-based experiences outside the artistic realm.

“My event really came from me doing community work, working in harm reduction, working with Indigenous people from all walks of life,” the artist adds.

Rooted in Indigenous storytelling and Talking Circle practices, Giffen’s workshop encourages self-expression. Participants will be provided with prompts and invited to share – all within a culturally-rooted and welcoming environment.

“I found that the most impactful moments I’ve had with people have been the ones where we’re creating together,” the artist shares. “It builds a closeness I don’t think I felt earlier on in my career.”

By drawing clear connections with these experiences, Giffen’s event conveys the intent behind Culture Days that extend far beyond performance. Leaning specifically on Indigenous tradition, she brings to the forefront different creative practices that, while rooted in longstanding traditions, are unknown to many.

“Billy-Ray Belcourt’s first poetry book was the first poetry book I ever saw written by a native person,” she shares. “That was a really big deal for me; I didn’t even know the whole world of Indigenous poetry was a thing.”

Beyond words

As Giffen discusses the significance of discovering Indigenous poetry in her youth, Andrea’s work grapples with feelings of isolation as a newcomer. After years of training and practice in Hispanophone environments including Chile and Spain, Andrea’s 2021 move to Victoria prompted a shift in her artistic practice.

“Though I had the privilege to study English since I was young, when I arrived here it was very overwhelming,” reflects Andrea. “Everything was in English, and it’s not only about the words … it’s the sayings, the idioms, a [sort of] collective subconscious.”

Eventually the language barrier became a catalyst for new exploration: one that does not rely on spoken language as a form of expression. In doing so, Andrea turned to an introspective creativity, which she intends to share through her BC Culture Days workshop “The Essence Mask: A Soul-Portrait Workshop” (Sept. 26 and 27, Victoria’s Theatre SKAM Studio).

“Craft, for me, is a very meditative activity,” affirms Andrea. “Recently, I’ve been doing more mask-making, and felt that a self-portrait is fitting [especially as an immigrant] because it’s easy to feel like you’re lost.”

The bilingual – English and Spanish – mask-making workshop will offer participants the chance to explore the complexities of their diverse identities. Drawing from her own artistic reflections on her move to Canada, Andrea encourages leaning into art to contend with such existential questions.

“The different language [and] culture… sometimes you feel so distanced from your roots, you really question, ‘Who am I?’” she shares.

The workshop encourages participants to remember their uniqueness. Participants will then create masks from repurposed, found and recycled materials – another key aspect of Andrea’s artistic practice.

More than just an opportunity to share their work, the artists’ respective BC Culture Days events are intimate reflections of their practice, values and experiences.

Over three weeks of programming, artists across B.C. will host free events, opening up the artistic processes central to their work. This aligns with the spirit of Culture Days, which aims to showcase artistic excellence and the unique potential of creativity to foster community connections.

For more information on Ashleigh Giffen and the “Teach Me About You” workshop, see: www.culturedays.ca/en/events/39b3823e-21f9-4d26-a79e-0789e3b71c0c

For more information on Lore Andrea and the “The Essence Mask: A Soul-Portrait Workshop,” see: www.culturedays.ca/en/events/4469b5e2-4590-4a7d-ab47-71f07a0cfc4c

To learn more about BC Culture Days, see: www.culturedays.ca/en/bc