The two part-evening event “Mapping Cultural Diversity Together” explores community storytelling through art forms. Six Edmonton communities with roots in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa will come together to share food, costumes, culture, tradition and stories to weave a narrative of multiculturalism in Alberta. Our aim is to uphold and preserve the cultures of different communities while presenting it to the public during the course of the events and to give an opportunity to all participants to learn from one another and understand the cultural differences and similarities.
DAY 1. Friday, 24 September, 2021, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – by Zoom
The focus of our first day is to introduce participants to the meaning behind the foods and fashion our cultures represent. There will be a presentation exploring the bread/staple grains and fashion of Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Turkey followed by small group break-out rooms to share together about our own cultural experiences with food and fashion. The evening will be peppered with songs from around the world.
DAY 2. Wednesday, 29 September, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – by Zoom
Drawing on the same cultural traditions as Day 1, Day 2 will focus on dance, instrumental music, and fashion through shared videos produced locally as well as from participants’ communities back home. Between the performances, we will learn about the Ethiopian tradition of coffee ceremony and hair-braiding, and the Sierra Leone art of scarf tying.