“50 for 50” Arts Challenge

Canada Council’s 50th anniversary celebration to promote public engagement in the arts

Canada’s national arts funding agency has challenged Canadians to help it celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2007. They have launched the “50 for 50” Arts Challenge, an initiative aimed at encouraging people to become more involved in the arts as both audience members and active participants.

The Council is asking people to participate in 50 arts activities during the anniversary year – ranging from reading a poem to singing in a choir to attending a film festival to looking at a painting – keep a record of their experiences and let the Council know about it by e-mailing them at 50@canadacouncil.ca.

Fifty arts activities in 2007 may sound like a lot, but when you consider it’s less than one a week, you realize how easy it is to meet the challenge

- Canada Council Director Robert Sirman

One purpose of the ‘50 for 50’ Arts Challenge is to show people how pervasive the arts are in their daily lives.