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Celebrate Burnaby's diversity at this Intercultural Community Arts event

A free family arts event celebrating Burnaby’s multicultural community is coming next week. The Intercultural Community Arts celebration is set for Tuesday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Burnaby Neighbourhood House, 4460 Beresford St.
crafts, Intercultural Community Arts Celebration
African crafts will be on display as part of the Intercultural Community Arts celebration on June 25.

A free family arts event celebrating Burnaby’s multicultural community is coming next week.

The Intercultural Community Arts celebration is set for Tuesday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Burnaby Neighbourhood House, 4460 Beresford St.

The free family event in celebration of Canada’s Multiculturalism Day will include an immigrant art exhibition, children’s activities and multicultural performances.

Culture Chats B.C. member artists will organize arts and crafts activities for children based on cultures and traditions around the world. Children will be able to make lanterns and write wishes to hang on the bamboo wish tree as they learn about Tanabata, Japan’s Star Festival, or get inspired by Mexican mariachi music while they craft a guitar. Kids can also try on traditional costumes and learn steps of the folk dance Garba, from India, or learn some traditional games from East Africa.

Kimberley Barwich, program director at Burnaby Neighbourhood House, has worked closely with Culture Chats to plan the event.

“Many cities in Metro Vancouver, such as Vancouver, New Westminster, Surrey and others, organize innovative children’s festivals celebrating arts and culture,” she said in a press release. “On June 25th at our South Burnaby location, we will offer a unique multicultural flavour to the children’s celebration and holiday activities season. We are keen to support this grassroots-based community-driven festival to nurture creativity and excellence in different forms.”

Fiona Stevenson, a Culture Chats board member, noted that families are welcome and schoolchildren have also been invited to attend as a field trip.

“Such events can demonstrate the strength of our diversity in action, and it inspires the young hearts and minds to greater possibilities,” she said in the release.

It’s presented by Culture Chats B.C. with partners and sponsors including Burnaby Neighbourhood House and the City of Burnaby, with part funding by the Government of Canada and support from the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table.

Culture Chats B.C. Association is a not-for-profit organization promoting cultural diversity through engagement with literary and other arts. See www.culturechats.org.