Culture in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan has many forms of cultural expression. We share experiences that define a Saskatchewan culture, rooted in our shared sense of place. Cultural expression includes:
- products; and
- how we express ourselves.
The people of Saskatchewan experience and reflect their culture daily, through a variety of cultural activities, such as:
- education; and
- professional development and training.
Pride of Saskatchewan is rooted in the idea that collaboration around common goals creates synergy that helps strengthen the culture sector. The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport works in collaboration with the following organizations to build a vibrant and growing culture sector:
Saskatchewan’s Culture Policy
Pride of Saskatchewan: A Place Where Culture, Community and Commerce Meet represents the key areas of focus for the Government of Saskatchewan. The Policy guides decision-making at all levels as it relates to art, culture and creative industries.
The Arts Professions Act
Saskatchewan’s Arts Professions Act recognizes the artist as a professional and provides a definition of a professional artist in Saskatchewan. The Act promotes the valuable contribution artists; art and creativity make to our province and economy and recognizes the importance of fair compensation to professional artist.
The Arts professions Act increases protection for artists and their intellectual property by requiring written contracts between those who engage the services of artsts and the artists themselves. View this checklist of elements to be included in the contract.
Other Provincial Cultural Organizations:
SaskCulture is a non-profit, community-driven cultural organization that works with over 140 member cultural organizations and other community partners to build a culturally vibrant province, where all citizens can celebrate, value and participate in a rich, cultural life. SaskCulture offers grant programs, network opportunities, partnerships, promotions, training, as well as support for diversity and inclusiveness in cultural activity throughout the province. Key SaskCulture programs include:
- SaskCulture Grant Programs: Thanks to funding from Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation, SaskCulture offers a variety of grant programs – offering both project and operation funding - to eligible non-profit cultural organizations in Saskatchewan.
- Creative Kids: Creative Kids is a nationally registered charity, run by SaskCulture, that provides grants to support children and youth, who due to family circumstances, may face financial barriers to participating in arts and cultural activities. SaskCulture covers all administrative costs, so that all funds raised go directly to support children and youth.
- Culture Days: Part of a national collaborative movement designed to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement ns in the cultural life of their communities, Culture Days in Saskatchewan has engaged hundreds of thousands of residents in thousands of free, interactive cultural activities in over 100 different Saskatchewan communities over a three-day weekend each September.
Saskatchewan Arts Board
Established in 1948, the Saskatchewan Arts Board is the oldest public arts funder in North America, and second oldest in the world after the Arts Council of Great Britain. The SAB provides grants, programs, and services to individuals and groups whose activities have an impact on the arts in Saskatchewan and ensure that opportunities exist for Saskatchewan residents to experience all art forms. Presented by the Saskatchewan Arts Bard, The Saskatchewan Arts Awards celebrates the achievements of individuals, groups and organizations in all arts disciplines. Recipients are given awards in six categories. The event brings artists, arts organizations, patrons of the arts and members of the business community together to celebrate the enormous contributions the arts community makes to our province's quality of life and economy.
Creative Saskatchewan is a leader and supports:
- entrepreneurial capacity; and
Creative Saskatchewan is working to maximize leveraged resources, commercial success and market access for Saskatchewan's creative industries and producers.
artsVest Saskatchewan is a sponsorship training and matching incentive program of Business for the Arts run in Saskatchewan with funding from Canadian Heritage and the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport.