Arts & Culture

“We want to hear your stories, your poems, whatever you have to tell us.” 

That invitation from Jules Stevenson is a sincere one; the audiences and poets that make up the Winnipeg Poetry Slam are genuinely excited to welcome anyone and everyone to their first open mic night of 2025 on January 28 at the Handsome Daughter, regardless of what they have to say. 

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. Today, January 27th marks 80 years exactly since the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration camp.  

As time passes and there are fewer and fewer survivors left to tell their stories, it is increasingly crucial that the day is used to remember and commemorate the atrocities committed by the Nazi's during the second World War and learn from that history, so humanity does not repeat it. 

Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet opened a new chapter in its storied history when it announced its new artistic director.  

On the Piano Nobile at the Centennial Concert Hall, RWB board chair John Osler together with outgoing artistic director Andre Lewis introduced Christopher Stowell as the new creative head of the 85-year-old Winnipeg institution.  

It’s the weekend Winnipeg movie fans have been waiting for.  

February is Black History Month. since its early beginnings at Kent State University in 1970, and the eventual adoption of the month by the American Government in 1976, the month has been used to remember and celebrate the achievements of African Americans and later black citizens throughout the diaspora. 

Inspiration can strike at any moment. If you’re a composer, you have to be ready to capture that inspiration at the drop of a hat. 

That’s something that Dauphin’s Nic Bray found out a couple of summers ago. Lying in a hammock with his partner in Riding Mountain National Park, inspiration struck. 

The University of Manitoba has chosen the next leader of the Desautels Faculty of Music and the School of Art.  

Dr. Stephen Runge was chosen from a field of three candidates to head up both departments. Originally from Saskatchewan, Runge is currently at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick where he has been a Professor of Piano for eighteen years and has served as the Head of the Department of Music for eleven of those years.  

Starting on Monday, January 27th and going until Saturday, February 8th, the Rady Jewish Community Centre is putting an incredibly fun festival that puts a highlight on Yiddish Language and Culture. Called Put a Yid On It, this festival celebrates the humor, warmth, and character of a culture that has been slowly lost over time. 

For Samy Moussa, the Winnipeg New Music Festival holds a special place.  

“In Canadian life, it’s a very special event. There’s no other festival like it. [It’s] probably the most important one in Canada.”