Fort Frances resident and arts connoisseur Ken Datzkiw is working to organize a Nuit Blanche late-night art festival in Rainy Lake Square at the end of September.
The term nuit blanche, which translates as “white night” in French, originally referred to a night without sleep. As a festival concept, it originated with events held at higher latitudes and late daylight around the summer solstice and evolved to become an all-night celebration of art and creativity.
One of the first was held in Helsinki, Finland, in 1989, when it established a Night of the Arts during which every gallery, museum and bookshop was open until midnight or later. Others sprang up around the world, with some of the more prominent held in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Paris, France, where the name Nuit Blanche was used first. In Canada, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg have all held Nuit Blanche festivals.
It was festivals in Winnipeg and Toronto that caught Datzkiw’s attention and made him want to bring the idea to Fort Frances.
“It was something that I always enjoyed,” Datzkiw told The Times. “The event, the festival, I thought it was really cool, and with my work background in presentations and technology and stuff, that’s become a big part of it,” he said.
“I enjoyed it as an adult when I was in Toronto. I was in Toronto for some work, and it was happening. Then, my kids loved going to the ones in Winnipeg, and I would bring them out.”
After moving here with his wife, who is from the region, it occurred to Datzkiw that it might be a good experience for Fort Frances to enjoy. “I was like, ‘Hey, where is something celebrating our arts and culture of the region in the evening time?” he said.
Datzkiw said he chose late September because by Sept. 26, the sun goes down at 7:03 p.m. He admits that creating an all-night affair might be tricky, especially being the first-ever event of its type in Fort Frances.
“Traditionally, Nuit Blanche goes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Datzkiw said. “Obviously we don’t have the legs for that here. In larger centres it’s a major tourism event.”
For now, Dtzkiw is hoping to have some drummers and dancers come out to showcase the region’s Indigenous arts and culture and to recruit some line dancers from the Fort Frances Senior Centre to spend some time on stage teaching people how to line dance.
Practitioners of other art forms will be setting up displays and demonstrations in the square as well, but he’s still looking for more music and cultural performers to take to the stage and share their art in Rainy Lake Square.
Someone has volunteered to do a demonstration of astrophotography with a telescope, he said, and his wife, who is a member of Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation (Red Gut), will be doing a beading demonstration with glow-in-the-dark beads.
The Fort Frances Public Library is also planning a book writing workshop for the event.
Datzkiw, who also likes to write and create his own music, has said that he will get up and play a few tunes as well.
The call remains open to any artists willing to put their talents on display, whether musical or visual, until Aug. 4. Datzkiw said he’s not looking for large multi-piece bands, but rather performances or art that can come and go easily on the stage; groups with a couple of people and backing tracks would be acceptable.
Turtle Island Café and Barbershop and Betty’s have come on board with the event, and the Fort Frances Museum and Cultural Centre will be helping out as well. Grand Council Treaty #3 is also helping get the word out to the Indigenous community.
Anyone with a penchant for arts and culture is welcome to submit a project or performance for Nuit Blanche Fort Frances. You can apply by contacting their Facebook page.
