MAX WYMAN (25th Anniversary SPEAKER)

The Arts and Democracy - How are they connected?

Kicking off ArtSpring's 25th Anniversary Festival programming on Thursday morning April 18, Max Wyman has for five decades been one of Canada’s most prominent commentators on the role of the Arts in national life. His new book, The Compassionate Imagination, sets out specific arguments for considering the Arts crucial to how a democracy like Canada's should function. The Salt Spring Forum and ArtSpring will jointly host him in a wide-ranging conversation about the central ideas of his book.

In a adapted SS Forum style, the hour long format will include the moderator enaging our speaker, a presentation, and audience Q&A before ArtSpring hosts a Roundtable mingler where participants can engage and discuss what aspects of the discussion are relevent or applicable to Salt Spring and our community. Join the conversation! In partnership with Salt Spring Books, Wymans book will be available to purchase or order.

MAX WYMAN is a Vancouver writer and arts policy consultant, and one of Canada’s leading cultural commentators. Born and educated in England, he spent several years as a journalist in London before emigrating to Canada in 1967.

He was dance, music and drama critic for The Vancouver Sun and CBC Radio for over 30 years, and is the author of a number of books on the arts in Canada, among them The Defiant Imagination: Why Culture Matters, a passionate manifesto asserting the central importance of the arts and culture to modern Canada.

He is deeply involved in issues around the integration of the arts, culture and creative activity into education. He was a founding member of the multi-agency Canadian arts and learning action coalition, chaired the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s cross-Canada consultations on the topic, led the Canadian delegation to UNESCO’s first world summit on arts and education in Portugal and many more distinctions.

For his services to the arts he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001, and received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Simon Fraser University in 2003. Other honours include the Queen’s 25th, 50th and 60th Jubilee Medals, the Canada 125 Medal and the inaugural Cecilia Zhang award from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

You will be in excellent company. Be part of one of the most exciting "set the tone'" events of the festival!