Cultural Event Review

Cultural Event or Exhibit Review The Assignment: Students will research, choose, and attend one publicly-held cultural event in Manitoba's Aboriginal community and write a 750-word review on it, reflecting upon what they have witnessed (for instance, the Manitoba Indigenous Writer's Festival, October 11-13). Specific details regarding how to write a review will be made available, but this assignment will examine how this event draws upon historical and political contexts in Manitoba, embodies aspects of cultural expression for a specific Native community, and participates in the continuation of this community and its relationship with others. Students will share these assignments on Desire to Learn and some may be selected to appear in print (with permission). This assignment has two objectives, first, to do some data collection from a relevant cultural event or exhibit, and second, to become acquainted with and provide some ideas for different ways of exhibiting information. In class, we will be announcing various cultural events and exhibits in the community or you might hear about them through your networks. Select one connected to your field of interest and attend it for at least 75 minutes. Before you attend a cultural event/exhibit, you might find it useful to ask your instructor what event you will attend and state where it is and why you are choosing this event. The Review: When observing the event and exhibit, be sure you write down important information, noting anything of worth for your research and jot down any helpful ideas for exhibiting your information. Be sure to take good notes - this is key to writing this review. Once you have observed, hopefully enjoyed, and collected your data, you are ready to write your review. The review should provide both a summary and an analysis of the event or exhibit, focusing on key aspects of how the event or exhibit depicted and portrayed the culture and society you are researching. The outline below provides a general guide to writing your review. I. Introductory paragraph giving a brief overview of the event/exhibit you observed. II. One to two paragraphs explaining how the event/exhibit was put together/run and who put it on and giving any data you gathered. III. Include a detailed description of how the event/exhibit depicted the culture or society. Observe the culture carefully as you watch, and describe the cultural elements you observe (customs, clothing, religion, family/social interactions, food, language, etc.) as they are highlighted in the event/exhibit. What aspects of culture does it celebrate? What aspects, if any, does it critique? Do you think the event/exhibit gives an accurate portrayal of this culture's life in Canada and where do you see connections with some of the historical, social, political topics and issues we have learned in the course? IV. Discuss your own personal response to the event/exhibit. What comparisons/contrasts can you make between the culture you are portrayed in the event/exhibit and the culture you live in? V. A concluding paragraph, including a recommendation about the event/exhibit (e.g. would you tell your friends to attend?)