This weekend, Toronto celebrated Nuit Blanche, an annual all-night arts event free to the public. Every year, the city streets come to life with innovative installments, dance, light shows and more. This week, Peterborough celebrated its own commemoration of the arts. The annual Artsweek celebration captivated the hearts and imaginations of Peterborough locals.

Arthur was recently interviewed on the Trent Radio show Trent Variety, hosted by Josh Skinner. He asked us why we chose to highlight community initiatives such as the Community Butcher Shop, which we featured in Issue 1. We were asked how this was different than an advertisement.

For those wondering, there are community initiatives in Peterborough that tell a story a simple ad placement cannot. There are stories that have led to gems downtown deserving to be told. In a similar vein to Community Butcher Shop’s rebellion against greater industries, Artsweek is a rebellion against the normative corporate aspirations of society. Trent students can find solace, peace and inspiration in the various art forms manifesting themselves physically in public spaces.

Artsweek also coincided with Head of the Trent, and many students we spoke to had not heard of the events taking place throughout the city. Another reason why we hope to bridge the gap between community initiatives and campus is that events like our very own answer to Nuit Blanche occur amidst exciting campus events like HOTT, and can unfortunately be overlooked.

Artsweek is an initiative that breaks the boundaries of your everyday life in Peterborough, weaving stories in the movement of bodies, in artistic visions, in pop-up interactive installments. It speaks to the culture of this creative and artistic community.

Elements, presented by The Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts was a beautiful experience the community enjoyed for free at Millennium Park. Families gathered and children were captivated by the movements of these talented aerial artists. A play on water nymphs and forest creatures, aerialists and fire breathers performed a passionate piece for the public’s enjoyment. Cars passing by Millennium Park slowed, and people were agape at the performance artists hanging high in the air and daring to play with fire. The crowd grew and grew into the night, and the busy hustle of the day slowed and eased into the peaceful night. There was an appreciation for the moment permeating the air, a meditative acknowledgement of something unique and beautiful occurring in a park that we walk through everyday.

Two performances took place, one at dusk and one after dark. The glowing fabrics and fire after dark unfortunately do not translate as well in print, and these photos may not capture the amazing feats these artists achieved. Words can only say so much, hence the photo-journalistic approach to some of our stories.

Marina Wilke attended the event and was apologetically asked for a donation by one of Artsweeks volunteers. Wilke responded, “don’t apologize. Thank you for art.”

This exchange speaks to the work of artists, and how thankless being an artist can be. A body of work, hours being put into a production or project, and all for the love of making that art can often be a unrequited experience. Arthur Newspaper would like to thank all the organizers, performers and artists of this year’s Artsweek for putting on quite a show! Thanks for enriching our community lovers of art and artists alike.