Arts

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Local musical historian releases documentary about WWII swing band touring frontline

Streamliners

The show:

Local music historian Andy Sparling released an audio documentary about the Streamliners. They were a swing band taken from the ranks of aircraft maintenance trainees to become a touring band that traveled throughout the European front from 1944 to 1945. The band would be known as one of the best bands of the time. It is a privilege to share this documentary with you on today’s show. Its historical and musical significance cannot be underestimated. Continue Reading →

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Group seeks to create $25 million accelerator fund for region to increase film and TV production

Murdoch Mysteries TV show in Cobourg

The show:

The full interview with bonus material:

Northumberland County is no stranger to Hollywood. Movies like It were filmed in Port Hope. Cobourg is a favourite backdrop for the TV series Murdoch Mysteries. These make up a growing list of productions coming to the region. Local efforts to attract more productions exist in Port Hope and Cobourg, and other municipalities along the lakeshore from here to the Quebec border. Continue Reading →

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As Art Gallery of Northumberland prepares to reopen, director reflects on arts during pandemic

For anyone who has had a birthday or marked an anniversary or special occasion over the last five months will tell you, it has been rough. The Art Gallery of Northumberland, 2020 marked the 60th anniversary. It was going to have a year of events to celebrate. As you can imagine, things have not turned out as expected. Art Gallery of Northumberland Executive Director Olinda Casimiro is obviously disappointed. Continue Reading →

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Musician Cale Crowe glad to be back, but also thankful for the break during pandemic

It is hard to believe it was only a year ago, Cobourg council received the final report for the Cultural Master Plan. It marked a significant milestone for the local arts community as the town sought to create a vision for the creative community. In its final report, the consultants noted 95 percent of those surveyed identified arts and culture are important. The pandemic has seriously hit the arts and culture community hard, as it has in so many aspects of our lives. A survey by the Ontario Arts Council said arts organizations and artists lost a combined total of $128 million in revenue between March and June.  A whopping 94 percent of arts groups said they cancelled events or postponed activities. Continue Reading →

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RCAF big band brought a bit of home to airmen during Second World War

The Streamliners was a big band formed by a group of young men serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. They were all barely 20 when they joined. Each one was passionate about music, but also patriotic. At first, they were technicians and mechanics, training at a base in St. Thomas, Ontario. Continue Reading →

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Insights into Cobourg’s cultural master plan by a politician and a patron of local culture

 

Cobourg impresario Ken Prue, owner of the Loft, and Cobourg Councillor Adam Bureau talk about the work currently underway regarding the cultural master plan for the town. Consultants MDB Insights are leading the process with a series of focus groups and public meetings to gather input. A public meeting is set for March 21, 2019, at the Cobourg Community Centre, starting at 6 p.m.

The $65,000 study is meant to shape the town’s direction, not only to help enhance the arts and cultural life locally but to also find economic opportunities, as well. Prue provides insights into the significance of the study for those who actually work within the cultural community, while Bureau gives the political perspective. Continue Reading →

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Daily life can be more interesting than big picture, says local author and historian

It is the daily lives of everyday people that make history come alive for local historian and author Gerry Brown, which he best exemplifies in his new book Memories from a Grey Wooden Box: Cobourg stories from The Great War. As a long-time high school history teacher in Prescott, Brown felt the big picture studied in class, like Napoleon, treaties, political figures and so forth, were interesting. But it did not represent his passion. “(Historians) didn’t talk about the day-to-day stuff. How people actually live in a variety of times and places,” he said in a recent interview with Consider This Northumberland. Continue Reading →

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Heritage and arts centre represents fulfilling a dream for a Castleton couple

The Mill at Piper Creek, north of Colborne, is the vision of Candace Cox and her husband, Mitchell Cox. Besides being a massive restoration project to save the historic mill, the project hopes to create a heritage and arts centre for artists and performers from across Northumberland. Listen, as Candace shares her journey, both the challenges and successes of the enterprise on Consider This Live, part of the Drive Time on Northumberland 89.7 FM. Continue Reading →

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Local historic swing band topic of a new book

The Commodores Orchestra band leader Andy Sparling discusses the historic swing band and a new book he is writing about it during Consider This Live as part of the Drive Time on Northumberland 89.7 FM Continue Reading →

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Talking culture in Cobourg with Councillor Deb McCarthy

Cobourg Councillor Deb McCarthy talks about cultural master plans, the importance of arts in a community and her role on council for Consider This Live as part of the Drive Time on Northumberland 89.7 FM

Continue Reading →

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