The Shevchenko Foundation (TSF) is excited about the upcoming KOBZAR Book Award Presentation at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights – an evening celebrating Canadian authors and their Ukrainian Canadian stories.
Since settling in Canada over 130 years ago, Ukrainians have continued to make a significant contribution to shaping the Canadian mosaic. This Award honours the fascinating and diverse stories that spotlight the Ukrainian Canadian cultural legacy. This year’s KOBZAR Book Award entries include a biography, non-fiction, and graphic novel, one of which will be awarded the $25,000 prize.
The literary arts are just one facet of this leading nation-wide charitable organization that has worked for over 60 years to preserve, promote, and develop Ukrainian Canadian culture.
Winnipeg’s Rozmai Ukrainian Dancers perform at East Coast Ukrainian Festival in Halifax, NS
Thanks to the generosity of donors, TSF distributes in excess of $1 million annually in grants and community sponsorships for projects that support the dynamic, ever-growing Ukrainian community and fuel the creativity of its artists. Last year, 61 organizations and 55 individual artists across 8 provinces received funding in one of the four pillars that inspire the work of TSF – Arts, Community Development, Heritage Preservation, and Education.
Manitoba artists, cultural ensembles, and community organizations are among the recipients whose innovative projects were kick started and fueled by TSF.
From film to theatre, literature to visual arts, music to dance, the Ukrainian Canadian arts community in Manitoba is flourishing.
Since the inception of the KOBZAR Book Award, several of the winning or short-listed authors had Manitoba roots including the late Danny Schur, the late Andrey Tarasiuk, John Paskievich, Myroslav Shkandrij, and Orest Martynowych.
A beautiful mural adorns the city of Winnipeg that speaks about the love and friendship between Canada and Ukraine with a special thank you to the city for welcoming tens of thousands of Ukrainians who were forced to flee the full-scale invasion of their country in 2022.
Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus marked 55 years of sharing the Ukrainian musical legacy in collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as part of the Symphony in the City series.
Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus performs with Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Photo by Matt Duboff
Ukrainian dancers from many Manitoba communities are offered opportunities to not only develop their art form but also engage with other dancers across the country and introduce Canadians to Ukrainian traditions through the creativity of movement.
The Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre – Oseredok – is integral to the network of Winnipeg museums. The archival heritage institution celebrates the remarkable achievements and legacy of the Ukrainian Canadian community in Canada. It serves as the community’s collective memory by collecting, caring for, documenting and interpreting collections of ethnology, folk art, fine art, and archives related to community history. A public program of exhibitions, workshops and courses, and special events share Ukrainian cultural experiences with Canadians.
Summer festivals are inspiration for the soul. They bring us together in a celebration of identity and unity. Staples on the summer calendar, they offer something for everyone while bridging cultures and communities. Manitoba is home to one of the oldest and largest Ukrainian festivals in Canada – Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival (CNUF). A vibrant example of Manitoba’s vibrant Ukrainian community, people come from all over the world to experience the colourful and lively showcase of Ukrainian traditions. With its beginnings in the city of Dauphin, CNUF is now based at Selo Ukraina on the picturesque slopes of Riding Mountain National Park.
The Manitoba Ukrainian community is truly inspiring and TSF is proud to support the creativity, dedication, and commitment of the countless volunteers and artists who nurture and promote the Ukrainian Canadian cultural legacy.
In recognition of the response of Canadian artists to the attempted erasure of Ukrainian cultural identity by Russia, TSF introduced a new podcast on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of independent Ukraine. Listen to Kultura Rising on your favourite platform to learn more about the fight of Canadian artists for an endangered culture.
Kultura Rising: original podcast features Ukrainian Canadian artists in conversation with award-winning playwright and director Andrew Kushnir; Graphics by Winnipeg-based artist Nicholas Luchak
Explore Ukrainian Canadian culture in your local community. We’re confident you’ll be inspired!
Learn more about The Shevchenko Foundation and how you can support the future of Ukrainian Canadian culture: www.shevchenkofoundation.com