In the blink of an eye, another spring break has ended. The one-week school vacation marks the end of winter and the beginning of longer, brighter, and warmer days. The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), a non-profit organization, celebrates the arrival of spring with its annual “Spring on the Square” event. Spring on the Square is a week-long spring break celebration in Churchill Square with interactive performances, workshops, and activities for children of all ages. Bob Rasko, EAC Community Programmer, shares how this concept became a reality.
What inspired the name Spring on the Square?
It’s a play on Tix on the Square, a local shop managed by the EAC in Churchill Square that features the work of local artists.
How would you describe the Edmonton Arts Council to someone unfamiliar with the organization?
Edmonton Arts Council is a local non-profit organization that works with the city to fund arts throughout the city. We support local festivals and artists through grant availability, manage the City of Edmonton public art collection, and do some programming such as Spring on the Square.
What is the Edmonton Arts Council’s programming vision?
The goal is to ensure that there is arts engagement throughout the city. We have been doing arts engagements and activities in Churchill Square for over ten years and are now expanding to the rest of the city, bringing things like green shack shows, pop-ups, and parades. Ultimately, the goal is to bring arts engagement to all corners of Edmonton.
How did the idea for Spring on the Square come about?
We were looking for something to fill our off-season. Something between our winter skate events and summer festivals and a fantastic time to start would be during spring break, when all the kids are at home, possibly bored, and looking for something to do.
How important is it for parents and children to spend time together at events like this?
It is very important, especially with all the electronics competing for our attention. I frequently observe my children moving from their gaming device to the television, to their video games, and back to their gaming device, as if it were a weird little circle. So it’s good to be able to break up the digital engagement, and this is a perfect activity to do so, as well as an ideal event to connect in a new way.
What age groups can attend the event, and how much does it cost?
The event is free, and we believe people of all ages can participate. We’ve seen toddlers wandering around. So it’s a rich environment for someone who is just beginning to see the world, and there are activities for people of all ages, such as street hockey, snakes and ladders, giant chess board, checkers, and a giant happy wall for as long as you can stand flipping some tiles and letting your creative juices and imagination flow.
Compared to previous years, what does the EAC hope to accomplish with this year’s Spring on Square event?
This year, we are hoping that many people will join us downtown. Downtown has suffered a little bit in recent years, and we are just trying to bring some life, some engagement down here, and we hope that people take advantage of the nice dry, snowless, giant plaza that we have to play in and come down and run around and have some fun.
The Edmonton Arts Council is constantly working to highlight different art activities in the city. The EAC’s next event is “Up on the Square,” from April 1 to 15, 2023.
