Reflection at the CCA President's Reception

Conversations of reflection filled the air as the CCA President's Reception marked the end of a productive day of debate, conversation, networking and an overall passion for artistic creation. As delegates mingled, with glasses of wine and sandwiches in hand, interpretive dance performer Maureen Shea of Grasshoppa Dance Exchange transformed the ordinary conference room into her stage.

Elegantly contorting her body, Shea's props were not only chairs and twine, but also the audience members she engaged, positioning them within her act to hold string that she could jump over, crawl under and wrap herself in.

While Shea danced across her stage, artists and policy makers from across the country spoke to one another about their common dedication to artistic creation. This sense of community instantly reminded me of Paul Hoffert's address earlier in the day where he spoke of small towns and their dedication to art, stating that they did not want to live in a place without theatre, visual art or the orchestra, because these things are crucial in building strong communities. If it wasn't for community members such as the passionate artists and policy makers who gathered at the President's Reception, Canada would lack many of it's authors, filmmakers, visual artists, actors, dancers and countless other essential members of Canadian society.