Preston Cultural Festival
Born as a neighbourhood idea, Nova Scotia’s Preston Cultural Festival has become a unique and vibrant annual mainstay on the arts and tourism calendars of Halifax-Dartmouth.
Presented by the Black Artists’ Network of Nova Scotia (BANNS), the North Preston Cultural Association and the Preston Cultural Festival Committee, the festival celebrates one of Canada’s oldest black communities - a heritage that dates back to the late 18th century when blacks escaping slavery in the United States, free black Loyalists, Jamaica’s deported "Maroons," refugees from the War of 1812, and immigrants who came to work at Nova Scotia’s coal mines and steel factories settled in the area.
In the fall of 1998, the North Preston Cultural Association in what is now the Halifax Regional Municipality came up with the idea of holding an arts and cultural festival for the black community and gained the support of several groups, including BANNS, a professional association of African-Nova Scotian artists and craftspeople dedicated to developing their arts and culture.
Through BANNS’ initiative, the festival committee expanded the scope of the festival from being an activity targeted primarily to residents of the Preston area to a city-wide celebration of the arts and culture of the Dartmouth communities of North Preston, East Preston and Cherrybrook.
Officially launched in 2001, the Preston Cultural Festival is a yearly event that runs for nearly a month, features over 100 performers and draws thousands of enthusiasts. It is supported by the Canada Council.
In addition to showcasing the creativity and talent of visual artists, vocalists, musicians, actors, writers and storytellers, the festival gives community residents the opportunity to express their art, culture and history in their own voice. Schools in the Preston area are also offered artist residencies that enable students to work with professional artists and performers in the areas of art, music, creative writing and drama to create projects with a Preston theme.
- Christopher Guly