Bagnani Hall was bright and lively as Trent affiliates and community members gathered for the Trent Talk entitled “Vibrant Arts Build Strong Communities” hosted by Traill College. The discussion featured a panel that included Trent faculty and distinguished local artists who shared their thoughts on how the arts breathe new life into our shared spaces and experiences. 

Ian McLachlan, professor emeritus of Cultural Studies at Trent, described how a growing cultural community transformed Peterborough in the 1970's. The celebrated poet, novelist, playwright and literary scholar recalled Trent's fundamental role in nurturing the emergence of a remarkably varied arts community at that time. Trent's thriving music scene drew popular musicians to the city and its Cultural Studies Program brought renowned international artists into dialogue with local people. “I found myself fascinated by the cultural energy that was at work here beneath the surface,” said Prof. McLachlan, “rather like spring flowers at this time of the year outside that astound us by pushing their heads out from dirty snow banks.” The cultural momentum sparked the birth of creative ventures such as the Union Theatre and ArtSpace, and Prof. McLachlan explained how these collaborative endeavours went on to build bridges and break barriers in Peterborough and beyond.

Robert Winslow teaches a theatre workshop course in the Cultural Studies Department at Trent and is one of Canada's leading theatre artists. He is also the founding artistic director of 4^th Line Theatre, which operates out of his family farm in Millbrook, Ontario. Sharing the motivation behind 4^th Line's conception, Mr. Winslow explained that he felt compelled to bring the stories of his small town to a large audience. He described the 4^th Line model as a juxtaposition of community members, artists and local stories. People from all walks of life collaborate with artists to develop and present plays based on regional heritage and experiences. Mr. Winslow explained that during this collective process, local participants often ask him why their stories are worth telling, to which he replies, “the stories of a place are the key to that place; the key to people feeling like they can connect and understand each other.”

Like Mr. Winslow, creative jack-of-all-trades Beau Dixon also stressed the value of arts in creating connections within communities. The locally-based actor, playwright, director, singer-songwriter, recording engineer and artistic director of Firebrand Theatre stated that sharing artistic expression “connects to us to one another in ways we never knew possible.” Mr. Dixon described how, over the course of one brief, unplanned weekend in Peterborough, he was deeply touched by a series of spontaneous exposures to the local arts community. Mr. Dixon connected with the people he met through those shared songs and stories, affirming to him that Peterborough was where he belonged and so he stayed.

Peer Christensen, Peterborough-based visual artist and co-founder of Christensen Fine Art, started his discussion by listing statistical evidence supporting the financial importance of the creative economy. He went on to explain that despite the fiscal evidence, the most wonderful benefits of having artists live and work locally cannot be quantified. “Peterborough's vibrant downtown is due in a large part to the presence of the arts community,” said Mr, Christensen, citing examples of how Peterborough is enriched by the engaging art on the walls and stages of its public spaces.

Following the presentation, the discussion moved to BE at The Trend. As the spring thaw continued to melt away the winter snow outside, the group in the cozy gastropub reminisced about the community's cultural past and made plans for future projects.