FCSS to host cultural fashion show
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Strathmore Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) are hosting a cultural fashion show to showcase and highlight as many cultures as possible that are represented within Strathmore.
“What we are trying to do is promote to the community, cultural fashion with folks living in town who are representing their culture,” said Budd Brazier, manager of the Strathmore FCSS. “We are going to have a little bit of Filipino culture, we are going to have Jamaican culture, we are hoping to have Indian culture, Indigenous culture, and so we have a few of those in the different traditional dresses around their cultures. We are also trying to get some Ukrainian culture, as we have had a few newcomers from Ukraine.”
As of Aug. 23, Strathmore FCSS had recruited representatives from a total of eight different cultures to participate in the fashion show.
The idea to host a fashion show came in the wake of a grant program operated through the FCSS called the Settlement Integration Language Project (SILP) with an operating theme being “Connected by Culture.”
“We have done numerous events over the course of the last 10 months, everything from a cricket event, to promoting Indian culture, to a coffee event to represent Brazilians living in our community,” said Brazier. “We are just trying to represent who is living in our community, and promote their food, promote their culture, promote their dress and just bring the community together – bring awareness around different cultures that are currently living in the Town of Strathmore.”
Brazier explained the Connected by Culture theme is a first for hosting events within the town, based on the grant work that FCSS is conducting.
He added the team is currently able to flexibly work outside of their typical FCSS mandates that are provided to them by the provincial government.
“(Community support) has been a wide range, and everything from a couple of events where … eight to 10 community members would come out to attend, up to we had a great one at the Legion that had close to 50 folks come out,” said Brazier. “Depending on the level of interest and what we are trying to promote, it has been a little bit of a struggle for some Connected by Culture events, to others that have been well received and have had great attendance.”
The fashion show is scheduled to take place on Aug. 30, at the Civic Centre, running from 6 to 8 p.m. It is a ticketed event so as to cover the overhead expenses of paying models, and the production of a short video.
More information regarding the show, as well as tickets are available online or at the FCSS office within the municipal building.