Partner Showcase

A Conversation Starter

Develop Nova Scotia was thrilled to bring together partners for the Cultural Expression Showcase as a “conversation starter” to 2019’s A Conversation with Barack Obama. A true conversation only takes place when the diverse voices at the table reflect who we are as a province. At Develop Nova Scotia, we love conversations that are genuine and inclusive, reflect varied cultures and lived experiences, and run just a touch rowdy. These are the conversations that connect us to each other and to the world. The cultural expression showcase was a true celebration of Nova Scotia’s diverse and creative communities, heritage, identities and languages with a special emphasis on our African Nova Scotian, Mi’kmaq, Acadian, Gaelic and Celtic cultures. Develop Nova Scotia’s Director of People & Strategy, Anna Marenick, played a major role in bringing the various participants together. What unique opportunity did the event present? Let’s be honest. Being asked to support a visit by Barack Obama was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we would have likely said yes, no matter the ask. That said, we really value our trusted partnership with Black Business Initiative (BBI). We were honoured when they and the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia approached us to help bring their vision of a cultural showcase to life. One of the things we’re most proud of is how much stronger our relationships with them and the other community partners at the table like Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Brookes & Fiona Diamond, and the Marriott Halifax Harbourfront grew. Now, we’re thinking of opportunities to work together on future projects. What do you hope event attendees took away from the performances? We were confident attendees would walk away feeling inspired after hearing Barack Obama speak. We also believe that they were inspired before he even walked onto the stage through the phenomenal storytelling, music and dance performances. Nova Scotia has a lot to be proud of, and we were proud to help shine a light on the amazing talent and culture that exists here at home, and how that is a real competitive and strategic advantage for us. Hopefully, those in attendance saw the role that culture plays in our economy and society.

What drove Develop Nova Scotia’s involvement in the Cultural Expression Showcase? Why is this important to Develop Nova Scotia? We build places for people. To do that right, we need to involve all Nova Scotians in the work to build places, and deliberately include Nova Scotians who may not have felt included to participate in that process before. We want to celebrate the diversity of our province and show off the richness of our culture in any way we can. We knew that being a part of showcasing our culture to thousands of people who had come to see the President speak was too good an opportunity to pass up. Our diverse culture makes us strong. It’s why people choose to live here, to visit here, to put down roots here. We want to do our part to make sure people feel that they belong here. developns.ca

Did you know that you can drop by the BBI office every Thursday from 2-3pm to learn more about CLIENT SERVICES?