And so it begins…
The most effective way to take a step towards positive change in society is to take those steps quietly. Artists who use their craft for the betterment of humanity do just that. Their impact is more often remembered for the wrong reasons.
Yes, they impact us as great artists, but their greatest achievements remain unheralded.
The documentary, “In the Key of Oscar” tells the story of a group of artists who changed the way cultures see each other, simply by attracting audiences with their excellence and sharing a stage together when society would not even let them share the same hotel. They changed the picture, showing us what could be… and is today.
This is how the ArtsGames story begins….
In the Key of Oscar
This documentary tells the story of what artists can do to change the way we feel about one another’s culture.
This story is about artists who used their excellence to change hearts and minds. As an integrated band, they toured the world at a time when people of European descent and people of African descent were rarely allowed on the same stage.
The Request, the promise!
When Oscar Peterson asked if an event could be created to bridge cultural divides – a dream that he and so many artists emobodied – Ms. Sylvia Sweeney, the producer of In the Key of Oscar, promised to try.
Ms. Sweeney embarked on a lifelong pursuit of developing a global stage to showcase artists who promote cross-cultural understanding. As a Canadian Olympian and a classical pianist, she felt that the experiences she had as an Olympian could be applied to the arts, as the Olympics is tailor-made to bring cultures together.
With the success of that project, Ms. Sweeney began an epic journey to bring disparate cultures together. She started by producing a concert for Canadian Olympians in Atlanta, Georgia, during the 1996 Olympic Games.
Artists from various cultures came from across Canada to salute Canadian Olympians in Atlanta, during the 1996 Olympic Games.
This special 1996 Olympic Broadcast performance, was hosted by the late Leslie Nielsen and Sonia Benezra.
Special guest appearances were made by Celine Dion and David Foster.
Canadian Olympians welcome artists from a variety of Canadian cultures.
This was a fully bilingual show, respecting the two official languages spoken in Canada. It also seamlessly integrated artists from various provinces and cultures.
The team struggled to get Canadian broadcasters on board – broadcasters who routinely promoted a multiculturalism that was seldom evident in their programming choices.
The fight to get the show on the air left the team with just four months to raise $1 million, but they pulled it off.
It was an omen of what lie on the road ahead.
The struggle for funding would prove to be the norm rather than the exception.