Creche aficionados, take note! And mark your fall calendars for Nov. 10-12. That’s when Toronto’s Cathedral Church of St. James will host an international conference and exhibition devoted to the art and traditions of nativity-scene tableaux in Canada and around the world.Reflecting the cultural diversity of Canada today, the conference will open with an ecumenical service in the cathedral, followed by presentations, exhibits and workshops at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The program will include sessions on the creche in European art, its introduction into Canada and the creche’s importance in times of war. There will be pre- and post-conference tours to creche sites in the Toronto area and a creche display and marketplace in the hotel ballroom. Featured in the many exhibits will be an early mould and wax head of the Christ Child and a creche made in a prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War. The University of Toronto’s medieval drama group, Poculi Ludique Societas, will perform 16th-century biblical plays in the cathedral with the support of the Anglican Foundation of Canada. For more details, go to www.stjamescathedral.on.ca or contact Nancy Mallett at
416-364-7865, ext. 233. Ω