News
Music festival going green
By SCOTT TRUDEAU/Penticton Herald
Thursday, January 7, 2010
After 83 years, the Penticton Kiwanis Music, Dance and Speech Arts Festival is changing its colours.
For the first time the annual festival is going green by allowing people to download and print off event programs from its website, www.pkmf.org. Online registrations began a couple of years ago so making the transition for online programs seemed inevitable. The deadline for registration is Jan. 22 although late registrations can be accepted for an additional fee of $20.
“We‘re 84 years old and our big push this year is we‘ve gone green totally,” said Janice Baker, president of the festival. “We used to sell them but rather then do that we‘re just going to let people print them on their own.”
Baker pointed out most people want those pages which correspond to a specific event. A limited number of inserts will be available at the various performance venues for each day of the festival which runs from the end of March until early May.
Baker said part of the reason for its success lies in the fact that for a price of $16 for each solo entry, it is an affordable way for performers to put their abilities to the test in the following disciplines: piano (senior and junior), instrumental (strings and guitar), classical voice/choral, dance and musical theatre (classical, stage and modern).
Between $4,000 - $5,000 in scholarships are handed out each year and performers travel from almost all regions of the province to take part. Between 1,200 – 1,500 participants are expected and will range from about six to 30 years of age.
Adjudicators with strong backgrounds in their perspective fields are chosen by festival board members and come from across the country, said Baker. Participants receive personal and constructive written and verbal comments from the judges to assist them with further performances.
Baker said the festival provides a forum for students of the performing arts to display their skills in public before skilled adjudicators, offers enjoyment and knowledge of the arts for audiences, identifies possible emerging artists and nominates them for other performances, training and competitions opportunities.
For more information call 250-493-8322 or e-mail, pkmf@vip.net.
Registration closing for performing arts festival
Published: January 19, 2010 6:00 PM
Time is running out for young performers wanting to take part in the annual Kiwanis Music, Dance and Speech Arts Festival in Penticton
Though the festival doesn’t get underway until March 29, registration closes for the month-long series of competitions this Friday.
Karen McPherson, one of the directors for the festival, is particularly concerned about dancers who want to participate getting their registrations in by Friday.
“It’s critical to get as many registrations as we can and dance is the highest volume discipline,” she said, adding that registrations are at about 60 per cent capacity already.
Besides dance, the month of April will feature competitions in a variety of fields, ranging from musical theatre and choral to individual voice and instrument competitions, taking place in venues all around the community.
Penticton’s festival has a long history, dating back to 1926 when it was known as the Okanagan Valley Music Festival. After 84 years of operation, Penticton now hosts about 1,300 young amateurs in both competitive and non-competitive performing arts.
McPherson said the festival involves a huge area of talent, drawing competitors from a wide area, across the South Okanagan, up to Vernon and across to Grand Forks.
“It’s an amazing experience,” said McPherson, adding that the young competitors also learn to work under pressure, skills they will carry through their life.
“I think it really sets the kids up for future endeavours.”
Adjudicators from Western Canada and the U.S. critique each performance and numerous scholarships and awards are presented at the two highlights concerts.
The first of these, on April 30, focuses on music and speech arts while the second, on May 1, showcases the dance competitors. Both take place at 7 p.m. in the Cleland Community Theatre, and tickets are availble to the public.
“There’s quite a few disciplines involved in the competition,” said McPherson. “It is very respected and the winners from each category go on to the provincials.”
The only way for a dancer to compete at the provincials is to qualify at a Performing Arts B.C. member festival, where the adjudicators will select representatives from the various performers to represent the Penticton festival at the provincial finals.
Those chosen will head off to Duncan in May where they will face competitors from 35 other affiliated B.C. festivals as well as participate in daily workshops in their form.
The festival is run by volunteers and benefits from the support of many local individuals and businesses as well as the City of Penticton, helping to keep entry fees low and admission to the competitions open for the public free of charge.