The District of Sechelt, in partnership with the Sunshine Coast Arts Council, will be presenting its eighth annual Sechelt Festival of the Arts at a new time of year and in a new format.
Between Oct. 17 and 23, the Festival will be hosted at indoor venues around the District of Sechelt, in collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. The Festival will focus on supporting local artists in all genres with a professional style showcase and exhibits, encouraging collaborative presentations, with accessible events for residents and visitors to Sechelt.
The Festival's 2011 producer, Nancy Cottingham Powell (who also produced the Sechelt Festival in 2004 and 2005), is excited about the new direction the Festival is heading,
"The Festival's new format will provide a much-needed showcase for the amazing talent we have here on the Sunshine Coast to present collaborative, cross-genre works," she said. "We are excited about strengthening our arts community with the programming partnership with the Sunshine Coast Arts Council and marketing collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. Working together, we can create an amazing showcase that will enrich the lives of residents and help attract more tourism in the shoulder season to the Sunshine Coast. "
Festival programming is still in its early planning stages. Here is a glimpse of what will be offered:
Local professional and community artists from all genres will work together to present collaborative works in a professionally produced performance showcase at the Raven's Cry Theatre on the Friday and Saturday nights. Guest artists from other parts of B.C. will be invited to join collaborative projects, enriching the Coast artists and audiences experience.
The Festival will produce a juried visual arts show that will be a part of the Art Crawl, featuring a prestigious off-Coast juror. Entry to this show will be open to all visual artists from the upper and lower Coast. This visual arts exhibit, along with many of the events during the Festival, will be free of charge to attend.
Complementing the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre's existing programming, free workshops will be held at the Arts Centre by exhibiting artists Jennifer Norquist and Cody Chancellor. The plan is to also present a series of free workshops in Sechelt schools the week leading up to the Festival.
On Festival weekend, story-telling and puppeteering events will take place at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, along with a classical afternoon tea concert and a kitchen party, an interactive artistic adventure that will explore creating music in everyday places. A young emerging artists' showcase will highlight young talent, including a number of the indie bands on the Coast.
The Festival's mini outreach program, Art in the Streets, will bring the art to the people, with music and visual art moments enlivening shopping malls and other public places throughout Sechelt.
The Festival is currently looking for established and emerging artists in every discipline and genre interested in participating in the collaborative, cross-genre performance showcase at Raven's Cry Theatre. If you have an idea for a presentation or want further information about the Festival, please contact the Festival producer, Nancy Cottingham Powell at 604-885-0606 or [email protected] by March 25.
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