festival educational outreach

Educational Outreach

For the past two years the Festival has underwritten the cost of a vocal group who performed at the High School for over a thousand students and then delivered an afternoon workshop to music students, before presenting an evening concert for the community. In Spring 2007 and 2008 members of the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre presented performances to approximately 1,200 area Public School students, featuring modern dance interpretations.

In April of 2007 performance poets from the Toronto area were contracted to deliver workshops to Huntsville High School students, initially teaching them the basics of performance (Slam) poetry and then critiquing their works in an open mike workshop environment. This process will be repeated in 2008 and will be expanded and offered to senior writing and English students at Bracebridge and Gravenhurst High Schools.

One of the Festivals more ambitious investments has been in the 'Kaleidoscope in the Schools' program. This is a Kindergarten to Grade 8 intensive performing and visual arts program that aligns local and area artists with specific classes over six three hour sessions culminating in a school wide performance. The program was successfully introduced to Pine Glen school in 2005 and was presented at Spruce Glen School commencing March 2007. A further variation was piloted at Spruce Glen school in the spring of 2008, in conjunction with the Arts Council of Muskoka and the Muskoka Lakes Music Festival. The eventual plan is to present a ‘Kaleidoscope style’ program to all the area public schools.

In May 08 the Festival, in association with High School music teachers, will be presenting an evening of great music from very talented students at HHS, following an afternoon concert for area Public Schools. On May 15 the Festival, in association with the Reel Alternatives film group will assist HHS media teachers to present an area wide mini film festival. During the week of May 12-16 the Festival will underwrite the cost of creating various Group of Seven murals. The murals will be painted by senior High School art students and will eventually be mounted on the outside of the school, bringing the school into the Town’s mural project.

All in all the Festival has budgeted close to $15K from its 2008 budget to assist primary and secondary school arts initiatives. The Festival is always on the lookout for partnership opportunities that benefit local youth and encourage their involvement in the arts. Funding for these programs comes from general donations and mainstream programming.