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.
