HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-05-28, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015. PAGE 23.
The Business for the Arts artsVest
program raised more than $33,000
for local arts organizations in Huron
County over the past year.
On May 21, the artsVest wrap-up
event was held at Blyth Memorial
Hall and it was announced that
$20,158 in sponsorship were raised
by five arts organizations: Art
aRound Town in South Huron, the
Blyth Centre for the Arts, the Bach
Music Festival of Canada in South
Huron, the Goderich Little Theatre
and the county-wide Huron Arts and
Heritage Network.
Some of the $20,158 was
complemented by a donation of
$13,654 by Business for the Arts
providing a grand total of $33,812 in
fundraising for the groups.
The Blyth Centre for the Arts
raised $2,000 through a partnership
with London City Mazda which will
be sponsoring the presentation of
Edna Rural’s Church Supper by
Ronnie Burkett at the Phillips Studio
in August. That $2,000 was matched
through the program.
The artsVest initiative not only
encouraged finding sponsorship
through partnerships, but also
provides training in how arts
organizations can find and capitalize
on those partnerships.
Through the initiative, 16
partnerships were created in the
community, of which 15 were first-
time partners and 14 will be long-
term according to the involved
organizations.
For more information on the
program and other Business for
the Arts ventures, visit
www.businessforthearts.org
When you hear the phrase, “The
Next Generation”, Star Trek and a
future civilization inevitably come
to mind. This month, the Blyth
Festival singers bring the future to
you with their “Next Generation”
Cabaret concert and silent auction.
The Blyth Festival Singers have
“beamed up” a half dozen fresh
voices to our stage – “the next
generation” of young musicians
from Huron and Perth Counties.
Four of these young local vocalists
won trophies in the recent Kiwanis
Music Festival in Stratford. All of
them not only took first place in at
least one class of competition but all
are also multiple ribbon winners,
finishing in the top three of each
class.
The “Next Generation” vocalists,
aged 11 to 18, will be performing
solos and duets from their movie,
popular and musical theatre
repertoire and joining the Singers for
a number or two in the popular
Cabaret dinner concert on May 30.
Clinton’s own Ben Hearn hails
from a family well known for its
musicianship. Ben is a Grade 12
student at Central Huron Secondary
School in Clinton. He began singing
at a very young age and was a
member of the St. Mary’s Children’s
Choir. He welcomes any opportunity
to sing, dance and act. He has
performed in various theatrical
productions locally. His favourites
being Young Tommy in the Blyth
Festival Theatre’s production of The
Ballad of Stompin’ Tom and as
Wilbur in the Foundation for
Education’s production of
Charlotte’s Web. This year he was
awarded Top Male Musical Theatre
Award in his division in the Stratford
Kiwanis Music Festival and an
Acting Merit Award at the Sears
Drama Festival. Ben is looking
forward to a number of exciting
vocal performances this spring.
Seaforth native Carly Schelken,
18, is currently completing her
senior year at Central Huron
Secondary School in Clinton. She
has performed in various choirs and
studies voice under Brittany Lyon.
Carly also takes dance lessons with
Dance Techniques. Carly’s first
theatre experience was at the age of
seven in Acting Out. Since then she
has been on the Stratford stage with
the Starbright Festival and Stratford
Community Players. She won first
place in the Musical Theatre Duet
category along with Ben Hearn in
the recent Stratford Kiwanis
Festival. You may also find Carly
lifeguarding at Vanastra Recreation
Centre. She enjoys having an
opportunity to perform in the
Cabaret.
Ava Hill, Exeter, is 11 years old
and attends Exeter Elementary
School. Ava’s love for performing
began at seven years at age with
Highland Dance. She has been
taking singing lessons for two years
and has enjoyed performing in the
Mitchell and Stratford Festivals both
years. Ava was a first-place winner
in the Movie Solo 12-and-under
category at this year’s Stratford
Kiwanis Music Festival.
Sam McEwan is in Grade 11 at
South Huron District High School
where he thoroughly enjoys taking
‘Next generation’ to perform
with Blyth Festival Singers
Blyth Centre for the Arts, HAHN benefit from artsVest
Helping local arts
Five local arts organizations, including the Huron Arts and Heritage Network and the Blyth
Centre for the Arts, were part of the artsVest initiative run by the Business for the Arts
organization for the past year. During a special wrap-up event for the initiative last Thursday,
which featured special guest speakers like Huron County Warden Paul Gowing, shown above,
it was announced that $33,819 was raised for the organizations, $20,158 by the groups
themselves and $13,654 in matched donations from the Business for the Arts group. (Denny
Scott photo)
FOR TICKETS CONTACT WILLIAM ORTH: 519-492-2202
WITH LIVE MUSIC PERFORMED BY THE
KARLI JUNE BAND
PROCEEDS FROM THIS ALL AGES EVENT GO TOWARDS
CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS
THE ENTERTAINMENT WILL TAKE
PLACE IN THE BEER GARDENS AT THE
BLYTH BALL PARK BY THE ARENA.
CAMPING IS AVAILABLE.
BAREFOOT
BLUE JEAN
NIGHT Buck & Doe
for
Nick Fantetti &
Ashley Keffer
Saturday, May 30
9 pm - 1 am
Brussels Morris & Grey
Community Centre
Tickets: $10.00
Games, Prizes,
Late lunch provided
Age of Majority
150th Anniversary Service
Duff’s United Church, Walton
June 7, 2015 ~ Service at 10:30 am
Guest Speaker:
Pastor Steve Hildebrand
Unveiling of the time capsule
Lunch following the service
273 Hamilton St., Blyth • 519-523-4590
www.blytheastsidedance.com
Blyth East Side Dance
Learn the Tango
Entertainment StopsStopsStopsStopsStops
a l o n g the wayalongtheway
A VISITORS’ GUIDE TO HURON COUNTY
stopsalonglakehuron.com
Look for
entertainment ideas
on our
Stops Along the Way
website at...430 Queen Street, Blyth, Ontario
226-523-9720
Specialty Coffees &
Espresso Bar
Lunches, Treats, Craft beer
and Ontario wine
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
See histories and
historic photographs on
the Huron History
section of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca
Continued on page 24