HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-12-03, Page 35Constantly trying to get people to
listen to your stories? Always
looking for an opportunity to get on
a stage? Ever wonder what it would
be like to try acting? Wish there
were a place where you could go and
talk about art? Tired of the winter
blahs dragging you down and
keeping you in?
The Blyth Centre for the Arts has
an answer to all those questions and
more, with its brand new initiative -
The Winter Arts Umbrella, a series
of programs designed to reach into
the community and further develop
its artistic interests and needs.
Through a wide range of artistic
activities the BCFA hopes to develop
and nurture the existing artistically
minded individuals and groups
within the community.
Blyth Festival artistic director Eric
Coates hoping to reinvigorate the
community’s connection with the
BCFA, has spearheaded this
initiative. The Winter Arts Umbrella
wants to energize the artistic pulse of
the community.
The first branch of the umbrella is
aimed at the children and youth of
the area offering an after-school
drama class on Thursdays and a
morning improv class on Saturdays.
The after-school class is for Grades
5-8 and runs one hour from 4 - 5
p.m. beginning Dec. 3. Join the Arts
Hooligans as they play games and
have fun.
The Saturday morning improv
class will begin Nov. 28 and runs
two hours from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The improv team is for high school
students and will focus on various
styles and genres of improv.
The BCFA is also launching a
March-Breakaway camp for kids in
Grades K-8. The camp will have a
different theme each day and
everyday will explore a variety of
arts components.
The second arm of the umbrella
will be to target adults with artistic
inclinations. The first of two
programs will be held on Friday
nights beginning Dec. 4 and is an
arts club. This will be an informal
meeting for arts ‘newbies’ where
participants discuss and explore
various art forms. The programming
will range from improv to choral
singing to play reading to drawing to
you name it; it is meant to be
eclectic, informal and fun.
The second program is a theatre
intensive class held every Saturday
from 2 - 4 p.m. beginning Nov. 28.
The class will focus on the basics of
theatre and will range in topic from
scene study to character
development and everything in
between.
Another focus of Winter Arts
Umbrella is to create an active arts
movement for seniors. The first
development from this project is a
seniors story sharing group. This
will be an informal meeting over
coffee and tea where stories are
swapped and memories are created.
These story swaps will take place
before the monthly luncheons.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009. PAGE 35.
On Nov. 15, the Maitland Valley
Camera Club hosted an image
competition entered by eight camera
clubs.
The competition, known as the
Grand Valley Image Battle is an
annual event and camera clubs from
Brantford, Woodstock, Stratford,
Fergus, Halton Hills, plus two clubs
from Kitchener, (The GRIPS club
and Highland-Glen club) as well as
the host club entered both mounted
prints and digital projected images.
One hundred and sixty images (20
from each club) were presented and
assigned points by a panel of judges.
The GRIPS club of Kitchener was
awarded the trophy for most points
earned.
The Maitland Valley Camera Club
meets twice a month at the Town
Hall in Wroxeter. Guest speakers,
field trips, learning sessions, and
showing of members’images are just
some of the club activities.
To learn more about the Maitland
Valley camera club, visit:
www.maitlandvalleycameraclub.ca
or contact club president Dennis
Schul 519-887-9270.
Take cover from winter
under arts centre ‘umbrella’King of the parade
The Brussels Lions had one of the more eye-catching floats
in the weekend’s Santa Claus parade with costumes
included. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
The rafters at Knox PresbyterianChurch in Goderich are sure to beringing as the Blyth Festival Singerspresent, Rejoice and Be Merry!After a several year hiatus thesingers are returning to Knox on
Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2:30 p.m.
The Beard Family Ensemble
consists of 18-year-old Emily
playing harp and cello, her twin
brother Thomas on cello, and their
mother Marg accompanying them on
piano.
The family has been making music
together since the children were
infants.
Then singing around the piano as
well as at the kitchen table acted as
the stage. Starting with soprano
recorders at the age of six, the
children keenly applied their love of
music to other instruments.
Participating in the Kincardine
Summer Music Festival for the last10 years, they have moved throughthe ranks from beginning strings toparticipants of the chamber program.Through the chamber musicprogram they have received
instruction from internationally-
renowned musicians such as Simon
Fryer, The Gryphon Trio, The Le
Blanc Quartet and the Montreal
String Quartet.
Both Thomas and Emily are third-
year members of the Kitchener-
Waterloo Youth Orchestra.
They have received numerous
awards and scholarships at local
music festivals in Owen Sound,
Walkerton and Stratford and this
year Emily won an award at the
provincial music festival in
Peterborough.
Thomas, this summer, was a
member of the National Youth
Orchestra of Canada – a 100-member orchestra performing atvarious venues in Ontario andQuebec.The Blyth Festival Singers willfeature many well-known joyful and
reflective carols, both sacred and
secular.
Admission for adults is $12 and
for children it’s $6. Tickets can be
purchased through the Blyth Festival
Singers or the Blyth Festival Box
Office 519-523-9300 or from the
following ticket outlets: Westcoast
Photography, Goderich; The Dutch
Store, Clinton; Tasty Nu Bakery,
Zurich; The Village Bookshop,
Bayfield; Snyder Concept,
Wingham; The Citizen’s Brussels
office and Don McCaffrey, 519-235-
0301.
Last minute tickets may be
purchased at the door as well.
Camera club hosts eontest
Festival Singers rejoice
The Best Christ
m
a
s
Present Ever!
Come & See this
Fantastic Christmas Production
that is for the Entire Family!
Sunday, December 6th
7:00 p.m.
Huron Chapel EMC
119 John’s Ave., Auburn