The artistic minds and talent of Kwalikum Secondary School students will be on exhibition for one evening only on Wednesday, April 26 for the 23rd annual Premiere Performance.
The event features visual art work, music and drama performances, showcasing Kwalikum Secondary students in their own community.
The art show begins at 6:45 p.m., where paintings will be one of the main focuses, said art teacher Fiona Mathison. In addition, collections of drawings, ceramic and papier mâché sculptures will be on view.
“With our country’s 150th anniversary, all things Canada seem to be a big part of the inspiration this year in our classroom, from doing maps, painting scenery, or sculpting a Canadian animal, our art celebrates what is around us,” she said.
Music and drama performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
“You are getting an evening of the fine arts,” said Ian Lindsay, founder of the event. “It’s just been an incredibly interesting event every year.”
The event began as a way to show the community “how incredibly exciting the (art, drama and music) programs are and what the students are capable of,” said Lindsay. At the time, students from Kwalikum were participating in musical performances and exhibitions in other parts of the province and, in some cases, in other parts of the country, but not in their own community.
“And at the same time we were starting to see programs for the fine arts being cut back,” he said.
In an effort to show the community what it might be losing, Lindsay and others organized the Premiere Performance.
Eventually, attendees began to leave donations, and the Kwalikum Secondary School Fine Arts Society was formed, said Lindsay. The society collects proceeds from the show (tickets are now $10 each), and gives out money to Kwalikum Secondary art, music and drama students so they can participate in more arts programs, broaden their knowledge and share it with their peers.
One of the society’s recent grants was to assist in paying for a Shakespeare Canada performance at the school in early May. Students will get to attend the performance for free, thanks to the society and the support of the Parents’ Advisory Council.
The Premiere Performance takes place at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre on Wednesday, April 26 starting at 6:45 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Mulberry Bush Bookstore or at the door.
