Brandon Festival of the Arts turns 97
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/01/2025 (241 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Brandon Festival of the Arts is an annual event held this year from Feb. 9 until March 23. It is held in venues across Brandon and is a favourite of many. There are seven performance categories, including dance, piano, strings, and voice. All the categories have adjudicators that give feedback and grades to the participants. The Festival gives students something to work towards and an opportunity to receive feedback from someone other than their usual teachers.
The festival started in 1928. In the 1930s, it caught on and had more then 2,000 participants. It fluctuated a few times; for example, it stopped completely from 1941 until 1948 and had very few performers in the 1990s. It took a pause during the COVID-19 outbreak (2021, 2022).
This year, there are 950 entrants across all disciplines. That represents 1,500 to 2,000 individual participants. The festival’s biggest event is dance, which takes place over seven days at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium with a verity of levels and genres of dance. This year, there are 178 solos, 84 duos and 17 trios, as well as 184 dance groups, which are dance performances with four or more dancers. The festival has opportunities to win scholarships and/or trophies in all its disciplines. All the awards have been generously donated to help encourage people to participate.
Festival participant and Grade 9 Neelin student Angelina Zhang says that the festival is special because, “It’s a Brandon thing! It’s for the community to get together and perform things for each other and there are also lots of disciplines so there’s something for everyone.” She also says she performs in the festival because, “It’s fulfilling to work on a piece for a few months and then perform it and get feedback on it.” Sadie Buydens, also a festival participant who’s in Grade 9 at Neelin, says that the festival is special, “Because it’s an opportunity to perform with your friends from other classes and studios.”
The festival is run almost entirely by volunteers. Last year, approximately 40 people volunteered, collectively contributing over 1,000 hours of work. This year, they’re aiming to have just as many volunteers, if not more. Carolyn Markmann, the festival’s executive assistant, says, “The more volunteers we have, the less each volunteer will need to do. We are also always looking for volunteers to join our board of directors. If you are interested in volunteering, please email brandonfestivalofthearts@gmail.com, or use the contact form on the website. You can also reach out via social media – Facebook and Instagram.”
As participants, parents, coaches, volunteers, adjudicators, or spectators — whatever your role — there will be something for everyone to see or hear at this year’s Festival of the Arts.
» Eleanore Wilts is a Grade 9 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.