Each regional festival sends its most promising young artists between the ages of 10 and 24 to participate in the annual Provincial Festival. The five-day event encompasses special master classes, lectures, coaching, workshops, technique classes and adjudications. Established in 1964, Performing Arts BC (formerly the BC Association of Performing Arts Festivals), is a not-for-profit charity which acts as the umbrella organization for 34 local/regional performing arts festivals throughout the province. These festivals are as diverse in size and scope as the communities they represent. Over 26,000 young musicians, dancers and dramatic artists, ranging in age from 5 to 25, participate each year in one of these regional festivals. The festival setting gives them an opportunity to gain invaluable educational and performing experience. The Provincial Festival, also known as The Provincials, is the eagerly anticipated pinnacle of BC's festival year. Hosted by a different member festival each year, only the most promising young performers from each member festival are recommended to the Provincial Festival where they compete and participate in adjudicated sessions, master classes, coaching, workshops and technique classes with some of North America's finest adjudicators in four different levels: Junior, Intermediate, Senior and Provincial Excellence. Classes are offered at the Provincial level in Classical Voice, Musical Theatre, Piano, Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Guitar, Chamber Music, Speech Arts, Ballet, Modern Dance and Stage Dance. The very best performers in all disciplines are recommended by local festivals for the Provincial Excellence classes with a grand award of $5000 and significant awards for discipline winners. PABC also provides a unique program for up and coming performers, known as Merited Participants. Specific workshops and dance classes, as well as their own concert series (Future Stars) are offered for these participants during the annual provincial festival. Since 2022, outstanding competitors in 3 levels of competition in music and speech arts disciplines may be recommended to the Canada West Performing Arts Festival.
President – Sue Reedman, Kamloops Vice President - Grace Arnott, Prince George Secretary/Treasurer - Vicky Predan, Quesnel Director - Carole Bonin, Trail Director - Cindy Taylor, Campbell River Director - Danica Venables, Penticton Director - Michael Sloan, Nanaimo Director - Will Sengotta, Coquitlam Past-President - Margaret May, Fort St. John
MISSION STATEMENT We work in concert with local and regional festivals to educate, inspire and stimulate students/performers and to cultivate a life-long passion for the arts.
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MANDATE