Approximately 300 participants are preparing their performance pieces in anticipation of the 29th annual Prince George Speech Arts & Drama Festival held at the University of Northern British Columbia from Wednesday to Sunday.
Participants will use their recitation skills to bring their selections to life in 26 solo and ten group or duo categories, which include humorous poems, dramatic scenes and stories told, while some will also express themselves through mime.
Most often children will enter between two and six categories, especially if they are taught by private speech arts and drama teachers, said Debbie McGladdery of Rainbow Kids' Theatre. Children entering through their school program usually only enter one.
Students will present their pieces in front of their peers as well as one of two adjudicators who will recommend a total of six participants for the June provincial Speech Arts and Drama Festival in Kamloops.
This year's adjudicators are Raye Anderson from Winnipeg, who is a drama and speech arts specialist trained in Scotland and Canada and Carol Laycock from Lethbridge, who has taught speech and drama for 30 years.
The adjudicators can recommend a total of six participants for the provincial festival in Kamloops in early June. Two are recommended from each of three divisions, including juniors, 11 to 13 years old; intermediates, 14 to 16; seniors 17 to 28 years.
The public is invited to attend the five-day festival to experience first-hand the love of literary arts being fostered by the local speech arts community and admission is by donation except for seniors who can watch for free.
Performance sessions will be running simultaneously in UNBC's two lecture rooms, starting at 9 a.m. each day and run until about 8:30 p.m. each night. On Sunday the festival is expected to wrap up just before 1 p.m.
The festival is entirely funded by entry fees and donations from community businesses, organizations and individuals.
All participants receive ribbons for each performance along with their adjudication sheets. First, second and third place winners earn certificates. Medals are given to first-place finishers. There is a large number of trophies, book prizes and scholarships presented at the Honours Performance, which is held at UNBC on Saturday, May 14 at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation.
