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The next generation of Manitoba musicians will be descending on Portage la Prairie this weekend for the Provincial Music and Arts Festival, the first of two that will take place in the province this month.
This weekend’s showcase, which will take place at McKenzie United Church on May 3, will feature seven senior musicians from across the province performing in a wide variety of disciplines, instruments and genres. The participants qualified for this weekend’s provincial competition by participating in their local arts festival and being recommended by the adjudicators.
“These performers are getting exposed to a whole new community,” says Dawn Bruch-Wiens, the executive director of the Associated Manitoba Arts Festivals (AMAF), the umbrella organization that oversees each local festival. “The stakes are high, but we also want to provide a welcoming atmosphere.”
The balance between competition and camaraderie begins with the performers, who come from Winnipeg, Brandon and Lac du Bonnet. After they share the piece that got them recommended to the provincial festival, they will receive adjudications from a panel, which also represents a wide variety of artistic disciplines. Following the performances, a reception will be hosted where various scholarships will be awarded on behalf of the AMAF.
“It’s an opportunity to reward them for their hard work,” says festival administrator Ainslie Milley of the scholarships, “and also to encourage them on their journeys as musicians as they are emerging into this field.”
This weekend’s festival precedes a much larger provincial gathering in Brandon later this month, which will boast over 380 registrants ranging in age from 6 to 24. Both festivals provide a chance for rurally based musicians to connect with their city counterparts, and to present their pieces in a new context.
“It’s an opportunity to grow, but it’s also an opportunity for them to get additional feedback on these pieces,” explains Bruch-Wiens. “There’s just so many ways to celebrate their music-making, and again, it’s a celebration, it’s not an elitist thing. It’s just a way for us to come together and make music.”
The Provincial Music and Arts Festival in Portage takes place at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at McKenzie United Church. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, patrons are encouraged to visit the AMAF website.