By Patrick Smith, Artistic Director
April, 2009
Ptarmigan Music & Theatre Society is delighted to announce that we received funding from the 2010 Legacies Now Foundation and the BC Gaming Commission to begin the second year of operation for our MOSAIC program as of February 1st, 2009.
MOSAIC is a intergenerational, educational arts education project involving the elementary schools from Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna Islands, along with several community organizations and more than 30 Gulf Island artists from a wide variety of disciplines. We deliver arts workshops in the schools, as well as during after-school programs and summer camps, and for organizations like the public libraries, museums and Parks Canada.
After the spring break, the MOSAIC Program will continue to deliver a music program at the Pender School for the Grade 1, Grades 4-5 and Grades 7-8 classes. Patrick Smith will assist Bryce Woollcombe, Helen Mason, Marianne Schaefer, Liane Sutherland and Glen Biagioni in the presentation of singing & instrumental music that includes guitars, basses, drums, violins, brass, woodwinds and percussion. We will also be delivering a free, after-school band class for Grades 4-8. We coordinated the MOSAIC music program with Denny Goertz’s fiddle group and the Pender Children’s Choir to build common repertoire, support and cooperation among the groups.
Pat Smith and Glen Biagioni will be delivering a program of music & drumming for people with disabilities on Salt Spring Island this spring at the GIFTS centre in Ganges, every second Monday starting in the spring. This program is funded by the Salt Spring Foundation and coordinated by Salt Spring Island Community Services.
Tina Farmilo coordinates the MOSAIC program on Mayne Island. We’ve been running a low-cost music program for children on Mayne since our pilot initiative in the spring of 2008 under the aegis of Samantha Taylor. This year we will continue to offer music classes in percussion, guitar and recorder every Friday morning at the Mayne Island Community Centre, led by talented, local instructors David Chase, Will King and Tina Farmilo. Sponsored in part by the Mayne School PAC, the MOSAIC program will be offering a series of “Theatre Sports” workshops on Mayne in April & May, led by talented facilitator Lael Whitehead with assistance from Tina Farmilo. “Theatre Sports” is especially fun if you want to explore dramatic performance, play lots of theatre-type games and exercises, and experience undiscovered movement, voice and other theatrical skills. All children and adults are welcome and no experience is necessary!
Between April and June we intend to hold inter-island arts workshops for the school children of Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna Islands that will consist of music, visual arts, drama, dance and audio visual components. We have established a large collection of musical instruments that we lend to island children for free, and a good time is guaranteed for all who participate.
Please note that the Ptarmigan Music and Theatre Society is a registered charity and we issue tax receipts for both donations and donations in kind. Please contact us at 1-866-859-0634 or info@ptarmigansociety.org to make arrangements.
“At the heart of our creativity lies the seed of healing.”
Patrick Smith, Artistic Director