The deadline to submit writings to the 15th anniversary edition of Coastal Voices, an adjudicated anthology of writing by School District 46 students, is rapidly approaching.
Students enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 12 have until Friday, March 14 to submit up to three poems, stories, personal narratives or short essays with a maximum length of 500 words.
Submissions will be sent to a team of volunteer adjudicators from the community, who have the challenging task of choosing a selection of the best writing for publication. For the sake of fairness and impartiality, names and identifying schools are removed from each submission — the only information the adjudicators have when they make their decisions is the approximate age (grade) of the authors.
The adjudicators usually receive between 700 and 800 submissions each year, which then have to be whittled down to 150-200 pieces for the anthology.
“Each of these pieces of art represents what these gifted young people are thinking and feeling,” said John Lussier, a retired teacher and the anthology’s coordinator. “They have created their own magic and then have been brave enough to share it with the world.”
Another important part of the anthology is its professional design, created by Edmund Arceo of Zoom Magazine. Arceo has been involved with Coastal Voices since its inception, and he volunteers his time and experience each year to produce a published volume that honours and celebrates its contributors.
Coastal Voices is published annually by Celebration of Authors, Books and Community (CABC), a joint initiative of School District 46 and the Festival of the Written Arts that was formed to promote literacy and to encourage youth to express themselves through both the written and spoken word.
For more information about submitting to Coastal Voices, students can talk to their teachers or email John Lussier at [email protected].
Heist in the Harbour
The Pender Harbour Music Society will present two shows on the same day on March 30, featuring lifelong friends and musical colleagues Nico Rhodes and Patrick Courtin.
Rhodes and Courtin deliver everything from classical to bombastic boogie, embracing all musical genres on two keyboards and a synthesizer. What ensues is a mishmash of theatre, comedy, audience participation, heartfelt stories, a pinch of history, and a world of musical madness.
The 10:30 am one-hour show is a family show especially for younger spectators. Tickets for both shows are available online at penderharbourmusic.ca.
Dance distinctions earned
While other studios are gearing up for the competitive season, dancers from Sechelt’s Waldorf Ballet studio have already been earning plaudits for their performances.
Dancers Audrey Altenburg, Annah Kotai, Waverlee Meisinger, and Brooklyn Turner attended Youth America Grand Prix in Seattle this January. It was their first time attending a large-scale international level competition and they relished the experience. Turner was honoured with a Top 24 placement in the Senior Classical Category.
The group also returned from February’s Chilliwack Music and Dance Festival where numerous soloists and groups placed in first, second and third positions, and received trophies. In the Junior Pre-Professional group’s first off-Coast festival, dancers brought home a first place trophy for their group “Little Belles” (Charlotte Altenburg, Savannah Malcolm, Aléa Mager, Saje Morin, Sawyer Bergh, and Eliana Cloutier-Rintoul).
Audrey Altenburg was selected by the adjudicator to be the Junior Ballet Representative for the Performing Arts BC Provincials taking place in Victoria this June. She will be returning to perform in their honours concert March 9, to be recognized onstage along with her sister Charlotte Altenburg, who was awarded a Workshop Scholarship as well.
Steps toward anti-bullying
Five elementary schools welcomed dancers from the Gibsons Dance Centre on Feb. 26 — also known as Pink Shirt Day.
The ensemble featured student choreography to share messages of kindness and inclusion. More than two dozen artists performed at Roberts Creek Elementary, Langdale Elementary, Gibsons Elementary, Cedar Grove Elementary, and Davis Bay Elementary.
The Pink Shirt Day tour has become an annual tradition for the Gibsons-based studio.
Artesia admission
The Artesia Coffee House of Friday, March 14 takes place at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, starting at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:45). In last week’s Art Beat, we erroneously asserted that admission is by donation.
In fact, tickets ($20) are available for purchase online at sunshinecoastartscouncil.com or in-person at the Arts Centre during business hours. We regret the error, but anticipate a full house for this unique blend of live music and poetry.
