Michelle Neilson wants to make sure Squamish always has a vibrant arts scene and community.
A member of the Squamish Arts Council and coordinator of the Wind Festival this weekend (July 24 to 26), Neilson said plans are in fact already underway to fulfill that desire through a proposed youth mentorship program.
鈥淭his is really grassroots planning,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut there is a missing piece to the puzzle for the arts community.鈥�
Neilson said it was during the Squamish Academy of Music (SAM) annual talent show that she realized Squamish needed a way to rear its next generation of performers and creative-types.
鈥淚 really liked the idea of a talent show,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd it would be great to see something at the high school that was not just music, but all sorts of talents from dancers and composers to actors. This would be something supported by various community arts groups and awards wouldn鈥檛 only be cash or medals, but also an opportunity to mentor with someone within the industry and then perform at the Wind Festival.鈥�
This year, the Wind Festival Organizing Committee collaborated with SAM to create a two-day youth music workshop with high school student Austin Macrae鈥檚 band Slight Fiction. Held over two weekends in June at SAM, the workshop was led by instructor Joel Macleod to prepare the band to perform Friday as part of the Wind Festival concert in the park series.
As well, the Wind Festival also recently recruited Angus Thomson, a Grade 12 student and hobby guitar player. Neilson said Thomson will be mentoring under Brian Merchant, a local musician and sound tech, who is also a board member of Howe Sound Performing Arts Association (HSPAA).
鈥淏rian will be showing Angus the ropes for band hospitality at the Wind Festival as well as learning stage and sound set up,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was Brian who offered to mentor Angus. Brian said, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 wrong in Squamish, there is no succession plan. We don鈥檛 have a plan to help the next generation carry on.鈥欌��
Neilson said after the Wind Festival is over this weekend, she hopes local arts and community groups will form a committee to map out a plan for Squamish鈥檚 artistically inclined youth.
鈥淚鈥檝e already spoken to people like Anne Thomson, a performing arts specialist teacher at Mamquam Elementary,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd she is interested in joining the committee, so we are already planning for these things. Right now, though, we are just testing the waters and looking for community interest and awareness.鈥�
Anyone interested in joining the Youth Arts Mentorship Program Organizing Committee can email Neilson at [email protected].
