March 24, 2011

2011 Showcase in Review

A month has passed since ArtStarts hosted the 2011 Showcase and we’ve had some time now to reflect on – and recover from – this exciting and rewarding annual event. Showcase connects school and community arts programmers with a diverse range of professional arts groups available for touring schools. Many months of planning and preparation go into creating a three-day event that is well-programmed, well-organized and well-attended. Looking back we can safely say that those goals were achieved.

Our Guests

Over 70 school district and community representatives made their way to Vancouver to join us. The opportunity to interact face to face was a real highlight for ArtStarts staff, strengthening connections and our commitment to providing the best booking and touring service we can.

Mornings began at the ArtStarts gallery where guests had a chance to mingle, enjoy their morning coffee and pour over the artist promotional material laid out for them there. A quick school bus ride across town found them at The Cultch where the day of performances, meals and mingling took place. 

New Venue

Described as a “national treasure”, The Cultch theatre’s heritage character proved to be a warm and intimate space for the artists to present in – a long way from the school gym setting that Showcase began in some decades ago.

While the space presented some front of house challenges, such as adequate space for enjoying meals, the behind the scenes report from production manager Tom Fijal, was that this venue was a dream come true. This was evident in the smooth presentation of up to 16 performances each day.

The Performances

The tremendous talent, preparation and professionalism of the artists on the stage also undoubtedly played a major role in the high quality and smooth presentations on stage.

From slapstick comedy and high-kicks in red shoes, to mesmerizing rhythms, moving stories and inspiring songs, a fantastic array of performances unfolded before the audience. For some on the ArtStarts team, this was their first opportunity to witness first-hand the work of the artists in our directory and we were all most impressed. Click to see a full list of the artists who presented this year.

Overall the feedback received from guests was an acknowledgement of the high caliber of artists on stage and the high quality of the event itself. This success of this event wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the ArtStarts staff, volunteers, the production team as well as the Cultch’s willing staff.

Showcase marks the beginning of the cycle of booking and touring that unfolds throughout the year and is an important part of ArtStarts’ services. The event brings into sharp focus, ArtStarts’ missions of providing young people across BC more opportunities to experience and enjoy professional art.

We look forward to doing it all again in 2012!