By Dan White – Special to the Sydenham Current
As I write this arts column, the school year is less than a week away. Parents are celebrating, children are weeping, teachers are stressing, and the local chain store already has seasonally appropriate Christmas decorations crowding out the Halloween supplies that haven’t yet had a chance to shine!
It’s a time to return to routine and reengage with the 10 months of the year when we’re not trying to squeeze every moment out of every day. As your family falls back into the patterns of the darker months, consider opportunities to engage in the arts.
Unfortunately, not all schools offer a full complement of arts programs. The value of arts in maintaining mental health has been proven in repeated studies. If you’re looking for opportunities for your child to learn, engage, and benefit from the arts, there are many options available.
In Chatham, there’s the Chatham Music Academy, St. Andrew’s Church offers a free children’s choir in the Bel Canto Choir School, and the Brio Academy provides art, dance, drama, music, and theatre programs. The Chatham Concert Band also offers a learn-to-play program on Saturdays.
Here in Wallaceburg, you can learn to play an instrument through the Wallaceburg Concert Band’s beginner program, and dance classes are offered at PURE Academy. Some local visual artists also offer private lessons. However, if you live in or around Wallaceburg, you’ll need to travel for youth theatre opportunities. Theatre Sarnia has an exceptional youth program that runs every Saturday; simply call The Imperial Theatre in Sarnia or look them up for more info.
All of this information is easily searchable online. Give your children the gift of the arts in their life—it will return to them throughout their development and beyond, serving as a grounding force in all the highs and lows of life. The arts develop skills like problem-solving, analytical reasoning, confidence, collaboration, communication, time management, self-expression, and compassion, to name a few.
While you’re exploring arts opportunities for your children, take a few minutes to see what’s available for yourself. Choirs are starting up in a few weeks, and the two concert bands have opportunities for both experienced players and those who haven’t played in decades but would love to pick up their old high school band instrument. There are also pottery classes, art classes, cooking classes, dance classes—the list goes on. And if you’ve always wanted to write something but never had the motivation, check out NaNoWriMo, the annual November writing challenge that’s free to participate in. The Thames Art Gallery offers courses in creating art and art appreciation for older adults throughout the fall and winter.
One barrier to adults reengaging with the arts is the fear that you no longer have “it,” or the concern that you’ll be disappointed. I can tell you from experience that most artists are thrilled to share their talents and are delighted when someone wants to explore the arts inspired by them. Time is another barrier for many, but if it becomes a priority for you, those barriers will melt away. Why not commit to making YOU a priority this year?
If you’re interested in visual arts, consider taking in the CK Arts and Culture Network’s 2nd annual studio tour on September 28 and 29. You’ll be inspired by the art, meet great people, and might discover an opportunity you never realized existed. Through the inaugural tour, Joni and I met talented local pottery artists and experienced Raku pottery last fall.
The best part of this tour? It’s free. Grab a few friends and take a drive through the county to meet up to 28 artists who practice their art here in CK.
Finally, a quick review of *Something Rotten* in Stratford. Joni and I recently attended with my daughter Erin, and at the end of the show, 1,800 audience members leapt to their feet for an extended ovation—and it was well deserved.
The show is set in Elizabethan England. Don’t stop reading! While there are dozens of references to Shakespeare, you don’t need to like or know his works to enjoy it. In fact, one of the songs is titled, “God, I Hate Shakespeare.” It’s irreverent, witty, hilariously well-written, and the cast is absolutely fabulous.
As the last ovation ended and the audience began to filter out, I stood and scanned the faces of the patrons. They were all smiling from ear to ear. Honestly, I looked for a curmudgeonly patron who seemed disgruntled—but I only saw happy faces.
The show has just been extended into October. Do yourself a favour and take a trip to Stratford.
To all the students, teachers, and support staff out there—have a great week back. New opportunities and adventures await!
