Talent from all across the country will be putting their bid in for a spot at the Manitoba Showcase Contact in October.
Flin Flon has been selected as the host community for this year’s showcase and will welcome more than a dozen acts to perform for the 2015 showcase.
Crystal Kolt, of the Flin Flon Arts Council, is “so excited” to be able to host the showcase, as many of the performances in the community have come from past showcases.
“It’s really exciting to have all of this come to our community,” said Kolt.
The October showcase will have not only the top 15 acts – which could range from magicians to dance groups and everything in between – but also arts councils from around the province.
Over the past year the Arts Council and the Flin Flon Performing Arts Committee have brought presentations like Black Umfolosi, a Johnny Cash tribute, and now the Crooked Brothers to the community, which were all a part of the 2013 showcase.
Arts councils from across Manitoba will be at the showcase to decide what interests them for their own performances in 2016.
Kolt says she and the Performing Arts Committee have relied heavily on the showcase for upcoming talent and variety to bring to the community.
“It’s how we decide who to bring to the north,” said Kolt.
Previously, Flin Flon has come together with arts councils in Thompson, The Pas and Snow Lake to coordinate on performances they enjoyed from the showcases.
The combined communities are able to save by sharing the travel costs, and the artists themselves are able to benefit financially as they host a northern tour.
“It’s financial success all around,” she said.
In years past the Flin Flon Arts Council and Performing Arts Committee has brought a strong contingency to the showcases to select upcoming performances.
“It’s just a really fun thing to attend,” said Kolt.
The showcase is geared towards the councils and performers, but Kolt says the performances are open to the whole community to attend.
“It’s open to everyone to come and see,” she said, noting that there will be a minimal fee to attend.
Typically, the showcase is three days long with five performances each day. Each group or soloist will perform for roughly 20 minutes.
“It’s really fun,” Kolt said. “We’re excited to give everyone in our community the chance to experience that in 2015. It’s going to be a great year for us.”
The Manitoba Showcase Contact will be held three weeks after the local Culture Days celebrations; something that continues to grow and give Flin Flon yet another positive boost in the arts community.
Kolt hopes to see full support from the community during the showcase as she hopes to display the community’s talents as well as those here for the showcase.
“We want our community to be one of the best contacts ever so we’re going to have lots of fun things around it,” Kolt said. “We’re thinking of ways to express to our visitors how vibrant we are in arts and cultures.”
The Manitoba Showcase Contact will be a first trip to Flin Flon for many and Kolt hopes to leave an everlasting impression.
The Art Council’s most recent performance through the 2013 showcase will be their presentation of the Crooked Brothers on Jan. 16.
