Entries open for 26th eisteddfod
Do you play a musical instrument, sing, act, enjoy the thrill of performing on stage or simply want to try something new?
Entries are now open for the West Gippsland Performing Arts Competition to be held across Warragul in July and August.
Also known as the West Gippsland Music and Drama Eisteddfod, this year will see the growing competition enter its 26th season.
Spanning from July 19 to August 18, the competition offers performance opportunities for amateurs and students in the disciplines of instrumental, piano, bands (including rock bands), choirs, speech and drama, contemporary popular vocal, classical vocal and the Gippsland Parasteddfod.
The eisteddfod caters for performers of all ages and abilities, with an increasing number of mature performers enjoying the friendly experience delivered by the dedicated eisteddfod volunteer team.
This year will see the return of instrumental ensembles and rock bands at the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Thursday, August 1, followed by the newly renamed Choral Contest also at the arts centre on Friday, August 2.
The speech and drama discipline will again offer lip sync (or lip synchronisation) sections after a very popular debut last year. This art form is becoming more widely recognised for the elements and skill involved to create a successful and entertaining performance, so competitors are highly encouraged to enter and give it a go.
The contemporary popular vocal discipline will hold its workshop section for VCE students studying VCE Contemporary Popular Music Performance or Music Investigations, where students will have a valuable opportunity to receive guidance from the adjudicator. The workshop is a non-competitive section and was well received by students last year in the lead up to their performance exams.
The instrumental solos and duets have been reorganised and split into three separate disciplines this year - woodwind and brass, drum kit and guitar, and orchestral strings. Guitar now has its own dedicated sections, being separated from orchestral strings, and each discipline is held on separate days.
This year will mark the eighth year of the Gippsland Parasteddfod which has become a much looked-forward to event for performers and audiences alike. The Parasteddfod will be held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Monday, August 5.
This event continues to grow in scale each year, and the committee and volunteers are thrilled with how it has been embraced by the entrants, organisations and wider community. The Parasteddfod is a non-competitive discipline for performers with a disability and is an extremely successful and enjoyable part of each season.
Within the Parasteddfod, performers can take to the stage as a soloist or in a group in various sections including vocal, instrumental, piano, speech and drama and dance.
New volunteers are always needed and there are many interesting roles required to be filled on the days of performance. Community members interested in volunteering should contact secretary Anne McNiffe at enquiries@wge.org.au in the first instance.
As a community group, the eisteddfod is reliant on community support and sponsorship. The eisteddfod is grateful for all sponsorship and acknowledges Drouin and District Community Bank, Baw Baw Shire Council and Creative Victoria who are major sponsors.
Entries to perform in the West Gippsland Performing Arts Competition are now open and close on Wednesday. June 5. To enter, visit www.stardom.com.au.
A full List of events is available at wge.org.au. To follow the competition season and receive updates, “like” the Facebook page or “follow” on Twitter at @WGMDE.