No slowing down
Newly retired teacher starting performance camp for East Prince youth
Despite having recently retired from a long and fulfilling career as an educator, Lynne Provance is not ready to hang up her lesson plans and go lay on a beach somewhere.
Provance is in the midst of setting up a six-week performing arts summer camp for kids, based at the Lot 16 Community Hall.
But why not take some time away from the classroom instead of jumping right back into it?
“Because I like doing it. I just simply really really enjoy it and our young people are our future.
“And the little that I can offer to help make our future a little more creative, a little more enlightened, that’s what I want to do.
“Plus I love theatre,” she said, with a smile.
The long-time summer resident of the Island is originally from West Farmington, Ohio. She and her husband, Robert, have been coming to P.E.I. every summer for the past 15 years, camping out at a small property they own in Central Lot 16.
Over the years, they’ve used that summer oasis as a base to explore the Island, the Maritimes and to let their creative juices flow, writing plays, music and more.
Provance spent her career teaching performing arts to all school levels, usually in schools fed by neighbourhoods with societal and economic challenges.
She’s often thought over the years that children from this part of the Island should have an inexpensive option if they want some direction in pursuing the performing arts. With her retirement, she thought this would be a good opportunity to set something up.
“This is here because I believe our children at this end of the Island need something, especially for families who cannot afford to send their kids to classes that cost a lot,” she said.
“Part of the problem in our societies now is that with all these little gadgets, it’s pulling away (our kids’) creative juices. Their imaginations are not being stretched anymore.”
Provance is charging $125 per child in the program, which will cover her costs and rental of the facility.
She has space for about 12 kids, and she’s setting the age limits at seven to 14.
Classes will run for four hours a week, for six weeks and the children will explore various aspects of their own unique performing talents, working towards some type of show at the end of the program. Provance wants the kids themselves to take ownership of their project, so she’s leaving the exact structure of that show up to them.
Classes will be starting within the next two weeks, possibly sooner, so anyone interested in having a child participate should contact her as soon as possible.
Provance can be reached at 902-436-0684 or via email at lynneprovance@aol.com.
“This is here because I believe our children at this end of the Island need something, especially for families who cannot afford to send their kids to classes that cost a lot.”
Lynne Provance