OUTLOOK - In an unprecedented announcement on March 15, 2020 the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association (SMFA) announced that all local festivals needed to be cancelled immediately due to the spread of the coronavirus. With the Outlook festival slated to start in just two weeks it was hard news for students and teachers to hear, but there was hope for a return the following year. But with limits on gathering sizes and the protocols in place in 2021 the local committee felt would it be difficult to stage a successful festival so the event was cancelled once again.
Hopes were high for the 2022 edition but the parameters mandated by the SMFA significantly reduced the number of entries that were received by the deadline date, and so the Outlook festival, along with a dozen others in the province, was once again cancelled.
It was a tough decision for the committee to make, given the long history the event has had in the community. For 40 years the festival had been providing a venue for young musicians to develop their skills and abilities, and have the opportunity to be adjudicated and perform in front of an appreciative audience. It is a highly anticipated event each year; one that is not only entertaining for spectators but also an important tool in the development of talent in our community. Sandy Stephenson, festival president said, “It’s a forum for young people to share their talents through song, individual instruments, musical theatre and spoken word. It is truly a celebration of music.”
The festival is organized by a local committee that consists of Stephenson, Cathy McPhail, Leslie Hicks, Heather Rosa, Sylvia Sundby, and Shelley Luedtke. They are committed to putting on an event that gives students opportunities to develop as musicians and encourage each other as performers. It's why they are so excited to announce that the festival will be making a return in March 2023.
Stephenson, committee member and music teacher remarked, "I am so excited to meet face to face and listen to young people make music again." That excitement is being shown by performers as well. "My students are pumped and want to enter every class they can. I love it!"
The SMFA is excited to see that more of the district festivals will be making a return and unveiled a new motto to share that excitement: "Celebrate the Joy of Youth Performance."
The Outlook and District Festival has been a fixture in the arts scene. Its return is a welcome announcement not only for students and teachers, but for a community that has stood solidly with the festival for so many years providing the finances that help energize the event.
“We are so grateful for the donations from all the businesses, organizations and individuals who support the event,” Stephenson said, “and for all those who look forward to taking in all the performances. We literally could not have the festival without all their support.”
The 2023 festival is scheduled for the week of March 27-31 with the festival finale set for April 2. "It is going to be something special,” Stephenson said enthusiastically. “We have a community of many talented young people and we can’t wait to bring the festival back."
