KENOSEE LAKE The Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party (KLKP) is a gathering that infuses Saskatchewan with the joy of music, community and co-operation.
This event, which was founded on the principles of inclusion and collaboration, is more than simply a music festival; it's a celebration of the value of fostering musical talent through generations and the strength of shared experiences.
The event sang its way into the community when Michele Amy created it 20 years ago. Amy is a professional teacher and created this organization as a response to what she saw happening in local communities and schools.
“There was a crisis for audiences and fiddle culture,” Michele explained, with “not a lot of traditional culture vibrant in the community.”
Children, especially ones who often felt marginalized, “needed a place to belong to find people.”
This past year, Amy explained the KLKP received a grant which allowed it to offer programming to children no matter their financial situation. Using collaborations with local communities in southeast Saskatchewan, Kitchen Party Music Inc. hopes to forge enduring links that bolster the area's cultural landscape.
Regardless of age or ability level, KLKP is dedicated to building a co-operative environment where each member is valued and considered an essential contribution. This dedication is at the heart of every endeavor the company undertakes. There was a large positive response to the camp this year, Amy said, with the participants joining “workshops together throughout the year [where] lone wolves formed their own community at the facility."
The program “gives them musical opportunities to work together with a dynamic and accessible form of music.”
The KLKP's emphasis on family engagement is one of its pillars of success. Since caring family contexts are where music thrives the most, the camp promotes family and group attendance.
This innovative method not only promotes musical communication across generations, but also offers a nurturing environment for aspiring artists to grow.
Children are taken into consideration. The program provides young participants with specific instruction and activities. The camp provides an environment where kids may discover and grow their musical abilities in a playful and interesting way. Participants may immerse themselves in five hours of teaching, free concerts, vibrant jams and optional activities like yoga and dance classes – all included in the tuition cost – during the two five-day sessions offered each August.
