Here are this years Artists.

Ann Verrall

Leon Willey

Michelle Fisher

Kelly-Anne Riess

Tour 2011

Hello all, and welcome to another exciting tour in beautiful Saskatchewan.
Workshop tour artists for tour 2011

Adam Willey - singer/songwriter on tour, leading the Music Workshop. Adam performs, is a sound engineer and a music teacher. His workshop will allow youth to explore the use of poetic language while developing songs through a group process.

Kelly-Anne Riess - best known for her authorship of the "Saskatchewan Book of Everything" writer Kelly-Anne has just completed her first feature film script and returns to the WorkshopTouras Writer on Tour. Kelly-Anne's workshop will allow students to use narrative to envision and set life goals for themselves. This workshop is adaptable to all grades.

Ann Verrall - an award winning short film-maker (www.shortworksproductions.ca) splits her time between the east coast and the Saskatchewan plains. Ann's workshop will provide the students with an opportunity to develop a script, block a scene and for the older students shoot the scene. The Cultural Exchange is pleased to offer Saskatchewan schools this opportunity to work with a film -maker. Ann joins the tour after an intense two weeks in Sandy Bay and Hall Lake, creating community based video.

Leon Willey - Fresh from an exciting season with Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Leon is Workshop Tour Manager, and Theatre leader. Leon will use his workshop to bring to the students "the joy that is theatre". Depending on the age of the students he will explore the use of movement and voices to depict a story. The use of emotional context, motivation, objectives and relationships will be taught as techniques to tell the story and get to the heart of a scene. www.leonwilley.com

Michelle Fisher -brings her enthusiasm for all types of dance to the Workshop Tour as the Dancer on Tour. Students will experience a variety of dance styles ranging from square dance to hip hop. Watch as your students become animals or hunters and express the excitement of the hunt through dance. Students will try the traditional steps of the square dance and then move on to the non traditional moves of hip hop.

I will be adding photos and info as the tour begins. So until then see you in Oct.

Our Video collage

The End

AAAAH, the end!

This 2010 tour was a success. Five great artists, that all got along without incident, taught over 375 workshops in 15 towns over the course of 26 days. With 6000 kilometers travelled in our SCES Tour Van, and well over 5000 students and faculty affected, the most important aspect of the Cultural Exchange was met.

I had the pleasure of getting to know the four terrific artists on this tour - Melissa Nygren, Carol Morin, Kelly- Anne Riess and Evans Bamwesigye- and was thrilled to see how each of them grew as artists. I feel very fortunate to have spent the six weeks with them, and now consider them my friends.

I think it's safe to say that every one of us will walk away with our own special memories - weather bombs and Kandahar included. We each had a favourite school, class, community or incident, and will take these memories with us into the future.

Below is one of MY favourite memories:

So long everybody, until next year.

Learning through the Arts

As a tour, we have come into the middle regions of Saskatchewan, and dove deep into their farming communities.

This time around we had a visit in Cudworth , Rosetown, Melfort and Outlook. Spending a few days in each place allowed us to really get to know the community. I would say that the townsfolk got to know us as well.

As a habit of curiosity we spend our off-time exploring, walking, chatting, and shopping in these places we visit. There is a fantastic antique shop in Rosetown filled with music and trinkets. There is also a great pizza place to have lunch, and my favourite coffee place that I've been to on this tour, all found on Main Street.

The city of Melfort was very friendly and outgoing. The people there were eager to tell me all the things that were happening in their community. We had the privilege of staying at a farmhouse just outside of town with the leaves in their most colourful phases. Our homestead was breathtaking and quiet and the family there treated us to a spectacular dinner. Thank you to Desirae and Craig for their open home.

The town of Cudworth is found in amongst lakes and fields. The school and staff are friendly and we were a hit. I think the Exchange will be coming back to this town for years to come.

Downtown Cudworth is full of hardworking people and little kids running to the candy store. It really is like another time.

Lastly, Outlook is a town with a big treasure—the Sky Bridge. It spans the South Saskatchewan River and takes about 20 minutes to walk across. One of the teachers at the elementary school showed us this treasure and we got a couple of great shots.

Some communities never get too exposed to the arts, and, for many, professional artists are a myth. As we spend time with these people, the myth gets debunked, and the importance of art is shown and felt. In a world where intolerance and repression of emotional expression can run rampant, especially in insular communities, the pure unguarded enjoyment of art is essential. I am so proud to be with these artists as we show people that art is not only important to one’s growth, but is an important part of our human experience.

Kandahar and back.

I have to tell you all that, as a tour, we really have been to a lot of random places in Saskatchewan.

We have traveled through Turtleford, Sagehill, Prince Albert, Shellbrook, Shell Lake, Eldon, and Ruddell. We have seen sights and people of Saskatchewan spread across vast dipping valleys, patchwork plains and snaking rivers.

We have crossed the North and South Saskatchewan River, stopped alongside Canada's largest saline lake, big quill lake and even a giant turtle.

As I continue my artistic trek around Saskatchewan from Alvena to Zealandia, I have only one question how many of you have been to Kandahar Saskatchewan?

Hello World!

Hello world,

Ah yes, I wanted to look back at our previous week, as it was our longest. We started back on the road, with our first stop in Kelvington.

Kelvington is a beautiful town with a lot going for it. Beside the usual industry and farming the landscape and surrounding lakes make it an ideal place to raise a family. If they could find a way to clean up the lake that is situated in the townsite, they would have a year-round resource for fun and relaxation. We were very privileged to stay at a bed&breakfast in the community. The school was welcoming and eager for us to take over - we were obviously a treat for the kids - and staff that said they look forward to our visit every year.

Here is the place we stayed at.

For the rest of the week was spent within about 40min of Regina. Our first stop was Balgonie.

Being so close to Regina, similar to White City beside it, Balgonie is busting at the seams. The School is beautiful and the students/staff are outstanding to teach and work with.

The population in this area has grown so much and so fast that our classes were huge.

I was in the main hallway and Carol was in the Cafeteria.

The same thing happened where I grew up. We had to have portables brought in until a more permanent structure was built.

I can see why people want to move into this community.
The state of the art equipment, the obvious money spent on

resources, and the modern townsite make this an attractive place to live.

We spent two days in Balgonie.

The last place we went for our long week was Lumsden. Like Balgonie, Lumsden is just outside Regina and it is also a very popular place to live.

Aesthetically beautiful with its community nestled in a picturesque valley, it has all the modern conveniences without losing its small town charm. It is, in my mind, one of the most beautiful places on our tour. Lumsden has two schools in their town. A highschool and an elementary. We taught for the little one this time around.

Population is growing at an alarming rate for this community, and we, again, had large classes.

We had a long week this week, not so much in terms of just travel, but cumulative days teaching. I had dental surgery in the midst of this week as well so, needless to say, we have all enjoyed the much needed Thanksgiving weekend.

Next week Cudworth and Rosetown!