Showcasing the arts community

Rotary Arts Centre hosting summer music festival

The Rotary Arts Centre is striving to promote local musicians through its summer music festival.

The (Almost) No-vid 2021 Summer Music Festival is underway, featuring a wide array of musical acts, both local and non-local.

The festival started on July 9 and will continue to feature acts up to Aug. 20. Performances are all being held at the Rotary Arts Centre in Corner Brook.

According to Rotary Arts Centre CEO David Smallwood, the festival is not just an opportunity to showcase talent, but is a means to help keep the local arts community alive and thriving.

“What this summer festival, and what the Rotary Arts Centre and (partners) Gros Morne Summer Music and the Arts and Culture Centres, are trying our darnedest to do, is to keep our vibrant performing arts communities alive,” Smallwood told The West Coast Wire. “And by alive, I mean putting food on their table.”

He encourages people to get out and show their support by attending these performances.

“The only way that can happen is if our audiences come and support these shows,” he said.

There are 18 shows scheduled this summer.

Smallwood stresses the Rotary Arts Centre has been vigilant to provide a safe environment for audiences so no one is exposed to COVID-19.

The building is cleaned constantly using a modern spray technology approved by Health Canada, social distancing is required and seat capacity is limited to 50 per cent.

Masks are required to be worn inside the building as well and hand sanitization stations and wipes will be available.

“We’re very conscious of people’s fears about going into a relatively crowded place, so it needs to be stressed we take every possible measure to ensure it is a COVID-free environment,” he added.

The Rotary Arts Centre hold summer festivities every year.

“We have the summer festival because it’s a popular time for families to get together, to go out for an evening of entertainment,” said Smallwood.

But this time around, they dubbed it the “(Almost) Novid” festival.

“I just think it’s cute, it’s eye-catching, people look at it and chuckle and laugh,” he said.

The festival is sponsored by Arts NL — Newfoundland and Labrador Council, the government of Canada, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, FACTOR, and the Rotary Arts Centre.

To purchase tickets for the show, visit rotaryartscentre.com or purchase them from the Rotary Arts Centre box office, open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by calling 709630-0012.