RSA responds to end of performing arts camps

By Laureen F. Guenther Times Contributor

The cancellation of the annual Passion Play performing arts camps in Drumheller means Alberta high school students have lost an opportunity to earn performing arts credits while exploring their creative gifts during the summer.
The performing arts camps (PAC), which ran for 18 years, had an impact that reached far beyond students’ high school education, said Paul F. Muir, education director at Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA). He said students’ lives were transformed by their PAC experience.
Rosebud School of the Arts also felt the impact of PAC.
“(Campers) would come and do a workshop and a tour (of Rosebud), and then they’d see a summer show,” Muir said. “Many of our instructors and many of our senior students and grads have taught at PAC.”
Every year, one to three new students came to RSA after becoming familiar with the school through their time at PAC.
“These are young people who were interested in theatre, and who were interested in faith,” Muir said. “That exact mix is not always easy to find and put together.”
Dr. Scott Morrison, Superintendent of Christ the Redeemer (CTR) School Division, said the program was cancelled because of provincial changes in funding and in how high school students earn credits.
“The Passion Play program was funded by the students earning 10 credits for this fine arts course,” said Morrison who added the number of credits determines funding. “Several years ago, Alberta Education instituted a 45-credit cap on students, meaning the most students could earn in the summer was five credits. Without the 10 credits, there was not enough revenue to make the program break even, let alone be viable. CTR could not continue a program that would have run a deficit.”
The last PAC was hosted in the summer of 2017, and RSA has been working hard on various recruitment strategies, Muir said.
This spring, RSA hosted their bi-annual Drama Xchange, a high school drama festival. The school is also working hard to raise its profile at ArtsTrek, a “huge” annual summer drama school in Red Deer. They’re also working on a new marketing campaign.
“The other thing that we’re doing more of is school visits, workshops in schools,” Muir said. “We’ve also been attending high school productions, going out to various productions just to connect with these high schools, to see the kind of work that they’re doing (and) let them know that they’re here.”
For future years, Muir said, RSA is also considering hosting their own summer camp.
“As things become constrained, organizations and people are forced to find creative solutions. That certainly happens here (at RSA) a lot. There’s something about that that brings around creative solutions that may not have been thought about otherwise.”