Bursaries worth $5,000 each are up for grabs for five Vernon students attending arts programs at the post-secondary level this fall.
The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre (VDPAC) is offering the bursaries up to graduating students from Vernon, Coldstream or Electoral Areas B or C who are entering into, or returning to full-time students at a university, college or technical school majoring in an accredited performing arts or performing arts management program.
This year's bursary deadline is midnight on Friday, May 16.
“This earlier application deadline will allow us to announce this year’s recipients in time for local graduation ceremonies,” said VDPAC executive director Jim Harding. "For graduating Grade 12 students applying to post-secondary Music, Theatre, Dance, Technical or other Performing Arts programs, this year’s May 16 deadline may predate graduating students’ formal notice of acceptance from their institutions, but these students can still apply for VDPAC’s bursaries."
Multiple performing arts bursaries have been given out in years past "to assist and promote area students in their pursuit of post-secondary education and hopefully careers in the performing arts.”
The VDPAC’s board of directors’ three-director bursary program committee will review all applications and make award recommendations to the full board by the end of May. High schools with selected graduating students will be notified and asked to include a first-time announcement of their recipient(s ) in their year-end ceremony, school awards or bursary announcements in June.
Recipients of the performing arts bursaries in 2024 were: Zachary Friesen, Vernon (first year, degree CIF 2-year, Music Composition at the London Academy of Contemporary Music, Surrey, England); Madison Irwin, Vernon (fourth year, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance, University of Victoria); and Nai’a Fellingham, Coldstream (first year, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, University of Victoria).
To apply, visit vdpac.ca/about-the-society/bursary-program.
