SASKATOON — The fourth annual Canada West Performing Arts Festival will be held at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon from July 24 to 26.
The CWPAF is held in rotation among the three western provinces. British Columbia hosted the festival in 2024, Saskatchewan is hosting in 2025 and Alberta will host in 2026. The CWPAF features the top amateur music and speech arts competitors from each partnering province’s provincial performing arts festival. Competitors compete in three different age categories in a variety of solo disciplines as well as Chamber and Choral.
In May 2020, the presidents and provincial administrators of the British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan provincial festival associations started a conversation about the possibility of a regional festival in the western provinces. After many months of regular meetings, a partnership was formed, and the Canada West Performing Arts Festival was born. Originally planned to launch in 2021, the organizers agreed to wait one more year due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19. In the summer of 2022, Saskatchewan hosted the inaugural Canada West Performing Arts Festival.
The festival features three age levels of competition: junior, intermediate, and senior, with provinces able to send two or three competitors in most classes. Additionally, a recorded choral competition is included. To qualify for the Canada West Performing Arts Festival, performers must be recommended by the adjudicator at the provincial festival of a participating province.
The 2025 Saskatchewan Provincial Finals Competition was held at the University of Regina Conservatory of Performing Arts and Darke Hall. More than 680 performances by winners from 39 of 44 district festivals were held between May 29 and June 1, and three competitors who had advanced from the Sask Valley Music Festival were recommended to compete this month at the CWPAF. They are Mia Gillingham: 17 and under - Vocal, Stefan Jones: 17 and under - Spoken Word, and Emma Gillingham: 22 and under - Spoken Word.
Stefan Jones agreed to speak about his thoughts going into the competition. As someone who wants to work in the film-making industry eventually, and envisions himself going into film production, specifically in Vancouver, Stefan sees the Festival as a perfect showcase of his burgeoning skills. He sees an accomplishment like winning the Canada West Festival as a significant addition to scholarship applications and resumes. He said one of his favourite teachers, Ryan Epp, said he had a gift, and he should use it. He attributes Epp, other teachers, and his coaches as helping him believe in what he can do. Besides acting, Stefan likes to create films, using techniques such as ‘green screen’ to create multiple images of himself. “I always try and find an outside-the-box idea to make a funny film, and I believe that that would be a good industry for me to work in and stand out.”
Stefan advanced to the provincial competition for spoken word last year, finishing as runner-up, with his comedic poem poking fun at the speech habits of today. Stefan’s coaching has made him very conscious of diction and enunciation, and he chose that piece for its appeal to his audience. At the Sask Valley Music Festival this year, he received the Spoken Word Excellence Award and went on to perform an excerpt from “Of Mice and Men” at the Provincial Festival in Regina. At the upcoming Canada West Festival, Stefan will be performing again in the category of Speech Arts and Drama, but will be presenting a “concert group,” a combination of various speech arts surrounding a common theme. The theme of the multiple pieces he will be performing is “Seeing Things.” He will be performing at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, July 25, and if he wins, will perform again on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Attendance at the sessions is by donation, with options for cash or card donation at the door. The primary venue is the Education Building (28 Campus Dr), University of Saskatchewan. Piano sessions will take place in Convocation Hall (107 Administration Pl).
Visit the Festival Details tab of the Canada West Performing Arts Festival website for more information (https://www.canadawestfestival.ca/).
The Saskatchewan Music Festival Association receives funding from the SK Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation, and sponsorship from the Saskatchewan Band Association, SaskTel, the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association, and SaskCulture, to name a few.
