The Kinsmen Club has supported Saskatoon Opera in Schools Community performances since 2012. Without Kinsmen support these schools would not be able to afford the performances. Saskatoon Opera is very grateful for the Kinsmen Club for giving many students their first experience in the art form of opera. The beauty and communicative quality of the amplified human voice were inspiring to all. This has allowed our opera company to have a greater community presence.
School tours provide opportunities for community outreach and awareness as well as building the audience of the future. Since the inaugural tour in 2001, SOIS has performed for over 85,000 elementary and high school students and staff in this province. All school administrators were enthusiastic about the opportunity for their students to experience live opera as there is no other equivalent program in the province.
The following quotes have been taken from school administrators and teachers after our performances:
The Bremen Town Musicians was outstanding! I specifically watched our newcomer students who have language barriers to English. The acting and singing in the opera created a whole new language that brought smiles and body language that said a thousand words. They were intrigued and touched by the experience.
Carmen McCrae, Community School Coordinator, King George School, May 2017
‘The remarks by our staff at a staff meeting a few days later, were as follows:
Awesome!Completely engaging for our students
Students really enjoyed it!
Even our Pre-Kindergarten students were engaged
The preparation information was really helpful
I hope we can have them back next year
Michael Thorson, principal, St. Michael Community School, May 2018
Saskatoon Opera’s board of directors join Board Chair Spencer McKnight in thanking the Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon for their continued and inspiring support of Saskatoon Opera in Schools.