Somerset Festival for Young Performers

Over the last weekend we welcomed participants and their families to the 2017 Somerset Festival for Young Performers. This was the 25th Festival and it has certainly has grown with over 1,900 performances over the weekend.

With spectacular weather and a new layout for venues and the Clef Café, the quad sprung to life with competitors, their parents and in some cases their grandparents. As has been said before, the Festival is more than a competition – it is a celebration of the talents of younger Gold Coast students.

Again this year the relaxed atmosphere of the Festival enabled students to perform with confidence and enjoyment. I thank and congratulate each participant for sharing their developing skills and talents and hope they will be left with a sense of achievement and pride in their hard work and effort.

Each year we are delighted that so many teachers from the Gold Coast are prepared to assist by adjudicating at the Festival. They all play a vital role in helping, through their feedback, each to improve their performances. We are indebted to them for assisting so graciously and thank them for all of their efforts.

The Festival does not just happen. Our management committee work behind the scenes for many months to ensure a successful weekend. My thanks to Sue Roberts, Helen Little; Kylie Sherrington, Lisa Thomson, Helen Kane, and Sherry Wilson for their great work.

On behalf of all participants and their families our special thanks go to the Festival Programme Director, Mrs Helen Little and her band of helpers, especially the Somerset College Events Team, for their hard work both before the Festival and over the weekend. I also extend special thanks to Mrs Sue Roberts, Head of Department – Performing Arts for coordinating the many student volunteers and the roster for the staff assisting over the two days. Our student volunteers do an amazing job - scribing, announcing, working the door and assisting with the many jobs that make the Festival such a success.

We also thank the speech and drama teachers and the music teachers of South East Queensland for their support.

We look forward to 2018, welcoming new performers to the College and welcoming back those who enjoyed this year, at the 26th Festival for Young Performers.