Audience members will be jumping out of their seats, inspired to head outside and explore outdoor pursuits, on Thursday, April 12, as James Thomson Elementary School hosts its second annual slideshow fundraiser at Max Cameron Theatre.
LocalMotion: Celebrating Powell Riverites in the Outdoors offers an evening of engaging local speakers, their stories and images from a diverse range of outdoor activities.
Last spring, James Thomson held a slideshow fundraiser that featured Claudine Veran, one of its French Immersion teachers, and her kayak adventures in the high Arctic off the northern tip of Norway. This year, the organizing committee was inspired by last year’s success, the Banff Mountain Film Festival and a vision to expand the fundraiser into an annual event to celebrate and showcase local community members and their outdoor endeavours.
The evening promises a dynamic lineup of five presenters. Veran will present again, with more tales of Arctic kayaking, polar bears and rugged landscapes. Christine Hollmann, a leader of outdoor programs for children and adults through Terracentric Coastal Adventures, will give a virtual tour of the past, present, flora and fauna of Desolation Sound. Teacher and athlete Graham Cocksedge will offer a wild ride from the perspective of his mountain biking helmet camera. Ryan Barfoot, program coordinator of Brooks Secondary School’s Coast Mountain Academy, will co-present with several of his students on the transformational nature of wilderness rites of passage. The evening’s final speaker will be Jeremy Williams, an award-winning photographer and filmmaker, who will present BC wilderness adventures and the legacy of our ancient forests and wildlife.
LocalMotion is family-friendly and geared to entertain and inspire all ages. The theatre atmosphere will be casual and welcoming of family needs. Doors open at 5:45 pm, with a series of three, child-geared presentations between 6 and 7:30 pm. Intermission will provide an opportunity to talk with presenters and enjoy snacks and beverages, with audience members invited to bring their own mug. Two presentations will follow between 8 and 9 pm. Admission is by donation.
In addition to Éco-Immersion, James Thomson’s French Immersion/nature-based learning program, several other outdoor education initiatives are sprouting up there.
The Parent Advisory Committee has launched both a Farm To School local-food lunch program and a school grounds enhancement project called DIGS (Discover-Imagine-Grow Schoolyard). Proceeds from the slideshow fundraiser will go toward DIGS and its goal to design and build a diverse schoolyard that promotes children in the outdoors—for learning, play and healthy activity.
