Brantford, ON – The Branlyn Community Centre was transformed into a majestic showcase for the arts, filled with friends and family of Lansdowne Children’s Centre’s youth clients eager to return to the spotlight. The annual event hosted by the Recreation Department was back in form, with a display of artwork created by the Artfelt Minds Club and scheduled performances by the Lansdowne Lights and LLC Dance Crew.
Recreation Therapy Supervisor, Tiffany Morgan is part of the event team and weekly client activities, and shared her excitement after the performance;
“It is an absolute pleasure and honor to be a part of this experience with the participants. Every year brings tears of the best kind, smiles that make your face hurt and the most heartwarming feeling that can’t be explained, only experienced.”
The Therapeutic Recreation participants of each featured program are youth clients of Lansdowne Children’s Centre, ranging in age from 10 to 19 years, and begin practicing their artistic creations and performances in September, building up to the gala event held at the close of November. Each participant pursues their unique potential while developing skills and exploring new interests.
“The groups have the opportunity to work towards a common goal with their peers, and also build meaningful relationships with one another. The commitment that they have to their goals and the dedication they show to one another is beautiful, not only do they demonstrate to one another the value of hard work but also what it means to be a team member and friend.“
In 2022 Lansdowne was very fortunate to have the support of the Alan R. Cook Foundation, whose donation of $25,000 in support of the Arts programs helped to sustain and grow each of the featured groups and welcome new participants. The artists and organizers were thrilled to learn that Tom and Tracey Humble from the foundation were able to attend the Gala and take in the celebration of the arts, and enjoy the performances they had helped provide for Lansdowne’s youth clients.
ARTFELT MINDS ART GALLERY
The artist’s gallery provided a showcase of visual art creations, including work by artists Haydn, Hayley, Alec, Kendra, Autumn and Alexis. The Artfelt Minds program added new members in 2022, who bravely came to experiment with the visual arts, and left realizing their talents! While participants all worked on the same programs, each artist added their own interpretation and artistic flair to create unique and stunning works of art.
LANSDOWNE LIGHTS DRAMA CLUB
The Lansdowne Lights adapted a story book and altered it, adding their unique personality and humor to create their own dramatic interpretation. The performance included the acting talents of Aeva, Isabelle, Zoe and Tatum, and was the inaugural performance of live theatre at the Gala event. Audience and actor/actress reaction to the experience promise that this first performance will not be the last!
LCC DANCE CREW
A mix of dancers ranging in experience from several years to first time participants, the troupe included the talents of Tatum, Julia, Aeva, Sophia, Matthew, Hayley and Isabelle, and performed to six songs, including the annual performance of ‘Fight Song’ that is a favorite of the dance crew.
A special moment popped up this season when two of the dancers - Julia and Tatum - surprised organizers and the audience with a secret dance they had choreographed and been practicing at home.
WITH THANKS…
To Karen Burke for volunteering her photography talents, and to Sarah Thompson for her videography talents, to capture special moments from this year’s Gala performances.