The artistic achievements of Bermuda's students will be showcased in five special spring concerts.

Spring Into the Arts 1999 kicks off later this month and organisers promise each event will inspire the artist in all of us.

Education Officer for the Arts, Shangri-La Durham-Thompson said the programme attempts to showcase the talents of local students, encourage greater participation in the arts and bring the artistic community together.

Ms Durham-Thompson first came up with the idea for Spring Into The Arts in 1996 after the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Joseph Christopher, requested a scheme which would promote the arts in all Government schools.

The first event was held at the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery three years ago.

Each year, every Government school has made a ten-minute presentation in the areas of dance, music, drama, storytelling and poetry, said committee member Cherylan Outerbridge.

And visual artwork, from preschool through to senior school students, has been displayed as a backdrop so the talent of the visual art students could be appreciated.

Ms Outerbridge added that each event has also showcased community artists and performers such as the United Production Dancers, the Portuguese Dancers and Kingsley and Suzanne Swan in a bid to expose students to the artistic stature to which they could aspire and achieve.

Local art organisations, like The National Dance Theatre of Bermuda and the Masterworks Foundation, also got into the act by making presentations at each show to explain what they did and to offer free memberships to the students.

And school teachers have also been featured so students could see their teachers in a different light and view them as artistic role models.

"We try to pick one or two teachers from each school so that the kids can see their teachers,'' said Ms Durham-Thompson. "This year we are trying to get the Teacher's Jazz Band to play.

"The band is made up of accomplished teachers/musicians and we hope they will play at the concerts for half-an-hour before the shows begin. That way while the audience look at the visual artwork before the show starts, they can enjoy some music.'' The Island's private schools have once again been invited to take part in Spring Into The Arts so that all local students will have the opportunity to view and appreciate the artistic work of their peers.

To keep the concerts orderly, organisers subdivided the Island into five sections or neighbourhood (Sandys, Spice Valley, Dellwood, Whitney and Clearwater) `families'.

The schools, including preschools, that are geographically close to each other will join forces to stage the concert for their area.

This year, each school will have only seven minutes to present their artistic achievements for 1998 (down from ten minutes) in a bid to make sure the 7 p.m.

concerts finish by 9 p.m.

"Each school has only seven minutes to showcase what has happened in the arts at their school for the year,'' Ms Durham-Thompson explained. "The presentations can cover everything from music, to dance to poetry.'' And she urged anyone thinking of attending one of the free shows to arrive early so they will not be disappointed.

"It has been very well received in the past,'' Ms Durham-Thompson recalled.

"I think it is because it takes place at a school site and it involves children, so families in the area come out to see the kids from their area. We always have a full house.'' Ms Outerbridge added: "All those in attendance are encouraged to stay for the whole event so that all the performers will have an appreciative audience and performance etiquette, such as no movement during performances is emphasised.'' Here are the dates for the various Spring Into The Arts concerts: April 26: The family of schools in the Sandys area will hold their Spring Into The Arts concert at Sandys Middle School; April 27: The Spice Valley family of schools will hold their show at Spice Valley Middle School; April 28: The Dellwood family of schools will hold their Spring Into The Arts concert at CedarBridge Academy; April 29: The Whitney family of schools will hold their show at Whitney Middle School; and The family of schools in the East End will hold their Spring Into the Arts Concert at Clearwater Middle School.

(pictured here with their teachers), to perform in the Whitney Family concert.

Education Officer for the Arts, Shangri-La Durham-Thompson.