Organisers of next month's Up With People shows are looking for a few good families to put up 15 performers for 21 days.

Kristie Clarke and Lindsey Schulz, part of the advance team for the 45 performers and production crew in the group, spoke at the weekly luncheon of the Hamilton Rotary Club last week.

Up With People will perform at Harbour Nights on May 5 and on Mother's Day, May 9, at Dockyard.

Up With People will also be accepting local applicants between the ages of 17 and 25 to join a troupe.

Successful applicants are not always stage veterans as an impressive interview will carry more weight, organisers said.

There are more than 70 alumni of the group in Bermuda.

The women said most of the group were already booked with host families and the cultural exchange was beneficial to both the performers and to the host family.

"Learning about the cultural experience is what it's all about,'' Ms Clarke said. "Personally, I can't wait to sample those codfish cakes and hot cross buns everyone is talking about.'' She added: "Sometimes we stay in contact with the host families after we have left Up With People. You can't beat the experience.'' The women said the group is being sponsored by several businesses including ACE Insurance, Bank of Butterfield, Bermuda Electric Light Company, Centre Solutions, Cable and Wireless, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Oil Insurance and the National Drug Commission.

Ms Clarke, who is from Canada and has toured Europe, said she loved her experience with the group and said taking part in service projects was most rewarding.

"I've done community service like building people homes and cleaning up projects,'' she said. "We always do things to help the community.'' This year's Up With People troupe will work with the elderly and with disabled people at the Windreach Facility in Warwick. Performers and crew will arrive on April 26 and depart on May 15.

Ms Schulz said she found Bermudians to be friendly and everyone she had met knew of Up With People.