Hundreds of students will descend on Carbonear from May 8 � 10 as the province gears up for the 32^nd annual Provincial High School Theatre Festival. Students from 10 schools will show audiences just how talented young people from Newfoundland and Labrador truly are.

"Students, teachers and volunteers have worked hard over the past several months honing their skills, rehearsing, building sets and essentially doing everything required to put on a successful play," said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education. "This festival is a showcase of that dedication and I encourage everyone in the Carbonear area to see for themselves the talent and professionalism displayed by our students."

Funding for the festival comes from the Provincial Government�s $10 million Cultural Connections strategy. This year, $30,000 was provided to support the festival, plus up to $1,000 for each school to help with the cost of travel.

"The Williams Government firmly believes that strengthening arts and cultural content in schools is a key factor in instilling pride in our history and respect for our heritage," said Minister Burke. "Our goal is to increase the presence of cultural content in the school curriculum, and foster links between artists and students in the school environment. We are a province of natural story-tellers and much of that talent derives from our culture and oral tradition."

The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, said the festival provides an opportunity for young people to discover their interest and talent in a wide range of activities associated with theatre production.

"Many of the students involved in the Provincial High School Theatre Festival are our future writers, actors, directors, and set designers," Minister Jackman said. "It is important that we nurture this interest at an early stage, and then continue to support their development as artists, in order to sustain and build on our vibrant culture and cultural industries."

Minister Burke said that to further support students� appreciation of their heritage, Budget 2008 provides $550,000 to implement a Newfoundland and Labrador high school social studies course. This complements initiatives such as the theatre festival, Arts Work conferences, Learning through the Arts and the Visiting Artists� Program.

"The theatre festival is just one instance of how we are trying to connect students with professional artists, writers and musicians. For example, this year�s festival adjudicator is well-known local actress Amy House," said Minister Burke. "Our culture has sustained us for generations. This is why our cultural strategy is so important. An innovative and engaging exposure to the arts and artists will help students come to respect the contributions of individuals and cultural groups."

The plays will be performed at the Sheila NaGeira Theatre and College of the North Atlantic. A complete list of plays and show times can be found at www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/k12.htm

- 30 -

Media contacts:

2008 05 07                                                     11:45 a.m.