4-H Project Spotlight: Performing Arts
Did you know that 4-H project types are endless? From beekeeping to equine to mastering leadership to cooking, 4-H members are learning new skills and experimenting with new interests and passions. How? By doing of course!
With over 100 different projects to choose from across Canada, how is a member to choose? In this new blog post series, meet 4-H’ers and learn about their favourite 4-H projects.
NAME: Kody Farrow
CLUB: Herds of Thunder 4-H Club, SK
PROJECT: Performing Arts
Q: What are meetings like for performing arts projects?
A: To become more confident while performing in front of other people, you need to perform in front of other people! Like all 4-H’ers, we Learn To Do By Doing. In a small group, we practice things like playing our instruments, performing skits or doing impromptu speeches. Our goal at project meetings is to break down some of those fears that come with performing in front of people. By building confidence performing in front of our friends, we can then start to branch out to perform in front of others!
Q. What’s your favourite thing you learned through our 4-H project?
A: My favourite thing that I’ve learned in the performance arts project is that lots of people share the same apprehensions about performing in front of people they don’t know. It’s a scary thing to make yourself vulnerable in front of strangers. But by starting small, we can become more confident performers. The skills that we learn then transfer into lots of other areas of our lives. Public speaking, hosting events and giving presentations become much easier when you’re comfortable in front of a crowd of people.
Q: What kind of project resources did your club have to run your 4-H project?
A: For our project, we used the 4-H Saskatchewan “Performing the Arts” project manual. The manual walked us through many of the steps needed to put on a production, such as writing, choreography, playing music, producing and ultimately performing. However, the beauty of performance art is that it’s always evolving and there are no limits to your creativity. You don’t need a stage or microphone to perform the arts; it can be as simple as playing your instrument in the hallway at school, writing your own script or performing at the senior’s center in your town. Just don’t let your creativity go to waste!
What makes the 4-H program unique is that it’s all about what areas you are interested to experiment in. If you have an idea you’d like to learn more about and it’s not on your province’s project list – most provinces offer a design-your-own-project option, often referred to as a self-determined project.
What are you making, building or doing with your 4-H projects? Share photos of your 4-H project with us and tag @4HCanada in our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts using the hashtag #4HProject! !