Ida Sewap and other family members look on as her grandson performs at the fine arts festival. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski
There’s something unique about Prince Albert Grand Council Fine Arts Festival that attendees won’t often see at other competitions.
When people are in the middle of performing, the audience breaks into applause to encourage them.
Sturgeon Lake woman Ida Sewap says for her, the clapping is a way to express how moved she is by the young people’s talent.
“When somebody’s singing or dancing you’ll see that certain… it’ll hit you in your heart, and then overwhelm you. Then you start clapping and you’re happy that this person’s doing this and that’s an awesome job,” she said.
The Fine Arts Festival just capped off its 25th anniversary on Thursday.
It was a proud week for Sewap. Her children and grandchildren came from as far as Pelican Narrows to perform in traditional dance, modern singing, and other activities in Prince Albert’s Senator Allen Bird Memorial Centre.
Sewap started crying while her grandson played guitar on stage.
“It hits the heart when you see your kids doing this, like it puts tears in your eyes like ‘oh my god,’ all of a sudden you have all this talent living in your house all of a sudden you don’t know,” she said.
Her grandson is one of nearly 1,700 students from 26 of PAGC’s schools whose creative work – including drawings and writing – was adjudicated.
Sewap says it brings a lot of positive energy to her kids and grandkids, who come from all over the province for the event.
“I’m barely home, you know I’m always here and there and in summer we’re always gone to powwows, but it’s overwhelming, I see all the grandmothers, the mothers and the fathers, they come down spend time with their kids, take the time to watch their kids,” she said.