Sydney Eisteddfod
Description
Celebrating its 80th Birthday in 2013, Sydney Eisteddfod has been contributing to the evolving culture of the Australian nation by nurturing the performing arts at a grass roots level in an annual festival of music, song, dance and drama.It is well documented that involvement with the arts has a positive effect on childhood development. Children who play music or actively participate in other artistic pursuits are more likely to succeed academically, enjoy better career prospects, live more satisfying and healthier lives.
Since Sydney Eisteddfod began in 1933 an estimated two and a quarter million performers have tested their skills on its platform. Now widely regarded as one of the largest and most successful competitive festival of its type in the world, it annually runs from June to September and offers a program of just under 400 classical and contemporary events, for aspiring singers, dancers, actors and musicians. There are sections for choirs, bands and orchestras and creative categories for budding composers. Workshops and summer schools are another unique offering by Sydney Eisteddfod.
While major events offer valuable scholarships that attract serious contenders from all parts of Australasia, Sydney Eisteddfod is open to all and its program includes something for everyone. Many enter to experience the thrill of performing before a
live audience and others simply for fun.
Although many internationally acclaimed artists freely admit their performing careers began at the Sydney Eisteddfod, the competition is neither a talent quest nor a search for a star. Its mission is to identify and encourage talent in every area of the performing arts by providing entrants with performance opportunities and constructive criticism from expert adjudicators. Performing in public builds self-esteem and whatever paths entrants follow in the future, the confidence they gain through competing at this level is bound to serve them well. As every adjudicator will tell you, performing in an eisteddfod is above all a valuable educational opportunity and win or lose, everyone learns and most thoroughly enjoy the experience.
The late Professor Alfred Pollard, a former Sydney Eisteddfod Chairman, once pointed out that involvement in “the performing arts provides good preventative medicine for young people by keeping them occupied and away from those less desirable things that idle hands find to do.”
A non-profit company, Sydney Eisteddfod is registered as a charity in New South Wales. It operates with a small staff, an honourary board and survives through the generosity and support of corporate and private citizens and the help it receives from a small, but dedicated army of volunteers who are without doubt the lifeblood of the organisation.