Chairman's Introduction to the 2010 Festival

WELCOME TO THE 2010 FESTIVAL NOW IN ITS 83rd YEAR

Whether you come as performer, parent or carer or as a teacher or friend: Welcome to our 87th Festival!

The Festival exists to provide local people with a great opportunity both to perform to an often large and discerning audience and to receive invaluable, expert advice. Our aim is for performers and their families to enjoy themselves and learn from the constructive comments given by the adjudicators who are specialist performers as well as highly-regarded judges.

We find that many children and adults return year after year, as soloists or in groups, because they gain so much from their experiences: they develop as performers, their confidence increases, they relax and have fun and take pleasure in the performances of others too. It is particularly pleasing and rewarding for the DPAF Committee to see young children progress in this way and become so much more accomplished at every Festival.

I trust that this year, as before, we will have the excitement of seeing new talent emerge at the Festival as well as the pleasure of providing a platform for more experienced performers. We certainly have, once again, some terrific adjudicators to inspire, inform and amuse all who come to the Festival in 2010.

The festival is taking place once again at South Street Baptist Church in Exeter. I would like to record the thanks of the committee for the hospitality that the church, it's trustees and staff offer us over the three weeks of the festival.

The Gala Concert, which will be held at the South Street Baptist Church on Saturday 20th March at 6.30 pm which brings together the talents of those taking part and also celebrates all of the performances which have taken place throughout the festival and which represent the many hours of music, speech and drama which, with your help and support, will make up DPAF 2010.

The festival is organised and run by a committee composed entirely of volunteers, who are aided during the festival itself by a group of dedicated stewards. We are always in need of more help, so if you have time and energy and would like to share in this exciting experience which is the Devon performing Arts Festival, do contact us.

Thank you for your support.