The coordinator of the conservatory’s Music Equals outreach program Domanie Billinghurst-Shadek says the arts community has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to pivot to virtual programming. She notes the conservatory took this opportunity to reach communities they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise, including here in the north. She explains all in all they were able to come up with 16 so they have baby programs of 30 minute classes which include movement, singing, dancing, using body percussion, those types of things for parents and their pre-school children and babies.  They have a family music afternoon which is kind of a variety program for families of young children, they have a fiddling program which is taught by Kyle Burghout and he is quite a well known fiddler on the Canadian scene and he’s been giving some programming to learners teaching them traditional music by ear and they just do it online.

Billinghurst-Shadek adds the workshops were funded by the Manitoba Stay at Home grant and they have free workshops available to all ages, from toddlers to adults.