Students walked to the Vancouver Art Gallery from the hotel.
After a tour of the Vancouver Art Gallery, students were invited to take part in a visual arts workshop.
After a tour of the Edward Burtynsky exhibit, students participated in a workshop where they built and photographed Burtynsky-like landscapes.
Daniel Milton of Prince of Wales Secondary School (Vancouver, BC), Nicole Hemphill of Dr. Charles Best Secondary School (Coquitlam, BC), and Sai Kolla of The Woodlands School (Mississauga, ON) perform a choral recitation of Carl Sandburg’s “I Am the People, the Mob.”
The 2014 National Finals took place at SFU Goldcorp Centre’s Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre.
Students wait in the hall for their workshop to begin.
Students get carried away by poetry.
Creative Director Damian Rogers led the student workshop this year.
Students were asked to write a collaborative poem, with excellent results!
Valérie Taillefer of Villa Sainte-Marcelline (Montreal, QC) prepares to write a homophonic poem.
Students read their creative efforts out loud...to applause and laughter.
Meanwhile, Educational Consultant Liisa House hosted a workshop for the teachers.
Teachers discussed teaching poetry and coaching students, and learned what judges look for in a recitation.
Teachers from across Canada shared their best lesson plans...
Everyone came away from the teacher workshop with new ideas on how to teach poetry.
Sepideh Anvar, director, and Krystyne Griffin, founder of the contest.
Excitement building at the Fei and Milton Wong Theatre.
Performance judges Gillian Jerome, Fred Wah, Rita Wong, and Laurent Fadanni.
Education Consultant Liisa House looked after students backstage.
From left to right: judges Rita Wong, Laurent Fadanni, Lise Gaboury-Diallo, Pierre Nepveu, and Jean-François Packwood on Awards Night. Krystyne Griffin is seen standing.
Students wait for Awards Night to begin.
Tiffany Toussaint from Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School (Toronto, ON) and Peirce Dickson from St. John’s-Ravenscourt School (Winnipeg, MB).
Happy teachers in the audience on Awards Night.
Johanne Blais, from CBC Radio’s “C’est la vie,” hosted the evening.
Elder Shane Pointe of the Musqueam Indian Band welcomed the audience.
Ian Hogeboom-Burr from Etobicoke School of the Arts (Toronto, ON).
Roan Shankaruk from Vancouver Technical Secondary School (Vancouver, BC).
Leo Chang from St. George’s School (Vancouver, BC).
The judges were delighted with the recitations.
Andrea Rodriguez-Marin from Lycée Français de Toronto (Toronto, ON).
Kelsi James from Dr. Charles Best Secondary School (Coquitlam, BC).
Marianne Verville from Cégep du Vieux Montréal (Montreal, QC).
The Carlo Rossi Gang played hot jazz between recitations.
Kelsi James from Dr. Charles Best Secondary School is the 2014 National Bilingual Champion. Here, she is being congratulated by Johanne Blais as Marianne Verville, Andrea Rodriguez-Marin, and Madina Sutton look on.
Nicolas Desnoyers from École secondaire St-Joseph (St-Hyacinthe, QC).
Ophélie Proulx-Giraldeau from École internationale de Montréal (Montreal, QC).
Mattis Savard-Verhoeven from Cégep du Vieux Montréal (Montreal, QC)..
Anthology poet George Bowering takes in the students’ recitations.
Students in the French Stream on Awards Night. From left to right: Johanne Blais, Mattis Savard-Verhoeven, Nicolas Desnoyers, Ophélie Proulx-Giraldeau, Khalil Mair, Félix Bouchard Langlois, Chantelle Schwartz, Shanie Martin, Mathilde Murphy, and Florence Blais-Boilard.
Leo Chang, from St. George’s School (Vancouver, BC), won third prize in the English Stream. He is flanked on the left by Kelsi James of Dr. Charles Best Secondary School (Coquitlam, BC) and Roan Shankaruk from Vancouver Technical Secondary School (Vancouver, BC).
The students received a standing ovation at the end of the show.
Scott Griffin, who founded the contest, speaking about his favourite topic: poetry!
Daniel Milton, from Prince of Wales Secondary School, with his father.
Julia MacRae and Vicky Yi Qing Liu of Fraser Heights Secondary School (Surrey, BC).
Performance Judge Laurent Fadanni speaks with competitor Ian Hogeboom-Burr after the show.
Natalie Forde and Shawn Miguel Philbert celebrate with Tyra Anne Forde (not pictured) at the party.
Students at the party after the show.