Salmon Arm Folk Music Society (SAFMS), established in 1991, has an outstanding history of presenting an eclectic variety of high-quality musical events, entertaining and enriching the Shuswap community. The RootsandBlues Festival consistently delivers an excellent selection of culturally diverse music and related artistic experiences, engaging a multi-generational audience.
The first RootsandBlues Festival was held at the Gleneden Hall in 1992, with Salmon Arm’s own Richard Underhill and his Shuffle Demons headlining the event. As the popularity of the festival grew, indoor venues were outgrown, and the festival moved to its current home, the Salmon Arm Agricultural Fair Grounds. From its grassroots beginnings it has grown into the largest and most musically diverse Festival in the interior of British Columbia, featuring performers from across Canada and around the world.
Salmon Arm Folk Music Society cares deeply about our community and recognizes that the annual ROOTSandBLUES festival would not be possible without the generous support of our community stakeholders and citizens. To show our appreciation and in the spirit of paying it forward, SAFMS has partnered with Shuswap Community Foundation to establish the Fine Arts Development Scholarship in order to reward dedicated students through their artistic educational journey.
The scholarship of $1,000 is open, beginning in 2021, to any graduate of School District #83 enrolling in a post-secondary, fine arts discipline. While music, drama, art, and dance are obvious choices for qualification, other creative avenues such as video production and sound engineering are also acceptable.
Confirmation of registration in a full time post secondary education program at any educational institution, including technical and apprentice programs, will be required before the release of the funds. An awarded scholarship must be used within two years.
