Volunteer Airdrie Society is calling on local performers and artists to showcase their skills in a new online talent show.
“It’s an opportunity for anyone with any kind of talent to be able to get noticed and have some fun,” said Vanessa Logan, a director with Volunteer Airdrie, which launched Airdrie’s Online Talent Show in July.
“If you can paint, draw, sing, do gymnastics or even if you’re a teenager and you know you’re really good at skateboarding, we ask you to make a little video recording yourself doing that talent and then we put it all online."
The idea to organize an online talent show stemmed from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Logan said, when people were mostly confined to their households.
“We wanted to do something during COVID, being that morale was down,” she said. “We thought it would be a great opportunity to boost spirits, and it is a bit of a fundraiser for Volunteer Airdrie as well. We wanted to do something fun and it’s not too hard to record yourself doing a video.”
There is no formal audition process, Logan said, though video submissions will be screened to ensure they are appropriate for all viewers. While the contest is open to all ages, performers under the age of 18 must have written consent from parents.
Performers can record themselves displaying any type of talent, Logan added, whether it's singing, dancing, magic, juggling or anything in between.
“If you can do something that other people struggle with, it’s probably a talent,” she said.
The videos are then uploaded online to both Volunteer Airdrie's social media channels and to the QEII Network – a website that streams videos focusing on community, news and entertainment in Airdrie, Crossfield, Carstairs and Didsbury. Logan said partnering with the QEII Network will help raise the profile of the talent show.
“It’s a great way to be seen and you can reach quite a lot of traffic,” she said. “We just thought it would be a great opportunity for both of us to grow our networks and be seen together.”
The talent show is also not strictly for Airdrie residents and is open to people in the communities surrounding the city, with the exception of Calgary.
Interested participants can sign up by visiting volunteerairdrie.ca, clicking the "Programs" tab and following the link to Airdrie's Online Talent Show. Participants must fill out a short registration form before uploading a video of their performance.
Logan said the videos will air on Sunday evenings on airdrietv.ca and on Volunteer Airdrie's Facebook page, as long as they receive at least three submissions during a given week. Viewers can vote on which act they liked the most, she said, and the most popular acts from each week will advance to future rounds of the talent show.
“And then there are prizes for the winners,” she said. “The idea is kind of like America’s Got Talent, but for Airdrie – who has the best talent in Airdrie?”
Unfortunately, according to Logan, the talent show – which has aired two episodes as of Sept. 2 – has not yet received considerable buy-in from the community. She said only six people have submitted performances, including pianists and singers.
“We’re hoping if we get enough talented submissions, we can do this weekly,” she said. “Unfortunately, we just haven’t been getting enough entries to do so.”
The cost to participate in the talent show is $20 and payment options can be determined by emailing [email protected]. For more information or to register for the talent show, visit volunteerairdrie.ca/talent-show
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
