About the Show
The Rotary Arts Awards is an annual live show that awards bursaries to high school students who have been pursuing the arts in the Algoma region and presents community awards to the many volunteers, workers, leaders, and mentors in our community. The show is also an opportunity to showcase the talent who are up for awards.
The first show will be held on Sunday June 27, 2027 at the Sault Community Theatre Centre. We are still in the early stages of planning the event, if you would like to stay informed,join the mailing list.
Bursaries
The primary reason we’re hosting this awards show is to support the youth in our community who have been pursuing the arts. With arts funding shrinking over the past few years, we felt it was time to boost the arts here in the Algoma region. Applications for bursaries will be open in the fall of 2026. If you join the mailing list, you’ll be sent an email to let you know when applications are open.
The Rotary Club of Sault Ste Marie supports our youth in athletics via the Rotary Sports Awards and in STEM via the Science Fair. Given the declining arts programs in our schools, I felt we could further support the youth in our community by awarding bursaries to develop their career in the arts.
Darryl Patterson
Event Producer and Board Chair
Community Awards
The youth in our community have a village of volunteers, teachers and mentors supporting them. The awards show will present category-based awards to those people in the arts community that build the foundation for the success of our youth. Community awards will also be awarded to theatre productions and the people and organizations that produce them. The award categories are being developed, along with the criteria for nomination or qualifying.
The arts are essential. They foster critical thinking and creative problem solving, build communication and self-expression skills, and create community and a sense of belonging. Our city is gifted with a vibrant arts scene - we want to celebrate the contributions of its members, and foster the growth of the next generation of SSM's artists.
Megan Wigmore
Board Member
Get Involved
The show is still in early development, and we are looking to build a list of local people who would like to get involved with the event. There are 4 ways you can get involved:
- Work the event
- Be a presenter
- Be on the bursary committee
- Be a judge for the community awards
Interested in getting involved?