The Red Lake Family Entertainment Series (RLFES) has kicked off a season of entertainment with a unique performance.
The organization held the outdoor show Flora and Fauna by Femmes du Feu at Centennial Park on Sept. 23.
The show, geared to children six years old and under, featured two women from the Greater Toronto Area dressing up as different boreal forest animals in a nonverbal performance set to music.
The pair set up a woodland-like dome for outfit changes.
After the show, kids stayed for a “touch and play” to visit the dome, and feel the costumes and props.
“The beaver costumes had long wooden teeth that were actually chewed by beavers,” said RLFES board chair Renée Bausch.
The RLFES brings shows to the Red Lake community that are geared toward family and children.
For this show, Canada Heritage provided funding under an initiative supporting programming for teenagers or younger children.
Femmes du Feu said they loved coming to Red Lake, Bausch reported.
“The performers called this community a gem in the middle of nowhere,” she said.
For this show, the RLFES reached out to the schools and daycares in Red Lake and Balmertown to invite children in junior kindergarten to grade one to the daytime show. They also opened the invite to the public. A few older students came along to accompany the younger children.
“It was so nice to be able to partner with the schools for this show,” says Bausch. “Usually our performances are in the evening - it was a nice change hosting for all kids amongst their school peers.”
The Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre Daycare, Ecole Catholique des Etoiles du Nord, and Golden Learning Centre were able to attend the morning show, which drew approximately 50 kids and 20 adults.
St. John’s and the Red Lake Madsen Public School attended the afternoon show, with 52 kids and 10 adults attending, for around 130 total attendees.
The RLFES held the event in an outdoor space beside the old museum building due to favourable weather.
“It was really magical to be outside amongst our Red Lake Flora and Fauna - it really fit the show,” said Bausch. “It was like it was made for us.”
