Narrabri Arts Eisteddfod poised for great return

The much-loved Narrabri Arts Eisteddfod is set for a great return at The Crossing Theatre this month.

Organisers are enthusiastic about the continued strong support for the event which has been a fixture on the community calendar for many years.

President Dianne Shann said entries had increased considerably.

“We are very pleased with the numbers this year. All programs are full,” she said.

“We are very grateful to our sponsors who make the eisteddfod possible. The sponsors are our lifeblood.”

The Narrabri Arts Eisteddfod is also pleased to again attract quality adjudicators.

Eisteddfod action starts with the music program being held from May 19 to 21.

Naomi Tucker will serve as adjudicator this year.

Naomi studied trumpet at the University of Newcastle Conservatorium of Music under John Kellaway, graduating in 1997. Originally from Narrabri, she also studied cornet and piano, completing examinations with Reg Bishop, AMEB, and Trinity College London.

Naomi has extensive teaching experience across primary and secondary levels within the Department of Education. She has coordinated a Catholic secondary school’s music department and served as a brass specialist and senior music teacher at Kambala, an independent private girls’ school in Sydney.

An experienced HSC and eisteddfod examiner, she has also taught privately for many years. Currently, Naomi is the director of music at Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth, overseeing junior, middle, and senior schools (Prep to Year 12) and conducting numerous extracurricular ensembles. She lives in Tamworth with her husband and three children.

The dance program follows, and will be held across May 23 to 25.

Simone Vanderwolf will be welcomed to Narrabri to adjudicate the program.

With more than 30 years of experience in the dance industry, Simone is a passionate educator, choreographer, and performer dedicated to inspiring the next generation of
dancers.

Simone’s extensive training spans multiple dance genres, from classical and commercial to theatre, giving her a well-rounded perspective on both performance and education. A sought-after national and international dance judge, Simone has been honoured to adjudicate for prestigious competitions such as Evolution, Australian All-Star Dance & Cheerleading Federation, CheerCon, Showcase, Hollywood Bound, EBSDN, and many more.

Her passion for dance education has led her to contribute to the development of primary school dance syllabus programs. Many of her students have achieved regional and national titles in the competitive dance circuit and have successfully auditioned for elite programs such as Brent Street, Dance Force, cruise ship contracts, and professional stage productions.

Simone is deeply committed to the Australian dance community and is dedicated to nurturing, developing, and inspiring the next generation of performers, teachers, choreographers, and industry professionals.

Speech and drama concludes the eisteddfod line-up this year and is being held from May 27 to 29.

Roslyn McIvor will serve as the adjudicator.

Roslyn has been teaching at the Toowoomba Anglican School for twenty two years. She has also taught for many years in her own private studio, teaching students from Year 1 to adult. She has also taught in a number of other private schools in Toowoomba.

She has the following speech and drama qualifications – Associate Diploma from the Australian Music Examination Board (A.S.D.A.), an Associate Diploma for Performance from the Australian College of Music (A.A.C.M.), Licentiate Diploma from the Trinity College of London (L.T.C.L.), and a Licentiate Diploma for Teaching from the Australian College of Music (L.A.C.M. (T.D).

She is the vice president and coordinator of speech subjects for the Australian College of Music (A.C.M.).

She is also an examiner with the A.C.M. for speech and drama, speaking and communicating, public speaking and performance skills. She is a life member of the City of Toowoomba Eisteddfod Inc and a member of the Communication, Speech & Performance Teachers Inc.

During the past 30 years, Roslyn has adjudicated both small and large eisteddfod and drama festivals in many centres in Queensland, as well as in other states.

Roslyn strongly supports the eisteddfod movement and is of the opinion that the experience of performing in front of an audience is invaluable for confidence building.

Competitors also receive helpful constructive criticism and encouragement from someone who is not their own teacher or family member.

Mrs Shann said the eisteddfod was thrilled to host three well-experienced adjudicators.

Mrs Shann has encouraged the community to see the talent on show across the three programs.

For those wanting to attend the eisteddfod in the evening, a night time music session will be held on May 19 while night time dance sessions will be held on May 23 and 24.

The community can also continue to support the Narrabri Arts Eisteddfod through a raffle featuring prizes generously donated by local businesses.

Raffle tickets will be sold during the eisteddfod and next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (May 14-16), outside Narrabri Pharmacy, from 10am to 12pm.