2012 Donor Appreciation Speech

This past weekend in Rosebud we held our annual Donor Appreciation Gala. It was a beautiful evening to celebrate and thank all of you who have generously given to Rosebud Centre of the Arts over the years. As part of the event, we asked a few members of our organization to speak about the importance of Rosebud and why our donor's support is so very essential.

Here is what Rosebud School of the Arts Mentorship Acting student, Amy Burks, had to share with everyone that night:

Amy Burks

Why is Rosebud important, impactful to me?

First off I’d like to think that I am not your typical breed of actor/artist. If there is a typical breed at all- we’re all a little crazy in our own way!

I don’t come from an artistic background or even a background that had an appreciation for the arts. I remember however, the excitement I got from creating, from telling stories, from sharing my ideas about the world.

My father is a farmer, has been his whole life and the poor man was a bit taken aback by his daughter who was so interested in a world he could not understand,  one he had never engaged. But as he watched me pursue this career he said something to me that I will never forget. It was along the lines of, “This is too coincidental to be coincidence.”

I travelled before I landed in Rosebud, I’ve studied in all over Britain and have worked in ON, my home province. I’ve had the privilege of working with incredibly accomplished artists from all over the world.

But I have never encountered another place like Rosebud.

Before I came here I panicked- most of us who grow to love this place do, it’s as if we have an innate sense that it’s going to affect us. I was terrified when I arrived. There was one stop sign. ONE. As if to say, “this it is, the end of the line, you ain’t going nowhere.”  Well that stop sign was right. Rosebud sucked me in and tore me apart. That’s not what most people are expecting to hear.

This is what Rosebud does, it cradles you in this valley and it takes away all your protection and it finds the seed inside of you, the seed we all have that has the potential for incredible growth. I found a place full of people who love earth as much as I do, who love theatre and creation, who strive not only to run a business, but to say something meaningful, something akin to their fellow humans.

I work with some of the best artists in Canada. They will never force this on anyone, many students come through this town, some leave working in theatre, some do not, but what happened to those students here, to get them where they are now, is absolutely vital.

I have thought long and hard about the value of what we do here. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming. What are we doing? We are choosing to stand up in front of our fellow human beings and tell the truth. And if I can tell the truth to one person- then I’ve done my job. If there is anything I have learned in my time here it’s this- Dig deeper in with curiosity and reach further out with generosity.

You have done just that! You have given of your resources to help continue the work that is done in this beautiful valley. Thank-you. Your contribution not only impacts this community but it also provides an opportunity for students and artists to impact the world.

My dear father, who never watched theatre before, now goes on his own and he enjoys watching it. I already  see the difference I’m able to make.

Acting has taught me something about life. The best of us, are selfless. That is what I am striving for in my work, selflessness, digging in here and reaching out there.  Thank-you for your selflessness.

Let’s all keep giving, with whatever resources we have.

Thank-you

Amy Burks