Courtesy Oxford’s Got Talent
Auditions were held March 4 for the 5th annual Oxford’s Got Talent. The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is hosting the show in the Powerhouse Community Art Center on April 1.
“Oxford’s Got Talent is an annual community talent show presented by the Oxford Park Commission, Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and Panhellenic Council,” said Wayne Andrews, director of the arts council. “Oxford is unique; we are one of the few communities in Mississippi to have a community space dedicated to the arts. As our goal is to engage the public, the three organizations who present the event felt it was a great opportunity to show that music, dance, juggling or any talent is a mix of being creative, recreation and the community.”
The contest itself has several categories. Individual performers and groups can receive awards for dancing, singing and other areas of expertise. Prizes include gift certificates from local businesses and trophies from the arts council and the park commission.
The performers aren’t the only ones who benefit from this chance to break into the performing community, however. The Panhellenic Council donates its funds to Leap Frog, and the arts council donates its benefits to the free art programs.
“I was nervous the first year that my beloved Oxford wouldn’t have much to offer, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Bruce Butler, Oxford’s Got Talent judge and director of the Oxford-based comedy improvisation group Laff Co. “So many incredible people and groups have performed over the years. It is a great opportunity for the community to come together and foster burgeoning talent.”
Not only is the talent coming from the local community, but so are the judges. Everyone involved has an appreciation for the artistic depth in Oxford.
“My favorite memories usually involve seeing someone who is new to doing anything like that getting up on stage and really coming into their own as a performer,” Butler said. “I know it can be exhilarating as an artist myself, but seeing that take hold of someone else is truly inspiring.”
Butler and Alice Walker, a member of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council’s board of directors, have both served as judges for Oxford’s Got Talent before and will be judging again this year.
“I have really enjoyed judging for Oxford’s Got Talent,” Walker said. “We have so many wonderful performers in our community, so it’s only natural to hold a competition like this. There are always new acts showcased every year as well as some return acts. It has been a joy to watch certain young performers grow up before our eyes year after year, and it’s always a thrill to see the new talent.”
— Audrey Hall
alhall3@go.olemiss.edu
