Calgary Performing and Visual Arts Foundation

The Calgary Performing and Visual Arts Foundation
proudly supports

The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts
at Central Memorial High School.

January auditions for 2025-2026 school year are open!

Home of the Rams

Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) Program featuring specialized learning for
Dance • Theatre • Symphony Band • Vocal • String Orchestra • Technical Theatre • Media Arts • Fashion Design • Visual Arts

• Championship Athletics
• Advanced Placement Programs
• Second Language & AEL
• Dual Credit & Work Experience
• International Student Programs

Career and Technology Centre features specialized learning for:

Culinarty Arts • Autobody • Pre-Engineering • Welding • Cosmetology • Media Design Communications • Environmental Energy and Innovation • Business Studies • Computer Sciences SKILLS Canada Competitors

CBE High School transfers for specialized programming

Visit our Media Resources page to find videos and other promotional materials. Feel free to share these to your social media, which helps promote the PVA program.

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Comments from students and parents

“The PVA Program at Central Memorial High School has allowed our daughter the opportunity to pursue her love of music through the choral program. She is thrilled to be able to do this during her school day along with like-minded students. This means she is also exposed to many other art forms such as dance, drama, theatre, instrumental music and art.

The success of the PVA Program lies in the dedication of the very professional and knowledgeable instructors. The time, effort and focus they bring to each and every program means that students are able to study their area of choice at a deeper level, learning both the artistic and technical aspects. Being able to travel (to Germany last year!) and perform throughout the year further enhances their education. As parents, we are most grateful for a program which focuses on our daughter’s love of music and allows her to progress and enjoy every day. We often think back to our daughter’s first day in the PVA Program : “Guess what? I get to sing for homework!!”

Berna S.

“Not only have the students in this program developed into strong and able actors and actresses, but also the program has also become an amazing place to learn the skills needed for jobs in real life, and allows the students enrolled in this program to take part in some unbelievable experiences that normally would be virtually impossible. As I leave this program, I feel like an entirely different person, both on the stage and off. This program has allowed me to develop friendships that I will have for life as well as extending my little experience in the world of theatre when I started, to a broader and more professional base if I choose to pursue acting in the future.”

Allison G.

“My daughter entered the vocal program at Central with many years of choral experience but no solo experience and minimal private instruction.  She was able to turn to Anne Gardner and the other members of the vocal program not only for school music program support and guidance, but also for private vocal coach instructors and summer camps.

As a result of this support and the superior music education she received at Central Memorial, she received early admittance into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston along with a $10,000 annual scholarship.

We will always be indebted to Anne and the program at Central.”

Cyndra T.

“Other things have helped me to become more aware as an artist. I have experienced so many different aspects of theatre that I didn’t know were there. We did a movement unit in grade ten, collective theatre and forum theatre units in grade eleven, and a Meisner technique workshop in grade twelve. I have also taken part in things such as tech theatre, play writing, directing, and monologue work. Each aspect that I have learned and participated in for the past three years has definitely changed my perspective about theatre. Overall, these three years have had a huge impact on me. I will never forget my high school years because of this program. I am exiting the program with more knowledge to acting, the theatre, and also about myself.”

Alyssa D.

PVA disciplines - band, dance, fashion, media arts, strings, theatre arts, tech theatre, visual arts, vocal