Performing artists revitalize small rural town

Rosebud School of the Arts, Alberta, Canada

This is how to build a rural attraction with a population of about 100. In the village of Rosebud, once a ranching, farming and mining community going into decline, the Rosebud School of the Arts was created, attracting performing artists from the USA and across Canada. About an hour's drive from Calgary, this community started with one arts camp in 1973 by school teacher Laverne Ericsson. It now has a dinner theatre, with stage plays and pre-show entertainment that attract patrons from nearby Calgary and bus tours from across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Rosebud links with events and attractions in surrounding communities, such as the Atlas Coal Mine Historic Site in Drumheller and local ghost towns such as Wayne. Rosebud now sports its own radio show and recording studio.