The Shari Clarke Bursaries

The Shari Clarke Bursaries support students in our programming who are in financial need. They cover the cost of tuition by term at HITEM.

The Shari Clarke Bursary Fund was first established in 2022 in partnership with Bravura Nova Scotia, and we are extremely grateful to have had their support over the years. As Bravura Nova Scotia is now winding down its operations through 2025, the Early Music Society of Nova Scotia has graciously agreed to take over the roll of managing donations and charitable receipts for us. We greatly appreciate these bursary partnerships that help to make our programming, and the musical enrichment that comes with it, accessible to all.

If you would like to apply for a bursary, please inquire through our Contact page.

If you would like to donate to the Shari Clarke Bursary Fund and receive a tax-deductible receipt, you are also invited to inquire through our Contact page and we will refer you to the Treasurer of the Early Music Society of Nova Scotia.

This bursary program was created in memory of Shari Ann Clarke (1962-2019), a long-time participant in the early music and traditional music communities in Nova Scotia. Shari played the violin/fiddle and a wide variety of other instruments, some of which she actually built herself, including nyckelharpa, guitar, flute, and cello. She also shared her love of music through teaching, instrument repair, and volunteer work for such organizations as Symphony Nova Scotia and the Boxwood Festival. Originally from Toronto, she studied music at McGill University and then spent the last ~25 years of her life in Halifax. While Shari faced many life challenges, she found a haven in the early music and traditional music communities here, with room to explore and share her musical interests with her own incredible enthusiasm, curiosity, and resourcefulness. Her warmth and generosity and her natural ability to relate to children are fondly remembered.

We at HITEM would like to thank the Early Music Society of Nova Scotia, Bravura Nova Scotia, Peter-John Clarke, Chris Purcell, Margo Lindener, and Joseph Maksym for their help with and support of this bursary program.