The fuse is lit and the annual Talent Explosion is set to detonate next week for the first time as a registered charity.

Presented by Bermudian singer and teacher Marcelle Clamens, the show will be held next Wednesday at City Hall.

It will feature a wide range of Bermudian talent including gospel singer Tricray Astwood, classical pianist Oliver Grant Brugada, rock band Mohawk Radio, poet Tiffany Paynter and painter Jason Harris.

Ms Clamens said the project has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings several years ago.

"We have been doing this since 2003," she said. "We started so small. I didn't envisage it getting like this. All I first thought was that it was a venue for my students.

"They needed some way of sharing their talents, whether it was amateurish or not.

"But it has grown into this, and it is like 'oh my God'. In 2003, it was maybe ten singers; I invited maybe two guest artists.

"Now the show is so big, we would start at 7.30 p.m. promptly and we are lucky if we finish at 10.45 p.m."

But she said many people have told her that the show is so interesting and varied, they don't even notice the time passing.

"We want to be able to show that Bermudians can do whatever at top quality talent," said Ms Clamens. "I have discovered that people will come to these shows for one specific artist.

"One girl came one year for a reggae artist. She said afterward 'I had never seen ballet before. I really liked that.' That is the idea, to educate the community. It is about everything and being able to enjoy the entire thing."

She said becoming a charity allowed them to form a board, and become more focused about their main objective, which is raising money for arts students.

She said a lot of young people in Bermuda cannot afford the fees attached to lessons in dance or music, and unfortunately, are often skipped over by the more mainstream scholarship sources.

She also wanted the Talent Explosion to inspire other Bermudians to keep trying.

"I want other artists to see that there is such talent and think 'maybe I can do something as well'," said Ms Clamens. "That is what this is all about. I am excited about it.

"It is a lot of work doing this, but it is exciting to me so it doesn't feel tiring. I just feel so excited that we have so many talented people of all ages. It is not just about little kids, it is about mature adults as well."

She said the event has many wonderful sponsors including the Government's Cultural Legacy Fund, Bacardi, Barritts, Belco, The Marketplace, the Lepercq Foundation, John Charman and Max Bermuda.

For the first time this year, the event will include the visual arts also.

Jason Harris will auction his paintings in the foyer of City Hall before the show. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to the Talent Explosion Charity.

There will also be complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres.

There will be a pre-party at 6.30 p.m. until show time, for people with patron tickets.

Talent Explosion begins at 7.30 p.m. General admission is $35; patrons tickets are $80.

Tickets are available at the Christian Bookstore, People's Pharmacy, 27th Century Boutique and at the door.