FOR 25 years, the Murwillumbah Festival of Performing Arts has played a significant role in Bryanne Jardine's life.

The speech and drama teacher's dedication to the annual event has seen her rewarded with a well-deserved life membership - an honour which came as a "complete surprise”.

What started out as a 'suggestion” to help out, has seen Bryanne work in virtually all aspects of the festival and across all the performing arts.

Her role with the festival saw her working with the man who was synonymous with it, Tony McKerrow, who handled and organised all entries in Music, Speech and Dance prior to 1995.

In 1996, Bryanne became the first Music Convener and remained in that role for five years. She then remained associated with the festival through her passion for Speech and Drama and is on the sub-committee for that section.

She was secretary for two years from 2013 to 2015 and continues to play an important organising role in the festival.

"I have really enjoyed in being involved with this event and seeing it grown,” she said.

"Murwillumbah is known as the 'friendly festival' and we are very fortunate to have so many volunteers to help out.

"It that regard Murwillumbah outshines many other similar festivals who seem to struggle in getting volunteers - that's not the case here.”

Her role as a speech and drama teacher also sees her taking a keen interested in her students performing while they, in turn, currently have the opportunity to see Bryanne performing too as part of the cast of the Murwillumbah Theatre Company's production of the comedy Travelling North, which is currently on at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre.

* The MFPA is on from June 15-July 13.