CatStrand Youth Arts 2017 - 2018 CatStrand Youth Arts, CatStrand, High St, New Galloway DG7 3RN 01644 420 374 www.catstrandyouth.co.uk [email protected] March 2018 About CatStrand Youth Arts CatStrand Youth Arts has been delivering activity across the Glenkens for young people and children aged 4-25 over the past 10 years as a project under the Glenkens Community & Art Trust (GCAT). In 2017 Holywood Trust funding allowed for a renewed 2 year programme of activity engaging young people with the arts in the Glenkens. Since March 2017 this has included regular group delivery across a range of arts practices, one off taster workshops, exhibitions, film screenings, writer’s retreats and partnership projects with other arts and youth service deliverers and schools in Dumfries & Galloway. The delivery has been grouped into three target age brackets: Creative Sparks (4-12 years) -> Nurturing Interest & Creative Thinking Creative Skills (12-16 years) -> Developing Talents & Expanding Experience Creative Careers (15-25 years) -> Preparing for a career in the Creative Industries The outcomes sought from the 2 year programme: - Access to professional artistic events and sessions for yp - Opportunities to try new artistic activities and develop skills and abilities - Opportunities to acquire artistic professional accreditation and UCAS points for artistic endeavours - Opportunities to learn new vocational skills - Increased awareness of identity and sense of place, particularly for young people engaged in our transitions and landscape arts projects. - Opportunities to learn and develop new skills - Increased awareness of the scope of the arts to improve lives and wellbeing - A more profound understanding of the diversity of cultural heritage from around the world - Improved personal profiles - Connection to a community of like-minded young people - Opportunities to design & develop their own artistic projects - Increased awareness of the value of collaborative and partnership working To enable the achievement of these outcomes a more young person led approach was undertaken incorporating evaluation and monitoring of previous provision. This evaluation is ongoing to create a programme through CatStrand that meets the creative needs and wants of young people in the area. As we head into the second year of delivery under this new structure this report has been produced to reflect on what has been delivered so far, what has been achieved by young people involved in the programme and what we hope to offer going forward into Scotland’s year of young people. Aidan Nicol Youth Arts Coordinator CatStrand Youth Arts, CatStrand, High St, New Galloway DG7 3RN 01644 420 374 www.catstrandyouth.co.uk [email protected] March 2018 Marketing & Communication A new website and social media presence has been developed with assistance of youth volunteers and marketing activity has been young person led and focused with new brochures and online communication under the banner CatStrand Youth. This includes monthly mail chimp e newsletters & a youth notice board at CatStrand. www.catstrandyouth.co.uk @catstrandyouth CatStrand Youth Summer & Winter Brochures CatStrand Youth Arts, CatStrand, High St, New Galloway DG7 3RN 01644 420 374 www.catstrandyouth.co.uk [email protected] March 2018 CatStrand Youth Achievements The youth vols group were successful in their application to D&G Choices Fund to transform the village phonebox A youth Board Member was appointed to CatStrand to represent. Choreo Skills Lab dancers achieved Bronze Arts Awards for their participation & engagement with dance. CatStrand Youth Players took 1st place 6 young people aged at the Stewarty 16-22 completed Theatre Festival with traineeships with their play Exit Stage CatStrand or in Left partnerships Hana from our Random Writers group has had a short story published in Upland’s Confluence book. CatStrand Youth Arts, CatStrand, High St, New Galloway DG7 3RN 01644 420 374 www.catstrandyouth.co.uk [email protected] March 2018 CatStrand Youth in Numbers 2017 133 youth arts sessions delivered 95 individual young people engaged 8 average attendance at 595 groups attendances recorded 180 attended events through the youth access scheme average 21 attendance at events CatStrand Youth Arts, CatStrand, High St, New Galloway DG7 3RN 01644 420 374 www.catstrandyouth.co.uk [email protected] March 2018 Summary of Delivery Creative Sparks Animate (7+) – weekly animation group teaching traditional stop motion animation techniques including hand drawn and plasticine modelling Animate Cine Club (7+) – monthly early evening screenings of animated film, showcasing a variety of animation techniques and styles. Also an opportunity to screen videos created by the Animate group. Saturday Art Club (4+) – bi weekly artist taster sessions on Saturday mornings in village halls around the Glenkens. Activities have included knitting, watercolour painting, felting, wreath making. Bringing in specialist artists to run longer term projects with the group has included felt artist Linda Irving who has been working with the group to make a large felt banner of the Glenkens. The group has also extended into spaces around the Glenkens, using local village halls in Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Dalry and New Galloway. Forest School (5+) - Bi weekly Saturday morning sessions at Balmaclellan Hidden Mill’s permaculture forest. Run by a local forest school teacher and artist Sisi, the group explore the woods and create art with natural materials. Margaret Morris Dance (5+) – Sara Lockwood delivers dance and movement for little ones at CatStrand on Monday afternoons. Arts Awards Take Overs (5+) – artist led in school project with primary pupils at Carsphairn. Pupils created a mosaic artwork in the school grounds with artist Mary Smith, researched mosaic artists old and new and created log books over the course of a week culminating in a sharing day for parents and carers. Creative Skills Youth Volunteers (12+)- monthly meet ups for 12-19 year olds to have their say on the youth arts programme, sign up to volunteer at youth arts events and other events e.g stewarding/ assisting with clubs etc. The group also run their own projects, they organised and ran snail racing at the Alternative Games and have just gained funding for their youth booth phone box project in New Galloway. Youth Players (12+) – youth drama group run by Brian and Zoe – the group meet weekly during productions and this year won first place in the Stewartry Drama Association festival in Castle Douglas for their one act play Exit Stage Left. Choreo Skills Lab (12+) – Sara Lockwood offers support for young people to develop their choreography skills, coming up with their own dance routines and pieces and performing them bi annually at CatStrand. Three members of the group have this year completed a Bronze Arts Award. CatStrand Youth Arts, CatStrand, High St, New Galloway DG7 3RN 01644 420 374 www.catstrandyouth.co.uk [email protected] March 2018 Rehearsal Rooms (12+) – rehearsal and recording space for young musicians, led by local musician and band member Ruari. Bands under 30 have come into CatStrand for recording sessions where they have also had videos produced. Sketch (12+) – a course in Sketching techniques ran for 6 weeks in February with local artist Mary Smith. Jumpcut Film Making (12+) – leading in from sessions delivered with Dalry High School and Castle Douglas High, Jump Cut, offers a chance for young people to meet on a Monday evening and work on their film ideas as a group. The group are currently producing a short film written by a member of the group . Random Writers (12+) - writing group for 12-16s continues to meet at Dalry High School, but will shortly be moving into the library in Dalry to increase accessibility. The group meet once monthly to share what they have been working on and to work on projects. The group have had workshops from Anne Errington, where they contributed stories and poetry to the Confluence project. One short story by Hana Ade will be published in the book this Spring. They also attended the Wigtown Book Festival and a writing retreat during Scottish Book Week at Mabie Forest. Nail Art Trips (12+) – following a successful Summer taster Blackburns salon in Castle Douglas has hosted nail art sessions and a Halloween horror sfx make up session with a group. Game Tech (12+) - Following a successful Summer taster Game Jam (game making course) with Rockstar North & students at Abertay University’s gaming department we have launched a monthly meet up for gamers aged 12+ to play on the big screen using our xbox and game rental service and to have talks and workshops throughout the year from the game industry. This included a game design & pitch session with the University West of Scotland’s game rep Madeleine. Underground (12+) – the youth volunteers have programmed films for 12-16 year old audience which have screened in the CatStrand cinema. They are programming a new series of films that will be shown in pop up locations around the Glenkens for this age group and will be advertised through secret coded messages. Mental Health Arts Week (12+) Mary Smith delivered two days of arts activity at Dalry High School as part of their mental health awareness week. Exploring emotions through arts activities for S1 –S4 pupils. CatStrand Youth Arts, CatStrand, High St, New Galloway DG7 3RN 01644 420 374 www.catstrandyouth.co.uk [email protected] March 2018 Creative Careers Working one on one in most instances we have been able to deliver tailored, practical experience for young people across a range of arts disciplines and interests. Internships Delivered: Theatre Development – Zoe (19) Zoe is being supported to deliver her idea for a youth theatre festival in New Galloway. She has applied for funding to Create 18 and Dumfries & Galloway Council to support her project. She is organising the festival for young people aged 12-16 based on the National Theatre Festival she attended in Ayr last year as an Amigo (youth leader).