Guide to National Youth Arts Week
Next week marks National Youth Arts Week. From Tuesday, May 1st to Monday, May 7th, youth from across Canada will participate in various workshops, exhibits, musical performances and other arts related events. Much like Culture Days back in October, Youth Arts Week is a series of events created and hosted by local community groups and individuals. National Youth Arts Week will provide an opportunity for young people ages 13 to 30 to express and exchange their ideas, showcase their talents, get excited about art and creativity and celebrate their positive contributions to their communities and to Canada. Below is a list of free events that will be taking place throughout the city all week long.
Tuesday, May 1st
New Media Youth Workshop, 7pm-9pm: Modern Fuel’s New Media Workspace will be hosting an event for any young person interested in the media arts! The evening will showcase the work of a small residency that took place in April and was centered on the theme of GIFs, followed by a workshop on the pre-production, filming and editing aspects of creating media work.
Wednesday, May 2nd
Youth Film Screening, 7pm-10pm: Films by youth video makers will be screened at the Screening Room followed by a feature film. Reelout Film Festival and the Kingston Canadian Film Fest are partnering with the Screening room to host this evening.
Community Mural, 7pm-9pm: Young artists will be carrying out a mural project focused on the Willamsville and Kingscourt districts of Kingston. During the months leading up to National Youth Arts Week, young artists have conducted interviews with residents; these stories will inform the final image of the mural. This process will be documented by a young videographer and the documentary will be screened at the Screening Room.
Thursday, May 3rd
Coffee House, 7pm-9pm: A night of diverse youth talent. Partnering with Immigration Services’ youth group and Improv Kingston, come drop in for a night of song, performance, dance, spoken word and more!
Friday, May 4th
Alternative Spaces for the Arts, 7pm-9pm: A workshop led by activist artist Justin Langois of Broken City Lab. Justin will be presenting his work and lead a workshop giving young people the tools and strategies for taking their art to the streets.
Saturday, May 5th
Printmaking Workshop, 3pm-5pm: Youth are invited to participate in two skill sharing workshops led by two print artists who have created successful print studios and businesses in Kingston. Practical knowledge about starting a business in the arts will also be discussed with participants. The two print procedures covered in the workshops will be screen printing and letter press. This is the only event that requires preregistration as space is limited. Please contact Lucas Huang ([email protected]) to sign up.
Highschool Photo Contest, 6:15pm-8pm: Local high school students were invited to submit photographic images that contained the principles of art. They were judged by a local group called the Kingston Photographer’s Guild. Students are invited to a V.I.P. reception where the winners will be presented with awards.
Arts Education Forum, 7pm-9pm: Representatives from educational institutions in Kingston will be speaking about the opportunities for youth to pursue arts education in Kingston. What kinds of educational models does Kingston support in the arts? This discussion will also include current students enrolled in art education programs and will be an enlightening evening for any young person thinking about continuing their education in the arts.
Sunday, May 6th
Theatre Performance and Workshop, 11am-2pm: Blue Canoe is a youth centered theater group in kingston and will be hosting a performance at the Cataraqui Town Center. After this short performance, spectators and young people are invited to participate in workshops culminating in a collaborative performance in flash mob style!
Kid Koala Concert, 6:30pm-8:30pm: This highly interactive performance and workshop is led by one of Canada’s leading DJs and will be a multi-disciplinary performance. Opening acts will include local youth talent including a giant Rock Band style piece organized by Renaissance School of Music. An ensemble of 20+ young performers will learn the parts to a pre-determined song on their instruments of choice and perform the piece for the first time together on Sunday.
Monday, May 7th