AMHERST - - Youth from Amherst, Cumberland County, and across Canada will express their artistic talents during National Youth Arts Week from May 1-7.
"It's an event that will be held right across Canada and you just have to register your event with National Youth Arts," said Sarah MacIntosh, youth program co-ordinator at Maggies Place.
A group of girls at Maggies Place, Chicks Night Out, were brainstorming in preparation for a youth arts workshop taking place Saturday at the Cumberland YMCA.
The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is open to any young individual or any youth group who want to express themselves during National Youth Arts Week.
"We'll be trying to draw people from the community who are passionate about arts, and then we'll do planning for the actual art events that will take place," said MacIntosh. "It's up to the youth, to express themselves how they want.
"It could be painting a mural, it could be reading poetry at the bandstand, it could be coming up with an art display or playing music on the streets," she added
The Chicks Night Out group was asked to write down what comes to mind when they think of the arts, including music, painting, sculpture and other artistic mediums.
They will then sketch their ideas in a sketchbook with the goal of creating a huge mural made with paint and pieces cut from magazines.
"I wanted to have a workshop to show kids that just because you don't excel at school or excel at sports, there might be something you're really good at that others might not recognize as a talent," said MacIntosh. "You can have very intelligent, creative people who kind of get lost in the school system."
The workshop will feature Molly Thomason, a singer/songwriter from Antigonish. She will attend the workshop in the morning. Also attending the workshop is Heartwood, a community youth development organization.
MacIntosh hopes youth from throughout the county attend the workshop, even those who might not see themselves as artists.
"We're hoping to give youth the opportunity to put their talents on display," she said. "If a person say's they don't have talent we can find something they would like to try in a group, or if they want to try something on their own they can do that, so there's not a lot of pressure for somebody who doesn't see themselves as an artist."
