GUELPH – The Guelph Arts Council has announced that the 2018 Youth Opportunities Award goes to Queer Youth Arts Guelph, a group seeking “to make Guelph a more inclusive city for everyone,” and more specifically “to provide a platform for youth to speak their minds in creative ways,” officials say.
Led by three Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute Grade 12 students, Victoria Johnson, Charlotte McAren-Cayer and Carling Serran, the group requested assistance in presenting an arts showcase event in February to coincide with winter Pride.
They are inviting queer artists aged 13 to 20 from all backgrounds and skill levels to submit a wide range of art, including film, painting, photography, music, creative writing and stand-up comedy.
Geared specifically to youth, the showcase will put “their voices in the spotlight,” officials say, rather than being included “as an afterthought.”
It will also encourage youth to participate in order to engage with young artists around them, and even inspire some to create and exhibit art for the first time.
The award jury commended Queer Youth Arts Guelph for an original, innovative idea that is very much in the spirit of the Youth Opportunities Award, filling an identified gap and encouraging young people to engage in the arts.
Jury members also appreciated that this showcase is a “youth-led queer arts project for youth,” officials say.
For more information about the Youth Opportunities Award program and Guelph Arts Council visit guelpharts.ca, phone 519-836-3280 or email administration@guelpharts.ca.
For more information about the Queer Youth Arts Guelph showcase, visit www.instagram.com/queeryouthart.
