A new art program is connecting Prince Rupert youngsters with mentors through a partnership between Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northern BC (BBBSN) and Rain or Shine Art Studio.
The six-week initiative named Connect: Create and Inspire, begins April 7 and is available to 10 to 12-year-olds for free on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to be with other youth in a peer-support type model. They’re there, they’re learning from each other, they’re building friendships,” Tim Bennet, BBBSN executive director, said.
Being able to connect after how isolating the pandemic was for many kids is especially important, Bennet added.
The inaugural instalment will be run by Rain or Shine Art Studio owner, Carly Allen, along with one mentor for eight children and will meet once a week.
“It’s going to be an explorative, playful, artistic approach to creating and using different materials,” Allen said.
Children will be able to use all sorts of materials and techniques such as paint, watercolours, sculptures, collages and clay to create artwork.
“There’s just so many areas that [art] can be positive for kids. I think, in the therapeutic side of things, it’s almost like a peaceful process and using your hands to do something and working with materials,” Allen said.
This first run of the program is a step toward increasing the in-person program with more activities in the planning, Bennet said. In a previous survey of Prince Rupert, BBBSN heard “loud and clear” the demand for more in-person programming. Though no new initiatives have yet been announced, outdoor plans for youth are in the making for the summer, he said.
Visit www.bigsnbc.ca/connect for all the info or to register your child now.
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Norman Galimski | Journalist
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