Suffolk YMCA is coordinating a new and exciting Community Arts project called ‘Who Do You Think I Am?’ to be held in Bury St Edmunds at the end of March. The project aims to tackle the negative images of young people we see in the media and to promote positive images of both older and younger people in the eyes of the public. YMCA Youth Worker Louise Jolly, who is based in Bury, is bringing young people aged 16-19 years together with older people from the town, to create an exhibition of printmaking with funding and support from the Community Safety Partnership, The Apex and local arts organisation Oyster Press.
Louise is working with Oyster Press, because it is an arts organisation which brings printmaking out into the community and encourages, stimulates, and supports participants to explore their creativity in a safe and comfortable environment. Oyster Press has worked on many community arts projects before. Their project co-ordinator Alison Smyth said
“We are looking forward to delivering a first class exhibition in Bury St Edmunds that will be both enjoyable and thought provoking for visitors. Response to the project from various groups in Bury has been excellent with a good turn out for the free taster sessions on printmaking that were ordered to the public at the beginning of January.”
Participants in the community arts project will be attending free art workshops with Oyster Press at The Apex, from the 27th January. These workshops will introduce participants to printmaking, the earliest form of mass communication, where they will learn to create professional pieces of art for the exhibition. Through the workshops older and younger people will have an opportunity to create both great art and positive friendships, whilst breaking down negative stereotypes of young people. As well as using one of the oldest forms of media (printing) in the workshops, participants will also explore modern technology (camera’s) to add an extra edge to the project, with short films going onto social media sites that all ages can enjoy.
Work produced at the taster sessions, where participants learnt to etch for the first time, are included in this article, to demonstrate what can be achieved in just one session!
For more information on the project or on the work of the YMCA in Suffolk, contact Louise at the YMCA on 07474582509.
To find outmore about Oyster Press contact Alison at Oyster Press on 07990553662.
