OLLY and Shepparton Art Museum have shined a light on youth creativity with their new workshop series and community art exhibition.
Participants met SAM’s workshop series, ‘Creative arts storytelling’, with a brilliant outpouring of self-expression.
The students explored a variety of artistic mediums, including film, poetry and painting through sessions led by local artists and facilitators.
Tiarne Parker, River Loizou, Ally Knight, Neil Morris and Christopher Walker were among those that participated in the workshop, guiding the young artists as they worked to develop their ideas and connect with their inner artist and emotions.
OLLY is the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project’s after-school program for young people.
The program offers young people access to food and social and learning opportunities.
SAM First Nations creative industries residency co-ordinator Chris Walker acknowledged the workshop as a great exercise for both budding students and artists.
“The process of creating and sharing has helped the kids engage with each other and their community in an open, warm way,” he said.
“The incredible support from facilitators and organisers has gone a long way in helping these students feel supported and valued.”
Throughout the six-week program students produced a vibrant array of artworks, some of which were featured in Shepparton Festival exhibition Exploring the Present Through Our Past.
The exhibition was a display dedicated to visual storytelling, with themes of adolescence, spirituality and social issues inspiring many of the works.
Greater Shepparton Secondary College Year 10 student Katelyn Lynd shared her deep personal connection to the subject of her piece.
“When I first learnt to draw, I’d always draw the dock,” Katelyn said.
“It is a place I always wanted to live, with a beautiful dock and sunset. It’s based on where Mum and Dad grew up in Tassie.”
Katelyn said her favourite activity, unexpectedly, was the poetry.
“(Writing poetry) helped us work through emotions that are difficult or we don’t know how to talk about,” she said.
OLLY student Bellamy Churchill, who uses they/them pronouns, shared their thoughts alongside their piece, which took a heart-on-the-sleeve approach to communicating difficult emotions and thoughts.
Bellamy shared that art for them was cathartic, allowing them to connect with and work through their emotions.
They shared that the collaborative nature of the workshop encouraged them to become more comfortable sharing their work.
“I vent through my art. I used my artwork to express how I’m feeling and how I have felt,” they said.
“It was nice to come to OLLY (and SAM) after school and be able to chill out surrounded by art.”
The display is open for viewing at Riverlinks Eastbank foyer, 70 Welsford St, Shepparton, until Friday, May 17.