A local not-for-profit art school has been awarded a grant of $20,000 to create a new program for teenagers in the area.
The Pyrmont-based organisation, Culture at Work, provides community workshops that teach children about art, creativity and science.
With the grant from State Street and United Way, the organisation now hopes to reach out to teenagers through its G6 program.
Culture at Work CEO, Sherryl Ryan, said the grant will go a long way in developing the program which involves artists mentoring teens who will be given the chance to exhibit their own work.
“This grant is encouraging because it helps to develop [G6] and I think it’s great to see how giving opportunities to teenagers to develop their own creativity. . . [and] having an exhibition gives confidence and also gives them an insight into how to get an idea transformed into an outcome.”
Ms Ryan said creative pursuits are fundamental to a teen’s development but guidance and support are sometimes hard to come by.
“You can sometimes find yourself as a teenager not having that sort of support or that opportunity for someone to help you develop something you’re interested in.”
Ms Ryan said G6 hopes to combat this, giving teens the chance to develop skills in whatever creative area they wish to pursue; whether it be installations, sculptures, painting, photography or craft and textiles.
Glebe resident Silvana Holler said it was Culture at Work that helped her daughter Astrid, 14, become confident with her photography skills.
“Culture at Work helped her grow in that field and explore and be more free,” Mrs Holler said. “Because she would always doubt herself, like teenagers always do.”
Astrid exhibited a range of her photographs earlier this year with the help of Ms Ryan and Culture at Work.
Mrs Holler said her daughter will definitely be taking part in the G6 program when it eventually starts up.
“It will be a great thing this program,” she said. “So many children out there are very talented but sometimes they don’t have the opportunities, especially in schools so many of them don’t get recognised for their talent.”
Single mother of three, Annette Sage, is also excited by what G6 will bring. The Pyrmont resident has been taking her three children to workshops held by Culture at Work for many years now.
“They love it,” she said. “I actually have a lot of trouble getting my kids to leave.”
Ms Sage said living in an apartment makes it difficult to get paints out and encourage the kids to be creative, so Culture at Work helps to meet that need.
She also said the program’s affordability made it easy to keep her kids involved.
“It’s really good value for money.”
As a parent of two herself, Ms Ryan said she understood parents couldn’t always afford to keep up with their teens, which is why G6 will include free workshops.
For more information on G6 or other Culture at Work programs go to: www.cultureatwork.com
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