Youlou Arts wraps up successful summer programme supported by grant from French Embassy

The 2023 annual visual arts programme titled “Growing Young SVG Artists”, came to a close on Friday, July 28 on the grounds of the St Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown.

This year’s programme was funded through a generous grant provided by the Embassy of France to the states of the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados and the OECS.

It was the first time the popular children’s visual arts programme organized by Youlou Arts Foundation was awarded a grant.

The programme, which ran for two weeks started on Monday, July 17.

It was the first time since the pandemic, which started in 2020, that Youlou Arts Foundation was returning to offering the programme in rural locations. This year it was offered in Spring Village, Georgetown, Tourama and Kingstown at the Youlou Art Centre.

The programme focused on the serious, hot topic of Climate Change. There were discussions on climate change, its effects and what can be done to reduce the effects.

The idea was to get the children engaged with the topic; to help lay the groundwork for children to understand the changes in the environment, and be ready to face the challenges of climate change, something which will affect them throughout their lives. Bearing in mind that by preparing children from a young age will help them develop a sense of responsibility and passion for the world around them.

The art activities in the rural locations varied slightly from the Kingstown location. Art activities consisted of making a papier-mâché sculpture of planet earth, visiting the forest reserve at Campden Park and adopting a tree and interviewing that tree, making a book of that tree and adding two of their favourite animals under the tree. Poems and stories about planet earth were read.

Using paper sculpture techniques, the children were asked to invent a machine which would remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Several sessions were spent on learning about our national hero – the Right Excellent Joseph Chatoyer.

Children in the Kingstown location focused on sargassum seaweed.

Discussions were held on the increase of excessive amounts of seaweed on Caribbean beaches due to climate change.

Art activities for the children in the Kingstown location centred on making an illustrated book of sea animals which live in the seaweed, and making a papier-mâché sculpture of their favourite sea animal.

They also designed and made a sea monster which would eat smelly, dead seaweed left on the beaches to rot.

On the last day, all four locations met on the grounds of the St Joseph Convent, Kingstown and celebrated the end of the programme.

There, the 79 participants had a mini concert and were treated to a party with the usual party fare of pizza and cupcakes. They were all happy and eager to display their art work they had done during the past two weeks.

During the concert all the children performed the “Banana Boat Song” the iconic Caribbean folk song Harry Belafonte made internationally famous.

The Youlou Arts Foundation has expressed thanks for a successful 2023 visual arts programme. They have particularly thanked the French Embassy for giving Youlou Arts Foundation a grant; FitzGerald Providence, the director of Forestry; Seafields, the aquaculture company; Professional Secretarial Services Inc, and the principals: Heather Stewart – Principal of the Buccament Bay Secondary School; Adonis Charles – Principal of the Spring Village Methodist School; Angene James – Principal of the Georgetown Government School; Sheril- Ann Woods – Principal of the Tourama Government School.

Their support enabled the Youlou Arts Foundation to carry out another successful “Growing Young SVG Artist” programme in 2023.