The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) is turning to GoFundMe after a $30,000 budget cut.
With added expenses from programming, the campaign will fund programs for youth, including art workshops.
This fall NACC supported a workshop called Live Your Gifts hosted by artists Kiera Kolson and Blaire Russell as part of its community outreach program. The workshop went through Fort Simpson, K'atlodeeche First Nation Reserve and Enterprise, giving youth in each community an opportunity to learn from the artists, create art and present it to their communities.
SA国际影视传媒淭o not only give them a chance to live their gifts and share their skills and abilities but to also help show people how precious the North is,SA国际影视传媒� said artist Kolson.
She said holding these workshops are important because they build on projects that were begun by her late mother.
SA国际影视传媒淏y doing the first tour with NACC where my mother and I were to have had an inter-generational performance collectively but she passed. And it was through that initially where a conversation began around the workshops that I was going to be facilitating. And through NACC's willingness to partner up and support this work, I was able then to access pockets of financial support that I wouldn't have been able to access alone.SA国际影视传媒�
By supporting NACC, you're not just supporting a venue, she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚t's supporting the shows that go on there, it's supporting the repairs that are necessary for the home and the venue to make sure that the audience and performers are safe. It's to ensure that there's financial capacity to have these types of outreach community workshops, whether its art shops, whether its performances.SA国际影视传媒�
Maintaining spaces to create art are important because they bring people together.
SA国际影视传媒淏y people supporting the fundraising efforts of NACC, you're not only ensuring that space is still available for people to come together but its also there to encourage and support the development of other artisan spectrums,SA国际影视传媒� said Kolson. SA国际影视传媒淎rt is such a powerful tool and when I say art I think about every possible approach.SA国际影视传媒�
The goal of these workshops is to teach youth how art can be used as a healthy outlet.
SA国际影视传媒淓specially when you think about the demographic we have here in the North being 65 per cent youth and then you think about the statistical data that we have around harm and you look at what is in place in terms of harm reduction,SA国际影视传媒� said Kolson.
Some services have three-month waiting lists in these small communities, she said.
Last year, she was on tour with the Confederation Centre of the Arts, when one of the communities went into a state of emergency.
SA国际影视传媒淚t triggered me because I don't believe that this is the legacy our ancestors intended for us. I really don't,SA国际影视传媒� said Kolson tearfully.
SA国际影视传媒淓ven for myself, as an inter-generational survivor, art has been and continues to be a healthy outlet that I utilize to continue to ground myself and maintain the direction that I want and deserve from my life.SA国际影视传媒�
Kolson said she wants to continue with these workshops and continue paying it forward, because the ultimate goal is harm reduction.
SA国际影视传媒淚 want to do more of these workshops undeniably because watching the youth interact and engage and seeing the pride they have in their work is worth it.SA国际影视传媒�
In that sense, these workshops are a form of art therapy, and provide a space where elders and youth can come together and learn from each other, said Kolson.
SA国际影视传媒淭hat's the goal, is letting the youth know these dreams and these goals that you have just because we come from a small place it doesn't mean our expectations for ourselves have to be small.SA国际影视传媒�
The crowd funding campaign to support NACC launched Nov. 9 and runs until Dec. 9. As of press time the campaign had reached $1,150 of its $10,000 goal.
