Ali Howat, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Habitat of the Arts is open for the summer and with that comes all of their amazing new camps.
A new camp that just started this year is the culture camp
Habitat usually has art camps, even theatre camps, but they felt that they were missing something.
With the unfortunate events of COVID the past year, Jasper hasn鈥檛 had many of its usual international visitors.
鈥淚t may not have much to do with our youth, but the whole community cannot help but feel that void,鈥� said Marianne Garrah, director of Habitat for the Arts.
Heritage Canada has come out with some grants to renew and revive the arts.
鈥淲hy not make art more visible when our visitors return? How can we do that? How can we include our youth?鈥� Garrah asked.
And with that came the first year of the culture camp.
Habitat noticed a need to engage our youth in art and education and build towards an appreciation for the world that chooses Jasper for their holidays.
Tina Byrd will be running the camp. She has designed the program on what she would have loved to have had access to when she was young.
鈥淚magine being 10 and being given all the tools and paint and inspiring enthusiastic instructor and the freedom to just do,鈥� Garrah said.
Besides running the culture camp, Byrd also works at the elementary school.
The culture camp is all geared towards learning about the world through the power of art.
Jasper relies a lot on its visitors. But how much do youth know about where they come from?
鈥淗ow do we ensure our youth appreciate the cultures that come here?鈥� Garrah asked.
The culture camp has guests coming to share their real-world experiences with the youth.
A couple of the cultures that the youth will learn about will be Mexico, Indigenous Canada and Africa. Each day, they will also get to try food from the country of the day.
The camp is similarly designed from the multicultural night that Habitat of the Arts ran in previous years.
The camp starts on Aug. 2 and will run up until Aug. 13, ending with a fair in the park, weather permitting.
The kids will be designing their own 鈥渇air鈥� throughout the duration of the camp.
鈥淚 think we underestimate the potential to consult youth when it comes to community engagement,鈥� Garrah said.
The kids will get to make masks, paint like impressionists, create mandalas and learn about colour and even Bhangra dance.
The camp will highlight the need for youth to engage in the arts for diversity and inclusion.
The youth will be distanced for health and safety and making as much art as they can in the nine days.
There are only a few spots left, so contact [email protected] for details.
