Youth arts blossoms with Pressed for Time presented by Drug Aware
Regional Arts WA
In July, Nannup locals Keira, Sophia and Alorah brought two young artists from Fremantle, Leah Vlatko and Emma Stokes, to their hometown to run a series of workshops aimed at providing new skills in flower pressing and lantern making.
With support from their local community organisation, Nannup Garden Village, the three young people coordinated a short series of workshops over the school holidays, as well as a workshop area at the 2019 Nannup Flower and Garden Festival.
Pressed flowers were part of a youth workshop at the 2019 Nannup Flower and Garden Festival. Picture by Emma Stokes.
When preparing to promote their project Keira, Sophia & Alorah identified the drug aware messages that fit with their project and would help to raise drug awareness. By working with the Nannup Flower and Garden Festival they were able to share the message (“to be more drug aware look after your friends and know what you are getting into”) with a really wide audience on Facebook, as well as promoting it in the festival program.
“Over the festival, it gave kids somewhere fun to be. I remember being at festivals when I was younger and there wasn’t much to do and I wanted to go home. The busy bee creative corner stopped that. Festivals should be a time for all age groups to celebrate, including young people and I think this project allowed that.”
– Keira (13)
This project gave participants the chance to learn how to press flowers and make flower presses from recycled or found objects. They could then take it to the next level using their pressed flowers and paints to create colourful and fun lanterns. Many of the young people who joined the July workshops brought their pressed flowers with them to the Festival and used them for their lanterns.
Picture by Emma Stokes.
The project wasn’t without its challenges when the weather turned bad during the school holidays it made it difficult for participants to attend the first workshops. However, it cleared up for a great turn-out at the Festival with over 200 young people participating in the workshops.
“I really loved being part of applying for a grant. It has let me learn a lot and I really enjoyed that we got this for our community. I loved it.”
– Keira (13)
Looking to run your own youth arts workshop? Drug Aware YCulture Regional is open to regional people aged 12-26 for skills development across any artform.
