A group of York youngsters are encouraging people to discover their artistic talents this summer.
Southbank-based SmART Team (Small Artistic Revolution Together) are hoping to bring the community together as part of their North Yorkshire Police Lifestyle Challenge project and raise money for charity.
The team is made up of Millthorpe School pupils Lellie Dalgleish, 15, twins Sammy and Lily Hunter Richardson, 13, Alfie Robinson, 11, and Dec Dalgleish, 11, from Archbishop Holgate.
Lellie said: “We wanted to do the Lifestyle Challenge because we wanted to do something that helps our community and we also wanted to bring people together; something different than being on screens.”
The team, who are raising money for York Against Cancer, are making and selling canvases for people to create their own works of art, which will then be displayed in an open air gallery on Racecourse Road on August 23, 3-5pm.
There will also be workshops on the day from 11am-2pm in the alleys behind Knavesmire Crescent, where there will be clay therapy, painting canvases, foraging in alleys and producing a canvas using rubbings.
Bed sheets and PVA
Lellie added that making the canvases, which they sell to prospective exhibitors, are a work of art themselves.
“We are making the canvases by building frames out of wood and then stretching old bed sheets over them.
“We then mix up PVA and emulsion and then paint the base coat with it and then after it dries it is ready to be painted on.”
Lellie added: “We hope to raise enough money to help York Against Cancer and we also hope we have given the community something to do during a time when there isn’t much on.
“We know people struggle with cancer so we wanted to do something to help them.
“We also know that York Against Cancer is a very underfunded charity so we wanted to help them as they will have struggled during lockdown.”
The group, which has already raised nearly £1,500 already, is also going to be selling pizza and cakes on the day.
North Yorkshire Police Lifestyle scheme runs to get children creating and running their own community projects during the long summer holidays.
Anyone interested in buying a canvas (£10 each) should phone Lellie on 07397 186836 or Emma on 07712 582762.