Artistic Mentorship Program
Re-engaging young artists
When the pandemic started, many of us turned to music, picked up new artistic hobbies, and were comforted by creatives. When all seemed lost, we turned to the arts.
Storytelling comes naturally to us: whether visually, emotionally, or verbally. By mastering the art of telling stories, we become effective communicators in every other aspect of our lives, practice our creative muscles, and improve our mental health. No matter your way of thinking, creativity can often help you think of new approaches to problem-solving.
Even philosopher Richard Taylor based his premise of the meaning of life on exercising your own creativity to serve a greater purpose.
“What redeems humanity is not its kings, military generals and builders of personal wealth, however much these may be celebrated and envied. It is instead the painters, composers, poets, and philosophers, writers – all who, by their creative power alone, bring about things of great value, things which, but for them, would never have existed at all.” – “The Meaning of Life” by Richard Taylor in Philosophy Now
Without artists, we would have no stories, no myths, no religion, and perhaps no real sense of humanity. The arts are intrinsically intertwined with society, just as much mathematics and science is. It is for this reason that we are happy to announce that we are bringing back our Artistic Mentorship Program with a few minor changes to cater to our current situation in the pandemic.
Last October, we invited talented musicians to perform at the 2021 Spirit of the Capital Awards. For the first time since the pandemic started, a new artistic vision arose.
Angelo Leo, one of the performers, has since joined our team to bring back our AMP program.
Only starting music at the age of 17, he was thrust into the music industry in a short period of time, forced to learn rather quickly. With the help of mentors, he was expected to go on tour in March or April of 2020: plans that were squashed by the pandemic. Recognizing that many other artists’ plans were cancelled by the pandemic, the new AMP program aims to reintroduce artists with the opportunity to gain interpersonal connections, entrepreneurial skills, and develop artistic skills.
The AMP program was once intended to provide youth with the tools and guidance to pursue their artistic interests, primarily focusing on performing arts. Past events included art exhibits, musical performances at BluesFest, Art Battles, and even an Open Mic Night in partnership with the National Art Centre.
Now, Angelo’s goal is to include all forms of art, including music, visual arts, and much more. Angelo said that art can be found everywhere, and a certain level of creativity is needed no matter what you do.
“You don’t have to be an artist now to be an artist later, because, at the end of the day, everyone has some form of artistic ability, regardless of whether they think they do or not,” said Angelo.
The program was put on pause during the pandemic, and we are now finding ways to navigate performances through restrictions. The new AMP program is still in its early stages, soon to kick off open-mic performances that will be recorded and promoted on our social media, as well as a community-based series called “Talk to Us.” In this series, young elementary school kids will get the opportunity to ask young artists questions about their work. Angelo also hopes to implement a second interview-based series in a podcast form, aimed more at young adults.
Continuing with the same thread, we are now beginning to amplify some of the work future youth will accomplish. According to Angelo, each session will amplify the work of at least 20-50 young artists.
What happens when a Youth Signs Up?
Registering to sign up will lead to many opportunities, including promotion, lessons in creative entrepreneurship, and the chance to pursue a passion.
Those who wish to participate are asked to register using the form below. From there, artists will either be able to participate in one of our monthly open-mic performances, or in the “Talk to Us” series.
But it doesn’t stop there: when a youth signs up, they are also signing up for our continued support. Everyone who comes into contact with AMP will have further opportunities to kick start their creative ventures.