Stories
» Breaking the Mold: experimenting with new mediums of expression (article by Ivy So)
» "open i" update (a letter from open i)
» The Multicultural Youth Soccer League (video by Projections)
» The Colouring Book Project (video by Projections)
» Friendship Underground (video by Projections)
» Our Community Story (video by Projections)
» The BYRC Youth Art and Media Gallery (video by Projections)
» Getting Hooked on Community Art and Media (article by Fiona Lemon)
» Time to Open your I (article by Tyson Radons)
» In a Knot: YouthCo Puppet Program (article by August Bramhoff)
» Mural Helps Ease Transition into High School (article by Thor Larson)
» Gender Bent (art & article by Kasia Kromka)
» EXPLORING the WORLD within a SINGLE NEIGHBOURHOOD (article & photos by August Bramhoff)
» Building Trust and Building Relationships (article by David Nichols)
» Sommer Skateboarding (art & article by Tyson Radons)
» Youth Reporters: Getting ready... (video by Tyson Radons)
» Chillin’ on Ice (video by Kasia Kromk, story & photo by August Bramhoff)
» Our Own Beat (article by David Nichols, photos by August Bramhoff)
Breaking the Mold
Experimenting with new mediums of expression at the BYRC Youth Art & Media Gallery
by Ivy So, GetOut! Youth Reporter
"Simply by walking into the gallery, one can immediately hear the distinctive voices oozing from each piece of artwork; yet, these voices sing in a pleasant harmony..."
» Read the story
» Read more about the project
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A Letter from "open i"
by the folks at "open i"
open i has had some good news over the past months that they'd like to share with everyone in GetOut!...
» Read the letter
» Read more about the project
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The Multicultural Youth Soccer League
by Projections
"It brings youth with all different backgrounds, all different ages, all together in a safe, friendly environment that they can enjoy playing sports. It's good to help their peers, find new friends..."
- Pirouz, member of the MY Circle GetOut! Youth Action Team and organizer of the Multicultural Youth Soccer League
» See the video (1:39, 3.64mb) [QuickTime required] 
» Read more about the project
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Friendship Underground
video by Projections
The Friendship Underground is a hip-hop programme, especially for Aboriginal youth. It was started as a GetOut! Community Partnership Grant project in 2005 by the Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Association (KAYA) and the Warriors against Violence Society.
» See the video (1:39, 3.64mb) [QuickTime required]
» Read more about this project
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The Colouring Book Project
video by Projections
The Colouring Book Project is a GetOut! Grants to Youth, youth-driven project where people of colour come together in community, to reflect, discuss and explore through writing and other arts, issues of race and experiences that shape who we are.
» See the video (3:00, 6.86mb) [QuickTime required]
» Read more about this project
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Our Community Story
(the video)
video by Projections
Our Community Story is a GetOut! sponsored community public art project that engages youth and elders in Vancouver Hastings Sunrise through oral history, using art processes to recover and document some of the area's living history remembered by residents. Fourteen youth and six mentoring artists collaborated to create films, photos, animation and soundscapes, exhibited in local cafes and shops.
» See the video (1:44, 3.88mb) [QuickTime required]
» Read more about the project
» Read another story about the project
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The Broadway Youth Resource Centre Art & Media Gallery
"I express myself through art."
video by Projections
The Broadway Youth Resource Centre (BYRC) Youth Art & Media Gallery started as a GetOut! Community Partnership Grant project in 2005. Through the tireless work of the staff and youth at BYRC, it grew into a multi-dimensional partnership with Leave Out the Violence, the Arts Umbrella and Brenda Carr Studio.
Youth led the design of the gallery spaces, helped with the renovations, worked with artist mentors to create incredibly moving and expressive pieces. The BYRC Youth Art & Media Gallery is the first youth-curated gallery in Vancouver. It will also be a place for ongoing art, performance and media workshops for Vancouver youth.
» See the video (1:55, 4.13mb) [QuickTime required]
» Read more about this project
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Getting Hooked on Community Art and Media
Engaging youth and elders through Our Community Story in Hastings Sunrise
by Fiona Lemon, Get Out! Mentor
Our Community Story is a community public art project that engages youth and elders in Vancouver's Hastings/Sunrise neighbourhood in recovering and documenting some of the area's living oral history. A team of fourteen youth and six mentoring artists worked together to create films, photos, animation and soundscapes to bring these stories to the public.
Created with the help of a Get Out! Community Partners grant, Our Community Story worked in partnership with Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, Hastings Community Centre, and Hastings North Business Improvement Association. GetOut! mentor Fiona Lemon interviews some of the Our Community Story youth, who did everything from animating tales of packing hide down at the port to editing the sights and sounds of Hastings Park.
» Read the story
» Read more about this project
» See a video on the project
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Time to Open your I
Youth with disabilities challenge society through video
by Tyson Radons, Get Out! Youth Reporter
Recipient of a Get Out! Community Partner Grant, Pacific Cinématheque has been working with G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre and a number of talented emerging young filmmakers and artists to create statements through video that will be difficult to ignore. Get Out! Youth Reporter, Tyson Radons, writes of this excitingly powerful project: “Open I allows these vivacious youth to expand their ideas and express their unique outlook on life. A voice is rising in this community and it will only amplify with time, so that these valuable perspectives will no longer be neglected.”
» Read the story
» Read more about this project
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In a Knot: YouthCo Puppet Program
A youth-driven & youth-friendly approach to AIDS & STD education
by August Bramhoff, Get Out! Youth Reporter
With the help of a Get Out! Community Partners grant, YouthCo AIDS Society, the Gathering Place and artist Gloria Hole teamed up to initiate this innovative program that empowered youth to create a puppet approach to AIDS & STD education for the critical 12 to 15 age audience. Get Out! Youth Reporter, August Bramhoff, who also participated in the puppet show creation, writes in about this exciting program.
» Read the story
» Read more about this project
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Mural Helps Ease Transition into High School
The Community Mural Project at Windermere
by Thor Larson, Get Out! Research Editor
Eric Chan, a grade 12 student at Windermere Secondary School, applied for and received a Get Out! Grant to Youth for his inspired Community Mural Project that had current Windermere students working side-by-side with grade 7 students who will be entering the secondary school this fall. The project built relationships, helped to calm some high school jitters and gave the entering students a little piece of Windermere of their own before they step through those doors in September. Thor Larson, Get Out! Research Editor, reports from the unveiling with photos by Neelam, a student at Windermere and participant in a recent Get Out! Youth Reporter Workshop.
» Read the story and see the photos
» Read more about the Community Mural Project at Windermere
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Gender Bent
Ignite Youth Week’s Drag Night
by Kasia Kromka, GetOut! Youth Reporter
Every year, Youth Week in Vancouver is ablaze with innovative projects and events for young people. Many reach out to youth often forgotten in more mainstream programming by celebrating diversity, challenging traditional notions, and... mixing it up. Get Out! Youth Reporter Kasia Kromka reports on just one of the events at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre that set out to challenge society: to celebrate diversity, change opinions, and alter youth’s image of themselves and gender identities. She also sends in some comic book renditions of the performances.
» Read the story and see the illustrations
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EXPLORING the WORLD within a SINGLE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Kensington’s World Beat & mural projects
by August Bramhoff, Get Out! Youth Reporter
As one of the Get Out! new recreation programs, the World Beat percussion workshop series and Youth Cottage mural project were launched by the Youth Council and staff at the Kensington Community Centre to liven up the neighbourhood. The programmes reflect the community’s tremendous cultural diversity and encourages local young people to come out and explore the world of different sounds, colours and rhythms of Kensington. Get Out! Youth Reporter August Bramhoff sends in this photoessay from Kensington.
» Read the story
» See more photos
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Tupper Youth Action Team:
Building Trust and Building Relationships
In their School and in their Community
by David Nichols, Get Out! Youth Reporter
The Tupper Youth Action Team is busy planning activities to help new Grade 8 students make the transition to their high school in September and a community celebration for the greenway being built next to their school. The latter aims at honouring the memory of Jomar Lanot and building trust and positive relationships among youth, the school and the larger community. GETOUT! Youth Reporter, David Nichols, tags along on one of their adventures into Pacific Spirit Park. Here, they work not only on their plans to build relationships in their community, but also on building trust within their own team.
» Visit the Tupper Youth Action Team page and read the story
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Sommer Skateboarding
Young women skaters in Vancouver
by Tyson Radons, GetOut! Youth Reporter
2005 National Youth Week was kicked off by Breaking-the-Ice, a massive outdoor block party in Downtown Vancouver. Robson Square was alive with the excitement of over 1,000 young people throughout the day amidst the tunes of young local bands, the stylings of young Hip Hop DJ’s, and the action of 2-on-2 B-ball and a spectacular skate off. GetOut! Youth Reporter, Tyson Radons, brings us the voice of Sommer, one of the talented young women skaters who are breaking down barriers in a male-dominated sport, and has stylized some photos from the day.
» Read the story
» See the artwork
» Read how one of the GetOut! new recreation programs helped to break down barriers for other young women to skate. [coming soon]
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The GETOUT! Youth Reporters: Getting ready...
Getting revved up to tell your stories
The GETOUT! Youth Reporters have been busy training with local community journalist mentors in various media and cutting their teeth on their first stories about Vancouver youth getting out and getting active. Youth Reporter, Tyson Radons, sends in this video update.
» See the video (4:29, 14.64mb) [QuickTime required]
» Meet the reporters
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Chillin’ on Ice
Killarney youth late night skate
It’s been a long while now since Killarney last had a school dance, so local youth teamed up with the folks at the Killarney Ice Rink to create their own GETOUT! New Recreation program: a weekly late night Friday skate party this past winter—where youth could come in and chill for $2 (and rent a pair of skates for $1). Chillin’ became a great place to meet up with friends and a much needed venue for local youth DJ’s. So successful was this program that Riley Park followed up with a series of youth organized Late Night Youth Swims. Youth Reporters, August Bramhoff snapped an awesome shot of Chillin’ in motion and writes how “Chillin’ On Ice Heated Up,” and Kasia Kromka sends in a short video she shot from rinkside.
» Read more about Chillin’
» See the video (4:19, 13.77mb) [QuickTime required]
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Eastside Youth Group: Our Own Beat
Community BBQ & Talent Show
by David Nichols, Get Out! Youth Reporter
The Eastside Youth Group/CP Kidz Club community BBQ and talent show was the first action of the Eastside Youth Group. The team wanted to show off what young people in the neighbourhood could do and bring everyone together to work towards a safer and more supportive community for young people. GETOUT! Youth Reporters, David Nichols describes the vibe that night and August Bramhoff captures it in celluloid.
» Visit the Eastside Youth Group page, read story and see the photos
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