Antyx is just wrapping up another busy and successful summer! This year has been a different one for us and has challenged our creativity to come up with new and innovative ways to run our summer programs. Here is the run down on our summer activities.

Hip Hop

As soon as the weather warmed up, we began meeting a small group of youth outside weekly to dance and cypher in a physically distanced manner. In June, youth and staff tired of online connections, problem solved together as to how a socially distanced cypher would look. Together we structured a plan for high intensity physical activity, outdoors as our venue was closed, in the safest way possible. This has always been a very connected and supportive group and due to COVID, they were all struggling being distanced from each other. Our teens were leaders in this transition, looking at ways we could navigate various hurdles and becoming leaders, structuring summer program the way they wanted to see it. We have had a steady group coming weekly since then, to dance, chat and spend some quality time together. While we may have had a tornado scare mid summer and had to find some shelter, this has been a beneficial experience for both our youth and staff alike

Tornado warning forces us inside. Special thanks to the Genesis Centre for accommodating our teens!

Poetry/Photo Summer Program- (What Feeds Us/Youth Arts Action North)

While the our partners at The Alex Community Food Centre remained closed for in person programming and sessions, we continued to operate the weekly group online in zoom. In about May, both our What Feeds Us and our Youth Arts Action North groups began documenting their experiences and lives as a time capture of this moment in history. They decided that they wanted to explore storytelling though poetry and photo and we began making poetry photo book together, uniting the two groups. Typically we would have Youth Arts Action break for two months in July and August, but this year, they began attending the weekly Wednesday night sessions to work more on this project. Local Photographer Vincent Joachim, rapper Rubix (Ryan Guzman) and Spoken Word artist Wakefield Brewster, together with Stephanie, Noor and occasionally Bryan, mentored our youth to come up with some amazing pieces. Topics of identity, memory, racism, self reflection and connection emerged. Youth are currently finishing up the last few touches and refinements to this piece and we hope to make it available soon!

One of the great pieces created by our poetry group.

Mural Camps

In the summer of 2020 Antyx Community Arts facilitators, in partnership with the Community Hubs Initiative and local graffiti artist KERZ.XXV, mentored 36 youth to complete murals at Village Square Leisure Centre and Bob Bahan Aquatic Centre. Because of COVID-19 we were physically distanced, meeting daily online to come up with a collaborative mural while apart for each camp. We met daily for 2 hours a day, then youth were expected to work on their designs and painting in the offline times. The theme of our murals is "connection." Many hours were spent prepping and delivering art packs and primed wood panels. Youth spent a week in the design phase and then painted panels at home with the assistance of our artists. In the weeks following camp, youth were able to meet up with us weekly online to trouble shoot, connect or sort out any other problems. Once youth were done with their sections, our team then picked up all the panels, and prepped them for install with clear coats. These murals were installed last week at the two venues and are now available for the public to see!

Additionally, the last week of August, we brought two of our youth on site to graffiti and hand paint some large panels for the front fence as well as the paint the kitchen of the Activity centre at Bob Bahan. These two youth worked with our artists on site for a week, creating some beautiful pieces that are also now up on display.

These murals are a time capsule of our thoughts and experiences during this period.

Outside Bob Bahan mural by Makayla K. and Moni R.

Bob Bahan Inside Mural about “Connection”

Bob Bahan- Aramis, Keshini, Ariba, Asher — Bob Bahan- Aramis, Keshini, Ariba, Asher

Bob Bahan- Antyx, Vivian, Ashrang, Haseeb — Bob Bahan- Antyx, Vivian, Ashrang, Haseeb

Bob Bahan- Hamza, Savini, Wania — Bob Bahan- Hamza, Savini, Wania

Bob Bahan- Sydney, Laura, Florence — Bob Bahan- Sydney, Laura, Florence

Bob Bahan- Khadija, Kaylee, Tristan, Kyla

Village Square murals about “Connection”- Rukhshan, Ariel

Village Square- Maliha — Village Square- Maliha

Village Square- Nabiha — Village Square- Nabiha

Village Square- Nabiha, Dawna, Noor, Izma, Hafsah — Village Square- Nabiha, Dawna, Noor, Izma, Hafsah

Village Square- Maddy, Areeb, Eshal, Karen, Inaaya, Tristan, Aamna — Village Square- Maddy, Areeb, Eshal, Karen, Inaaya, Tristan, Aamna

Summer 2020 at Antyx