Youth helping and promoting youth – the original idea behind the Cochrane Youth Arts (CYA) group is now seeing its vision become a reality.
The CYA is hosting its first Youth Talent Festival next weekend, organized by Cochrane High student Cailan Jackson.
“After our school’s production was cancelled, the students still needed a place where they could funnel their energy in a positive way,” Jackson said.
The inaugural talent festival will be an addition to the youth nights at the Heritage House Coffee Co., hosted every Thursday night from 4 p.m. to close, where youth are invited to hangout, eat some food, or bring their instruments to jam together on the open stage.
The youth arts group will also be hosting a fundraiser once or twice a month, with leftover proceeds to go toward the Cochrane Youth Arts Memorial Fund.
“Tickets for the talent show will be reasonable, it is mostly to cover the cost of the venue but anything extra will go towards the youth memorial fund,” Jackson said.
Founder of the group Mike Gawryletz set up the fund, for people to donate to or for surplus event funds. Those funds will help the youth council support the group’s different activities.
“We have a lot of talented youth in Cochrane and not a lot get to be seen because we have never had a venue where we can showcase before,” Jackson said.
The talent festival has invited five bands and a variety of singers from Cochrane and area, including some youth from Bragg Creek, to perform on stage next weekend.
“I am really excited to see what everyone has to offer,” Jackson said.
“It is nice to see Cochrane have a space to see people participate in the arts. I always wanted Cochrane to support the arts and this is a new thing in the community, which is exciting.”
The Cochrane Youth Arts group was founded earlier this year by Gawryletz, in response to his nephew’s death last summer, when he said he realized the youth in town had the same complaint of “nothing to do.”
Gawryletz is encouraging youth to get involved with the group, with the hopes of a “youth council” to take over organizing and planning future hangouts and events.
Jackson agreed youth should get involved, saying it was “fun.”
“We want more youth organizing events like this, there is a huge interest,” Jackson said.
Doors for the Youth Talent Festival open at 6:30 p.m., with the festival to start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be picked up at the venue, the Heritage House Coffee Co., located at 214 First Street W.
For more information or how to get involved, go to the “Cochrane Youth Arts” Facebook page or email the organizers at [email protected].
