EMPOWERING YOUNG CREATIVES
Our Story
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CatStrand Young Creatives is qn exciting project brought to you by Glenkens Community and Arts Trust (GCAT) as part of their thriving Arts programme. GCAT was established in 2007 to bring artistic opportunities to the rural Glenkens, area.
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Our aim through the Young Creatives project is to ensure young people are empowered and supported through the Arts, Culture and Heritage Programme and wider GCAT projects to engage creatively with their communities and develop their own creative practices. The Young Creatives supports this engagement through a dedicated year round, youth-led programme. The 2021-2023 project builds on 12 years of delivery of youth arts engagement activity from GCAT.
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The Young Creatives programme is currently funded by the Holywood Trust with support from the Youth Music Initiative Creative Scotland and D&G Council Scotland. It provides opportunities to get involved in regular workshops, groups and activities for young people 4-12 and 12- 18 as well as paid internship and work experience in the arts for ages 15-25.
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The project operates from two venues – the CatStrand in New Galloway and The Smiddy in Balmaclellan – and a range of community development projects, including Galloway Community Transport, the Glenkens Gazette and Connecting in Communities. For more detail, see www.gcat.scot
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Project Leader & Regular Deliverers
CATHERINE
CAMPBELL
CYC Project Lead
Catherine Campbell is a professional artist and educator with over 15 years of experience working with children and young people within the creative arts sector. She has a Fine Arts and Theatre degree and a Master Degree in Arts Management. She is passionate about providing opportunities for young creatives to develop their skills and explore their artistic potential.
MICHAEL DEVEARAUX
Freelance Music Tutor
Michael is an experience musician and music tutor who works across Dumfries and Galloway delivering high quality music tuition. Michael works with us on the Young Music Makers Initiative and runs weekly guitar, piano, keyboard lessons. Michael also works alongside the Young Creatives in delivering our 'Stranded Cat' record label project alongside several talented young musicians in March 2024 - 25.
ANDRE
ANDERSON
Freelance Dance Tutor
Andre is a professional dance and tutor who runs monthly 'Dance Steps' workshop which included dance tuition in tap, jazz, modern, contemporary and hip hop.
CATHERINE CORFIELD
Freelance Art Tutor
Catherine is an experienced artist and theatre practitioner and delivers the Saturday Art clubs, 'Behind the Scenes' and drama groups at the CatStrand, She also co directs alongside Brian at the Youth Players.
ROSE
BENSON
Youth Arts Intern
Rose will be doing a work placement with Young Creatives, working with Cat and the Art Ambassadors on various projects including 4 community creative events and the Wonderfools drama project with the under 12's as part of the Young Creatives programme.
JO
JACKSON
Freelance Drama Tutor
VACANCY
Art Events & Events Engagement Intern
We are hiring!
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Arts Engagement and Events Internship
One Year Contract
Part time role (3 days a week)
Suitable for a 18 - 25 year old.
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All details on:
https://gcat.scot/job/arts-engagement-and-events-intern//
Note the application deadline of the 16th March. Please share!
This opportunity has been made possible by Holywood Trust.
ELLA
CAMPBELL
Youth Music Intern
Ella is our Youth Music Intern. She is a keen singer and songwriter and plays piano and guitar. Ella has been involved in the Young Creatives since moving the Glenkens in 2020 taking part in the Youth Players shows and volunteering as an Art Ambassador. Ella joined the team in August 2024 works on Saturday and help to coordinate the Young Music Makers Programme.
JULIA
YOUNG
Music & Singing Tutor
Kate is a professional MBE awarded Music teacher who stdied music at Aberdeen College of Education. Kate teaches music in primary (age 5 – 11), runs several music workshops and junior choir. She also creates and developing primary music resources. Kate leads out Musical Misfits singing workshops and out Familly Mini Music Makers for families and under 7's.
ALAN
MCCLURE
Freelance Guitar Tutor
Alan is new to our pool of practitioners and will be joining us in April to deliver the Ukuelele and Guitar lessons at our Saturday music school.
BRIAN
EDGAR
Youth Players Director
Brian is the founder and director of the CatStrand Youth Players and has been running the group for well over a decade and has seen hundreds of young people tread the boards. Many of the youth players stay from the age of ten, right through to eighteen-years-old, with some continuing on to enter the adult drama festival or study drama at college. Some former members have even become professional actors, and others have gone on to explore different areas of theatre, such as dance.
SUE
LINDSAY
Freelance Art Practitoner
Jo was trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London., directed past award winning productions, set up the drama department in Kirkcudbright Academy which continues to be thrive. She is now part of the Young Creatives drama team, working in local schools delivering drama workshops as part of our Young Creatives outreach programme as well as directing for the CatStrand Youth Players in various productions.
Sue is a textile artist and one of our freelance art tutors who delivers workshops at Art Explorers as well as one off art workshops.. She has also been heavily involved in Youth Players pantomime production as the wardrobe mistress he;ping to source and make he Youth Players costumes out as well as assisting with set and prop making for the annual Pantomimes.