Stratford program to help young boys express themselves through art

A new art program in Stratford is looking to inspire more young men to get involved in the arts.

Called SITE Studio, the 10-week program encourages boys age 10 to 15 to try different types of art including photography and painting.

"There's a lot of opportunities to get involved in sports, but there's not a lot of opportunity to do anything creative, and to do it in a format that is validated and gives them recognition in the community," program organizer Angela Brayham, told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

Fellow Stratford parent Bruce Whitaker had a similar idea when he first pitched the program to Brayham.

"I was looking at my youngest sons [and] I found that the biggest consumer of time was really between two activities: gaming and sports," he said.

Whitaker said competitive sports and video games often involve a sort of instant gratification or immediate reward, and because of that, kids need to engage more with the process of reflection and patience in their everyday lives.

'Space to explore'

Brayham is running the program at Gallery Stratford, a public art gallery in the city, and not a classroom. She's doing that in part so that the boys have an opportunity to not just create, but to be inspired by the work around them.

She said the hope is to "give these kids the same opportunity they would if they actually had a studio."

The boys will be working with young male artists from the community, helping them find new role models in the arts.

"Their role models in the creative field ... a lot of times tend to be female teachers," she said.

The boys will work on a number of different art projects, with the sessions being held on Friday nights to avoid conflicts with homework, and also so the kids can hang out in the space afterwards.

"I don't think we give young people enough credit and enough space to explore, and I think that's what this does," Brayham said.

And for Whitaker, an increased societal focus on the arts and creativity means that boys are sometimes less well-rounded, or even less marketable for jobs.

"You gain a lot through art," he said. "Boys are sot of being left behind, and they're not really developing their creative side."

The program has already started and is at capacity for this cohort, but Brayham says a growing waiting list means there may be more sessions in the future.