Mount Royal University’s Ross Glen Hall will be filled with the wisdom and voices of Alberta’s aboriginal youth, as the second annual Aboriginal Youth Explosion gets underway May 12.
Hosted by Bridges Social Development, the event began as a way to feature the work being done by the participants of Bridges’ Unveiling Youth Potential program (UYP), an educational program that supports the leadership roles of youth and young adults in building resilient communities.
“The explosion event aims to bring together the collective voices of aboriginal youth,” said Siri Bright, coordinator of the event. “It’s not necessarily a talent show, more of a celebration of who these individuals are as part of the community.”
Last year, more than 200 people came out to the event, said Bright. This year, the celebration will take a new format, adding a dynamic art exhibit to join the performance portion of the event.
Attendees can expect to experience the poetry, film, dancing, drumming and speeches put together by the youth involved with UYP.
“For the most part, these young people haven’t stood up on stage before, although they might have been working their art for a long time,” said Bright, who is a program coordinator with Bridges Social Development. “This is a platform for sharing their unique voices.”
The Aboriginal Youth Explosion was inspired by 2010’s Aboriginal Youth Leading Change event, said Bright.
This event featured the voices of established community leaders of change, but Bright added these leaders weren’t the only ones the community wanted to hear from.
“They really wanted to hear from the youth,” she said. “Rather than pass on the wisdom, the community wanted youth to see that they have wisdom within them.”
Tara Beaver, a Cochrane Eagle columnist and Morley resident, was one of the featured speakers at last year’s event.
This year, she’s been invited back and she said she is preparing a story about strength.
“It’s based around a rock — every rock has a story,” she said, not giving away any more details about her speech.
“For me, this event is about love: for the community, for the culture and for each other,” she added. “I hope it helps those who don’t know about our culture to understand it. And for those who don’t know much about their culture, maybe it will help them find out more about themselves.”
The Aboriginal Youth Explosion will run from noon to 5 p.m. May 12.
To learn more about the event, visit canadabridges.com/upcoming-events/2013-aboriginal-youth-explosion.
