Young people across the north and north-east are learning how art can change lives, thanks to a scheme using money confiscated from criminals.
The Creative Identities programme is bringing out the previously untapped artistic talents of young people aged 10-19, many of whom are in care or carers themselves.
Funded by the Scottish Government, using £1.2million recovered from the proceeds of crime, the pilot scheme is linking hundreds of young people with arts organisations in their area, teaching them techniques such as screen printing and film-making and boosting their confidence, social skills and friendships along the way.
The first exhibition to result from the programme is on show at Peacock Visual Arts in Aberdeen’s Castlegate, where about 100 young people from the city and surrounding area – many from disadvantaged backgrounds – have been working with local artists on skills including dance, making videos and building their own dodgem cars.
As well as contributing art for the show, the young people designed and produced fliers, decorations for the gallery walls and even T-shirts and took pride in welcoming friends and relatives to the opening night.
Co-ordinator Nicole Plumb said the experience had been rewarding for everyone and she was looking forward to extending the scheme throughout the north-east in the second half of the pilot next year.
“For a lot of the kids it’s the first time they’ve ever done anything like this and it’s great to see how their confidence and social skills have grown,” she said.
“The artists are getting such a lot out of it as well.
“Now we’re building up relationships with the young people, it’s wonderful to see them coming back to Peacock on their own to try different things.
“When they first came, through groups like Barnardo’s, you could see them hanging back not wanting to try things.
“Now they’re coming in and signing up for screen printing workshops of their own accord and they’re just full of ideas and so excited about being able to express them.”
Similar opportunities are on offer in Tayside through Dundee Contemporary Arts and in the Highlands through Eden Court.
There, area project manager Graeme Rogers and his team have been working with youngsters around Inverness, Moray and Skye making short films, music videos and animation.
Over the festive season, participants will be projecting their films on to a giant Christmas pudding on Ness Island.
Mr Rogers is hoping to extend the programme to more remote corners of the Highlands and islands, including Orkney and Shetland in the new year.
Youngsters have come from groups such as the Calman Trust, Action for Children and Barnardo’s, as well as through local schools and open sessions.
As well as boosting the social skills of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, he said the workshops had opened up a world of new opportunities.
“They’re learning all these technical skills and finding they can do things they hadn’t even thought about before,” he said.
“A lot of them are now thinking of film-making as something they might want to do in the future.”
This is the first time Cashback for Communities money has been channelled through Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council. Previously, the funding has gone into sports schemes.
The results will be evaluated in 2010 and if the experiences in the north and north-east are mirrored in other areas, it is likely to be expanded nationally.
The OMG! exhibition is at the Peacock gallery in the Castlegate, Aberdeen, until December 23.