You may have hearing pounding music or seen spinning bodies as you passed by the Weston Family learning Centre since it opened in 2011, and wondered what was going on.  The AGO’s innovative Free After Three program has been engaging young people with art in ways that are meaningful to them – and fun!  It’s a series of workshops,  available on a drop-in basis, with a different theme each weekday, including graffiti art, break-dancing, circus arts, skateboard building, and – new for April – Upcycled Fashion.  Eight volunteers assist experienced youth coordinators, under the guidance of Youth Programs coordinator Syrus Ware.

That’s Margaret at the bottom right!

Margaret Johnson, who has been volunteering there since 2013 after a stint with school groups, describes her experience with Poetry Slam and Social Circus Circle.   “It’s a bit intimidating at first, since I’m not standing in front of a work I’m familiar with, but instead getting right into creating art with the participants.  We all get to know each other over the course of the session and build up a sense of acceptance and support,” which is beneficial to many self conscious teens.  The circus one was certainly a leap of faith for her – particularly being at the bottom of the human pyramid!

They have also taken advantage of gallery access, starting with the works in the WFLC area.  For instance, using the Janieta Eyre photos as inspiration, they might start by posing in pairs inside a circle of participants, then have another person join in and add on their idea, and so on – making art through movement.  The group also took Margaret’s suggestion of introducing students to the AGO’s architectural highlights and to works such as  Kent Monkman’s piece, which is “sort of like a three-ringed circus!”

For more info about the Free After Three program in general click here: http://www.ago.net/free-after-three.  The Social Circus Circle also has its own Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/273466079456943/.