CITY OF YORK COUNCIL HAF FUNDED
NEW VISUALITY
MAGAZINE
SUCCESS / RESPECT / AMBITION / CARE Summer at York College is brighter and better when young people have space to create, move, play and belong. Art Camp brings children and teenagers into the College environment through art, activity and healthy food, building confidence, friendships and aspirations while helping every young person make the most of their summer.
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CITY OF YORK COUNCIL HAF FUNDED
DRAW YOUR SUMMER After the drama, nerves and inevitable emotional damage of the World Cup, York’s young people needed a different kind of summer therapy — and York College stepped up to provide that. Across 22 days, with 679 places filled, creativity, movement, food and friendship took over. The College setting gave young people a safe place to work, mix, experiment and feel part of something bigger. Our Buddy system paired younger artists with teenagers, giving everyone a role. Under-12s filled sketchbooks, explored visual culture and worked towards Discover and Explore Arts Award objectives, while 13–16-yearolds helped teach, encourage and inspire them, building towards Bronze level themselves. Food became art too: we investigated how fast-food giants use colour, logos and slogans to tempt us, then turned the tables. The result was an explosion of healthier ideas, bold packaging and brilliant new designs — created by young people spending their summer making, moving, learning and looking after one another.
Healthy eating sat at the heart of Art Camp, but nobody wanted summer at York College to feel like a lecture. The days were fast, noisy and energetic, with art, football, fitness, live music from Rowan McGee and even a visit from the Lord Mayor of York herself. The College setting gave young people room to move, create and try new things, while also helping them feel comfortable in an educational environment they may one day return to as students. Local sport played a big part too. Young footballers from York RI and links with futsal at the University of York helped lead sessions, talking about keeping fit, eating well and staying active. Back at the art tables, sketchbooks filled with drawings, colour experiments and ideas inspired by the way food appears in art and advertising. We looked at the tricks fast-food companies use — bold colours, logos and catchy slogans — then stole those tricks back to celebrate fresh food instead. Lunches from Bluebird Bakery and Riverford Organics made healthy eating feel immediate rather than theoretical. Art Camp also connected York College with families and communities across Westfield, Foxwood and Chapelfields, while signposting local support such as Acomb Methodist Church’s free Thursday meals. Ultimately, the project was about confidence, creativity, conversation and community — helping young people feel healthier, happier and more connected to both York and York College. Thank you York College and the HAF team. Your good work goes further than you think. The Lord Mayor comes to York College, summer, 2026
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FOOD & FUN
Staying creative through the summer holidays took energy, and York College gave us the warmest of welcomes. Its generous outdoor spaces became an important part of Art Camp, giving young people room to play, relax and recharge between activities. Paintbrushes went down, water and fruit juice came out, and everyone had space to breathe before getting creative again.
THE ART OF VITAMINS
Creative
Creative
Picnics Picnics
With 75 books in the Art Camp library during the National Year of Reading, participants could borrow something, choose the Spotify soundtrack and enjoy a bit of breathing space. Bluebird Bakery kept everyone fuelled with varied packed lunches, balancing fruit, starchy foods, protein and sensible amounts of sugar and salt. Riverford Organics added weekly fruit boxes packed with fresh, sustainable produce, alongside simple food demonstrations. Naturally, the ingredients soon migrated from lunch tables into sketchbooks. Summer fruits were eaten, studied, drawn, painted and completely reimagined — proving that healthy food could provide both fuel and creative inspiration. CITY OF YORK COUNCIL HAF FUNDED
HITTING HAF TAGETS VIA ART
Be more engaged with school and other local services “We heard about Art Camp through school and it opened our eyes to other things happening locally too. We’ll definitely be looking out for more activities like this.” — Michelle, parent of two Our Lady Queen of Martyrs pupils “It felt connected to the wider community rather than being something that disappeared when the session ended. We came away knowing far more about what was available locally.” — Andrew, parent of a Hob Moor Community Primary pupil
Eat more healthily over the school holidays “The lunches were a real highlight. My daughter actually came home talking about fruit and asking if we could buy some of the things she’d tried at Art Camp.” — Sarah, parent of an Acomb Primary pupil “He’s normally suspicious of anything that looks too healthy, so hearing him explain why different fruits were good for him was quite a breakthrough!” — Mark, dad of a Westfield Primary pupil
Be more active during the school holidays “I thought he’d spend the summer glued to a screen, but he came home tired in the best possible way. There was always something active happening alongside the art.” — Claire, parent of a York High School pupil “My daughter loved that they weren’t sitting at tables all day. There was movement, games and plenty going on, so the whole thing felt really energetic.” — Rachel, mum of a Clifton Green Primary pupil
Be safe and not be socially isolated
“Parent Feedback “Art Camp gave the holidays some structure and gave my children somewhere they genuinely wanted to go. York College made it really easy for them to mix with other young people, and they made friends almost immediately.” — Helen, parent of two Acomb Primary pupils “The Buddy system worked really well, and the York College setting made everyone feel part of the same community. My daughter loved having the older teenagers around and found it very easy to make new friends.” — Natalie, mum of a Westfield Primary pupil
Take part in engaging and enriching activities which support resilience, character and wellbeing “The difference in confidence was noticeable. She started off quite nervous about showing people her drawings, then by the end she was explaining her work to everyone.” — Joanne, parent of an Our Lady Queen of Martyrs pupil “My son came home wanting to look up the artists they had discussed that day. That has never happened before! The teenage helpers were brilliant with the younger children too.” — Daniel, dad of a Hob Moor Community Primary pupil
Have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition “York College felt really safe, welcoming and easy to get to, which made a big difference for us. He came home talking about food advertising, colours and packaging, then started redesigning cereal boxes at the kitchen table.” — Paul, parent of a York High School pupil “My daughter felt comfortable at York College straight away. It was accessible, spacious and felt very secure. She loved the fruit sessions too and even started asking what was in her packed lunch!” — Emma, mum of a Clifton Green Primary pupil
NEW VISUALITY
YORK COLLEGE
WELCOMING THE LORD MAYOR OF YORK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART CAMP ADVOCATE SOPHIA Creativity matters deeply in a city like York, where history and innovation constantly meet. As a UNESCO City of Media Arts,
MEET COUNCILLOR MARGARET WELLS, THE LORD MAYOR OF YORK FOR 2026–27 AND THE CITY’S CEREMONIAL FIRST CITIZEN, AT YORK COLLEGE ART CAMP, YORK
York has an international responsibility to encourage new ideas, support artists and ensure that creativity is accessible to people from every background. Art, design, film and digital media help communities tell their stories, build confidence and imagine new possibilities for the city’s future. We also greatly admire the Lord Mayor of York for the hard work, energy and commitment she brings to communities across the city. Her willingness to visit projects, meet participants and celebrate their achievements gives local people a genuine sense that their efforts matter and that creativity is recognised as an important part of York’s civic life. Greg McGee, co-director
Ben Draws The Mayor Millthorpe pupil Ben, 15, has been promoted to Chief Art Camp Artist and has loved working at York College. “It’s really easy to get to, the facilities are brilliant and everything feels clean, bright and looked after. It’s such a relief having somewhere this nice to work.” One of Ben’s tasks was welcoming the Lord Mayor of York with a portrait. “It was an honour,” he says. “She was very calming, took the artwork home and was really cool.” The Lord Mayor praised Ben’s contribution, saying young people like him are helping keep York’s cultural life healthy and vibrant. “The future looks bright. Thank you so much, Ben.”
“A visit from the Lord Mayor gives vulnerable participants a powerful sense that their creativity is valued and recognised by the wider city. Meeting a civic leader can build confidence, pride and aspiration, while making the activity feel important, memorable and connected to the community.” Ails McGee, co-director
york college values & art
‘CARE’, BY KAIDEN “CARE is a powerful York College value because young artists thrive when they feel safe, supported and respected. It gives them confidence to experiment, share ideas, make mistakes and encourage each other. Creativity grows through kindness, trust and belonging — and CARE gives young people the freedom to find their voice.”
‘RESPECT’, BY ESME
“RESPECT matters because young artists need to know their ideas, backgrounds and creativity are valued. At Art Camp, respect means listening to others, celebrating different perspectives and giving everyone room to contribute. It builds confidence, encourages collaboration and helps young people understand that creativity becomes stronger when every voice is taken seriously.”
‘SUCCESS’, BY JACK
‘AMBITION’, BY KATE
“SUCCESS means giving young people the
“AMBITION means encouraging young people
confidence to recognise what they can achieve.
to think bigger about what they can do and
At Art Camp, success can be learning a new skill,
where creativity might take them. Here at Art
completing an artwork, helping someone else or
Camp, I see that ambition grows through new
simply having the courage to try something
experiences, new skills and the confidence to
different.”
imagine exciting possibilities for the future.”
NEW VISUALITY / ART CAMP
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THANK YOU HAF TEAM OF CYC.
NEW VISUALITY