CITY OF YORK COUNCIL HAF FUNDED
NEW VISUALITY
MAGAZINE
BE CREATIVE / BE HEALTHY “Summer in York is brighter and better when young people have space to create, move, play and belong. Art Camp brings children together through art, activity and healthy food, building confidence, friendships and memories while making every holiday count for everyone.” Greg McGee
www.newvisuality.wordpress.com/
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 Art Camp provided it. For 22 days around York, with 679 places filled, creativity, movement, food and friendship took over. 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-year-olds 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 who had spent their summer making, moving, learning and looking after one another.
Healthy eating sat at the heart of Art Camp, but nobody wanted summer 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. 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 has been represented 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. The project also connected families with local support, from Acomb Methodist Church’s free Thursday meals to welcoming community spaces across Westfield, Foxwood and Chapelfields. Ultimately, Art Camp was about confidence, creativity, conversation and community — helping young people feel healthier, happier and more connected to York. Thank you City of York Council and the HAF team. Your good work goes further than you think.
The Lord Mayor comes to visit, summer, 2026
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Staying creative through the summer holidays took energy — especially when the easier option might have been Pepsi, ice cream and a sofa. So our breaks mattered. Paintbrushes went down, water and fruit juice came out, and everyone had a chance to recharge.
THE ART OF VITAMINS
Creative
Creative
Kitchens Kitchens
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 “Art Camp gave the holidays some structure and gave my children somewhere they genuinely wanted to go. They made friends very quickly and talked about them constantly at home.” — Helen, parent of two Acomb Primary pupils “The Buddy system worked really well. My daughter loved having the older teenagers around and felt very secure knowing there was always somebody there to help her.” — 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 “He came home telling us about food advertising, colours and packaging and then started redesigning cereal boxes at the kitchen table. It clearly made an impression.” — Paul, parent of a York High School pupil “My daughter loved the fruit sessions and was fascinated by how many different things she could try. She even started asking what was in her packed lunch!” — Emma, mum of a Clifton Green Primary pupil
NEW VISUALITY
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
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
ART CAMP, YORK
Ben Draws The Mayor Milthorpe pupil Ben, 15, has been promoted to Chief ArtCamp artist. One of his tasks has been to welcome The Lord of York with a portrait. "It was an honour," he says. "She was very calming and took the art home. She's really cool." The Lord Mayor says that it's because of people like Ben that York has such a healthy cultural life. “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
ANGELS OF HOPE
Ben’s Art takes flight Art Camp has always been about helping young people in York see their creativity as something worth sharing — but this summer that conversation reached much further. Responding to Viborg UNESCO City of Media Arts’ Angels of Hope initiative, our young artists explored how drawing can communicate hope across borders, cultures and languages. The project forms part of Viborg’s international Draw With Denmark campaign, which has already involved thousands of children and young people across 45 countries. For York’s contribution, Art Camper Ben created his own Angel of Hope: a personal response to an international creative brief linking two UNESCO Cities of Media Arts. York has already played a part in previous Draw With Denmark exhibitions, and we hope Ben’s artwork might now travel further — potentially appearing alongside work by young people in other UNESCO Creative Cities around the world. That possibility captures something we love about Art Camp: a drawing made by a young person in York can become part of a much bigger global creative conversation.
Ben’s angel art is set for city centre exhibitions. Art Camp co-director Ails McGee has watched Ben develop over several years, from a talented young artist finding his voice to a confident advocate producing work of an increasingly professional standard. "His progress has been about much more than technical ability. Ben has matured into someone who understands how creativity can encourage and inspire others. He is thoughtful, reliable and genuinely enjoyable to work with, bringing both focus and generosity to every project. Younger artists respond well to him, and his willingness to share ideas, demonstrate techniques and offer encouragement has made him an important part of the Art Camp community." Art Camp is proud to be planning an exhibition of Ben’s work at The Bar Convent in York city centre, an internationally respected heritage destination whose remarkable history attracts visitors from around the world. Its elegant exhibition spaces provide an ideal setting for Ben’s work and mark an exciting next step in his development as a young artist. “I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to show my work at the Bar Convent,” says Ben. “Art Camp has given me the chance to develop my own ideas, but I also really enjoy working with the younger Art Campers, helping them with their drawings and seeing their confidence grow.”
NEW VISUALITY / ART CAMP
THANK YOU HAF TEAM OF CYC.
NEW VISUALITY