gave a voice to a group of participating youth by providing them with skills and confidence in photography, team work, and communication
Cope Magazine
Cope shares the voices of Saskatchewan young people and how they cope with challenges in their lives. The aim is that youth throughout the province will connect with other young peoples’ experiences, feel supported, and learn about healthy ways of coping with difficulties in their lives.
What’s Inside? Creative works which reveal the thoughts and opinions of young people and how they cope with challenges in their lives; the culture of alcohol consumption; a young man’s experience with addiction issues; the impact of addictions on family members; and sex, alcohol, and consent. In addition, the magazine explores youth finding outlets through music, getting involved, youth conference planning, and much more.
Cope was developed as part of the Youth Action for Prevention Program; a youth-focused FASD prevention program that raises awareness about alcohol-related harms and supports youth to create positive change in their communities. The articles and art in this magazine can be used to start conversations about the role of alcohol in the lives of young people and society, and ways to promote resilience.
Coping through Song
Learn about two projects highlighted in the magazine:
“Driven” by the Youth Action for Prevention Songwriting Group
“Driven” is a powerful example of young people coming together to develop a creative resource to empower other youth encountering challenges in their communities. The song and video can be used as a discussion tool for both adult ally and peer-to-peer alcohol education workshops.
YAP Songwriting Group in Beardy’s & Okemasis at the Constable Robin Cameron Education Complex
Eleven youth from Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation worked together to create a song about the impacts of alcohol in their community. Lindsay Knight (Eekwol) facilitated the songwriting workshop, providing young people with the opportunity to write lyrics and develop a song based on their experiences with alcohol (or those around them), and focus on resilience, including what they like about living in their community and what helps them cope with challenges in their lives.
This project was funded by the Youth Action for Prevention Program at the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute.
“Loop Theory” by the Rap and Rhythm Collective
The Rap and Rhythm Poetry Workshop was designed to empower youth to creatively express their stories of resilience through storytelling and rap. Twelve youth were selected to attend the workshop at Saskatoon’s Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op (CNYC), where they were mentored by four local artists and learned the songwriting and production process. The goal of the workshop was not only to encourage self-expression through story and song, but to create purpose-driven music to which others may connect. Through the mentorship of these artists, the youth were able to self-produce a powerful and meaningful full-length album. The album was released by Paved Arts in May 2016.
This workshop was funded by the Youth Health Community Grants Program at the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute.