ColourSpree Empowers Young Creatives Through Art, Craft Clinic Support

In line with its commitment to advancing Arts & Culture and Creative Business and Career Development, ColourSpree has supported the Jay-Native Art and Craft Summer Clinic (JACC), an immersive art program that introduced children to a variety of artistic forms.

Held between the 12th and 24th of August 2024 in Jos, Plateau State, the clinic, organized by Jay-Native, gave 45 children the opportunity to explore their creative talents through hands-on art and craft activities.

Through ColourSpree’s 50% grant support, four children were able to attend the clinic despite economic challenges. Tally Ozegbe, Founder of ColourSpree, highlighted the organization’s mission:

“We supported this program because we believe in empowering young creatives by providing early exposure to the arts. By giving children the opportunity to learn new skills, we aim to lay the foundation for their future careers in the creative sector. Our mission is to continue creating valuable opportunities for the next generation of creatives through programs like this.”

The clinic, led by Jay-Native, featured various creative activities including bottle art, creating paper flowers, needle and thread embellishment on bags, penholders and CD plates using Ankara fabric, sketching, coloring, painting, and basket weaving using rope and straws. These activities allowed participants to develop new skills and build their confidence in expressing themselves creatively.

Two of the grant recipients, who were first-time attendees, showed remarkable improvement in their sketching and painting abilities. Parents noted a significant shift in their children’s creative output, with one parent mentioning that their child now spends more time crafting and drawing at home instead of watching TV. This early exposure has fostered a passion for the arts, which could lead to future career paths.

While 45 children directly participated in the Jay-Native clinic, ColourSpree estimates that the clinic’s reach extended much further. By involving parents and encouraging them to track their children’s progress through Activity Reward Sheets, the program fostered a strong connection between families and the creative process. Parents were able to share their children’s progress with friends and networks, amplifying the impact and creating wider awareness of the importance of art education in Nigerian communities.

Beatrice Napoleon, the Art Instructor at JACC, praised ColourSpree’s support, stating:
“If more organizations supported the arts like ColourSpree, we could achieve so much more in nurturing young talent. Their contribution has not only benefited the children directly but has encouraged greater parental involvement in the artistic development of their children.”

ColourSpree’s support of the Jay-Native Art and Craft Summer Clinic reflects the organization’s broader mission to empower emerging creatives and support initiatives that nurture artistic talent from a young age. As ColourSpree continues to grow its media outreach, this initiative represents just one of the many ways the organization is contributing to youth development and creating sustainable opportunities within the creative industry.

ColourSpree remains committed to empowering young creatives and will continue supporting similar initiatives that promote creativity and socioeconomic development.