Summerz End Festival
15 April 2014
The inaugural Summerz End Youth Fest took place on Saturday 5 April and was attended by an estimated 4000 people. The event was intended to showcase the talent of local youth and provide an opportunity for youth to take part in something fun and inclusive, meet and connect with new people and learn about groups and clubs operating in the city.
Bring Young People together
Summerz End was made to bring young people form all walks of life and communities together to express thier identity. The event has a strong cultural dimension.
Summerz End was intended to appeal to youth interested in all kinds of citizenship activities, including culture, sport and technology. Many of the activity stalls also exposed young people to key messages for young people around health and law.
Many groups ran workshops to allow young poeple the opportunity to try things like African drumming, silk screen printing, Sound Indian dance and DJing. Sports like volleyball and dabminton also had stalls to allow young people to get active.
Showing young people talents
The performances were a range of music with a range of talents. There was regge to rock, solo guitarists to choirs and everything in between.
There was an international fashion show with costumes from all over the globe including India, Kurdistan and Afghanistan.
The arena was decorated with giant murals painted in the lead-up to the event by school and youth groups. These murals constitute Canterbury’s contribution to the international Art Miles movement, which proposes that in painting, people come together and bond.
Who organised it
Summerz End was organised by the Canterbury Refugee Council with the help of University of Canterbury Arts Interns and youth from different groups and communities. It is intended that next year, there will be even greater outreach into youth groups and schools across Canterbury.