Opening Doors for Youth
Artwork created by participants of the Youth Camp with the artist Hasanain Al Ramel.
Engaging the youth and inspiring them to find their own unique voice has been one of Ithra's great missions. This is embodied in one of its unique programs, ‘Summer Youth Camp,’ which empowers the youth by introducing them to the multifaceted aspects of the cultural and creative industries.
The Youth Camp's vision is to create a promising environment that deepens youth engagement in the cultural industry, in line with the 2023 vision.
Ithraeyat participated in the Youth Camp’s 2024 program and introduced the youth to its mission, which is “to publish original, cultural, and creative Saudi-inspired content with an expansive global outlook to inspire cross-cultural dialogue and engage the public as well as artists and art enthusiasts.”
With over 20 participants, during the session, it was discovered that many of the youth include ‘content creation,’ as well as sports and chess amongst their habits and how they spend their free time. This is great news, as the world always needs original storytelling, especially those who combine it with a healthy lifestyle.
Ithraeyat's Editor in Chief and Creative Art Director, Rym Al-Ghazal, introduces the art of storytelling to the Youth Camp participants.
Focusing on skills such as analytical, creative thinking, social and collaborative, the youth are immersed in a unique and enriching summer program of experiences such as meeting experts, field trips, group projects, exhibitions, performances and hands-on experience working within a context directly related to their personal interests while also introducing them to new and sometimes disruptive ideas.
The program seeks to enhance each participant’s ability to combine theoretical knowledge with technical know-how to form future professional skills and give them experience networking within the framework of the creative and cultural industries.
To maintain a sustainable educational environment, the program continues to hold regular monthly meetings, ensuring the sustainability of a safe and reliable space for everything and contributing to the growth and development of the current annual youth group and those of previous years. Many of these meetings often retain the character of the main summer program, including open discussions, artistic critiques, curious questions, and youth-oriented dialogues prepared by both mentors and participants alike. Furthermore, it continues offering various workshops, experiential learning opportunities, and some field trips to coincide with specific seasonal times.
To find out more about the Summer Youth Camp, please check Ithra's website here.
Ithraeyat is founded on cross-cultural conversations and local, regional and international collaborations.
