A GROUP of youngsters from York are encouraging people in the city to discover their artistic talents this summer, as part of one of their projects.

Southbank-based SmART Team (Small Artistic Revolution Together) are hoping to bring the York community together as part of their ‘North Yorkshire Police Lifestyle Challenge’ project, all while raising money for charity.

The team is made up of Millthorpe School pupils Lellie Dalgleish, 15, twins Sammy and Lily Hunter Richardson, 13, Alfie Robinson, 11 and Dec Dalgleish, 11, of Archbishop Holgate.

Lellie said: “We wanted to do the Lifestyle Challenge because we wanted to do something that helps our community. We also wanted to bring people together, something different than being on screens.”

The team, who are raising money for York Against Cancer, are making and selling canvases for people to create their own works of art, which will then be displayed in an open air gallery in Racecourse Road on August 23, between 3-5pm.

There will also be workshops available on the day from 11am-2pm in the alleys behind Knavesmire Crescent, where there will also be clay therapy, canvas painting, foraging in alleys and producing a canvas using rubbings.

Lellie added that making the canvases, which they sell to prospective exhibitors, are a work of art themselves. The youngster said: “We are making the canvases by building frames out of wood and then stretching old bed sheets over them.

“We then mix up PVA and emulsion and then paint the base coat with it, then after it dries it is ready to be painted on.”

The group, which has already raised nearly £1,000 for York Against Cancer, is also going to be selling pizza and cakes on the day.

Lellie went on to say: “We want to raise enough money to help York Against Cancer and we also hope we have given the community something to do during a time when there isn’t much on.

“We know people struggle with cancer, so we wanted to do something to help them.

“We also know that the charity is very underfunded, so we wanted to help them as they will have struggled during lockdown.”

North Yorkshire Police’s Lifestyle scheme aims to get children creating and running their own community projects during the long summer holidays, while they have time away from school.

Anyone interested in buying a canvas, which are priced at £10 each, can phone Lellie on 07397186836 or Emma on 07712582762.

To donate to the young group’s fundraising page, visit: https://bit.ly/31OZ4V3