T:BUC: Tech &
Adventure
Summer Camp
2021
In July 2021, WheelWorks Arts delivered our first ever T:BUC Tech & Adventure Summer Camp. T:BUC camps are about challenging historic positions, encouraging debate and discussion, and providing a way for young people to get to know each other. Our camp did this by enabling the young people to try new experiences, have fun and take part in activities that helped them build longer term relationships. Camps are always delivered on a cross-community basis, and WheelWorks ensured good relations learning was at the heart of every activity.
We were joined by over 90 young people between the ages of 11 – 17 who had been recruited via an open call online and through our various partner organisations. This was a mammoth creative project engaging:
3 professional arts facilitators
6 camp leaders and assistants
7 days of creativity and adventure
20 bus journeys
24 VR headsets
65 iPads
PHEW!
From our base at the Skainos Centre, Newtownards Road young people from all over Belfast got inspired with new digital technologies under the guidance of artists: Katrina Smyth, Dragos Musat and Grace Hyndes. Over the camp, they explored a diverse range of digital artforms including Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Animation, Photography and Filming.
You can see some of their brilliant creations here.
In between the making and creating, all the young people embarked on three great diversionary trips. First stop was Todd’s Leap where the young people bonded over testing their nerves and confidence at the adventure centre. Then we explored the ‘Making the Future’ exhibition at the Ulster Museum, which created space for interesting conversations between the different groups of young people. Before ending the camp with a giant splash at Let’s Go Hydro waterpark where the young people let loose and shared a lot of laughter. Our final stop was in CS Lewis Square where dancing and a humungous McDonald’s order that had to be delivered via shopping trolley (yes really!) brought WheelWorks Arts first T:BUC Tech & Adventure Summer Camp to a close.
After the difficulties of the past year amid lockdown and other COVID-19 restrictions, it was wonderful to bring together so many young people from different communities and backgrounds, for artistic endeavours and creating fantastic memories with every fresh activity at the camp.
Highlights from TBUC video
The programme was supported by the Executive Office’s Central Good Relations Fund delivering under the ‘Together; Building a United Community’ Strategy, which works to improve community relations across NI.
