Waitangi Day celebrations for Masterton's youth will be a little bit different next year, as a five-day programme is being set up to cater for those interested in arts, music and dance as part of Mai Street Youth Project 2012.
The programme will include two days of art design, aone-day music workshop, one-day of hip hop with Wellington dance crew UFO and an afternoon of sports - aimed at 15 to 20-year-olds.
Masterton District Council eastside co-ordinator Deborah Davidson said she met with six youth on Thursday to discuss the upcoming events. "We've pretty much got to the stage now that we'd like to hand the responsibility of the event to the six youth," she said.
Ms Davidson said funding had come from the Ministry of Youth Development. "We're really trying to push the kaupapa, which is getting kids to be political and be the voice," she said. "There's so much going on for youth but little seems to happen."
The two-day art design workshop will be run by Whaea Jenny to create screen prints with the kaupapa being Waitangi Day. The T-shirts will be sold at next year.
Warren Maxwell will help the youth create the music to do a flash mob dance in a one-day music workshop. The dance crew will do hip hop with the kids on the fourth day, which will then be perfected on the last day to create a "flash mob". This will be followed by an afternoon of sports.
Ms Davidson said Wairarapa Primary Health Organisation, Breadcraft Wairarapa, King St Artworks and Makoura College had all been "really supportive" of the event. The programme costs $3 a day, and will be held in the Makoura College hall. Register by texting 021 110 4488 or email mai.streetyp@gmail.com.
