Young Archies Central Coast is giving young artists a chance to shine

For a group of talented young Central Coast artists, one school day recently looked a little different: paintbrushes out, creativity flowing and an entire day spent learning alongside professional artist Tim Owers. The Young Archies Central Coast brought together eight students from each of three local primary schools for a full-day artist workshop at Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College (TLSC) Tumbi Umbi Campus, supported by Visual Arts students who helped mentor the younger participants. The students were selected from a large pool of young artists, making the day both a celebration of their talent and an opportunity to develop it further.

For organiser and Head Teacher of Creative and Performing Arts Cheryl Yeaman, that opportunity is at the heart of the program. “High Potential Gifted Education is about identifying and nurturing student talent, providing students with opportunities to develop their skills through enriching and authentic experiences,” said Cheryl. “Our Young Archies program does exactly this, allowing students to work alongside a professional artist, interact with other young artists and see themselves as artists.”

It’s that last part that feels particularly important.

Young Archies Central Coast

Throughout the Young Archies Central Coast workshop, local artist Tim Owers shared techniques and guidance while encouraging students to experiment and be brave with their artmaking.

“I’m such a huge advocate for workshops like this,” Tim said. “Budding artists get to learn and apply new technical skills in a space where they are surrounded by like-minded creatives, motivating them to be bold and courageous with their artmaking.”

Tim hopes experiences like Young Archies offer students a glimpse of what belonging to a creative community can look like and perhaps encourage some to pursue Visual Arts into high school and beyond. The impact was already evident among the students. Wamberal Public School Year 6 student Art van Genderen described being selected as “such an exciting experience,” adding that he was looking forward to attending Tumbi Campus knowing it had such a strong art program.

Young Archies Archibald Prize Central Coast

Lyla Jepson, Year 5 from Bateau Bay Public School, discovered that painting also means embracing imperfection. “There’s so much shading and highlights that you have to focus on, and if you make a mistake, oh well.”

TLSC Tumbi Umbi Campus Year 8 student River Lawalata particularly enjoyed the “in-depth explanations of colour and how they play a role in making other colours.”

The Entrance Public School’s Creative and Practical Arts teacher Rebecca Prendergast said Young Archies provides an opportunity to identify students demonstrating high potential and giftedness in Visual Arts before they reach high school. “The quality of the portraits being produced is getting better and better,” she said, adding that students were able to build on and refine their portraiture skills throughout the workshop.

Central Coast schools in the Young Archies

For Wamberal Public School Principal James Gray, the benefits extend beyond artistic technique. “Experiences like this build confidence, inspire students to take pride in their work and demonstrate the powerful role the arts can play in engaging and connecting young people,” he said. And connection was everywhere on the day.

“What makes the Young Archies so special is the collaboration across our Tuggerah Lakes Learning Community,” Cheryl said. “Seeing students from different schools and different stages come together, share this experience and celebrate each other’s excitement and love of artmaking has been a real highlight.”

With professional mentorship, dedicated teachers and facilities where creativity can flourish, Young Archies Central Coast gave these students something bigger than a day away from their regular classroom. It gave them the chance to see where their talent might take them.

Meet the young Central Coast artists

The Entrance Public School: Kyran George (Year 6), Karstan Whitbread (Year 6), Olivia Gray (Year 6), Cooper Bishop-Waddell (Year 6), Alira George (Year 4), Latisha Waddell (Year 4), Thomas Hooper (Year 4) and Roxette Barnett (Year 4).

Wamberal Public School: Ashton Brown, Harry Coffill, Rafaella Dennington, Jasmine (Jazzy) Hill, Ace Hutton (School Winner), Oliver Kimble, Penny Lee and Art van Genderen.

Bateau Bay Public School: Tyler McIntosh, Isla Daley, Molly Hagan, Eli Waine, Lyla Jepson, Frankie Smith and Lilly Kennedy.

For more information on TLSC, follow this link. You can also learn more about local artist Tim Owers here.