Gibraltar Cultural Services, GCS, on behalf of the Ministry for Culture, is once again pleased to announce its Youth Arts Jamboree programme, which will take place over February and March. As in previous years the aim of the Jamboree is to offer new insights and opportunities in the arts whilst inspiring young people to get involved and promote the industry. The 2025 programme will include the following:

Video Project – Your Culture Your Story

Using videography in an artistic way, young people will be encouraged to create a reel (a short video), to express what culture means to them, or how they view culture and the arts. The minute long video can include speech, performance, slides etc. The top prize includes £200 and the opportunity to work with GCS to produce a video showcasing of one of their community events. The closing date for entries is Friday 28^th February 2025.

Library Membership Card Competition

An opportunity for the design of new membership cards is being launched. Young people and adults alike are being invited to create unique designs to reflect the JMH Library and its place in the community. This initiative aims to celebrate creativity and inclusivity, while reflecting the role of the Library as a cultural and educational hub. Entries must be submitted by the 28^th February 2025. Full details including submission guidelines and templates, are available on culture.gi.

Poetry and Short Story Recitals

An event will be held at the City Hall in January 2025 to celebrate the work of the winners of the 2024 Spring Short Story and Autumn Poetry Competitions, who will be reciting their entries to an invited audience. This will provide a platform for the winners of both events to show off their work and present their creations. The occasion will feature all the categories in each competition.

Art Tours at GEMA Gallery & Street Art Tours

Schools will be invited to attend GEMA, the Modern Art Gallery at Montagu Bastion which features work by Christian Hook and a selection of artworks, sculptures, photos and videos. A historical venue which offers interactive activities for young people to enjoy and appreciate art. In separate tours, they will also be given the opportunity to learn about the Street Art murals located at various points across Gibraltar, which forms part of the Government’s urban regeneration programme. The artist’s inspiration and site-specific challenges will be addressed, putting the art into context within Gibraltar’s urban landscape.

Mayor’s City Hall Open Day

An opportunity to meet and greet HW the Mayor and visit the historic City Hall. Here pupils will learn about the mayor’s civic role, the building, and its history, whilst also visiting the National Gallery housed within. Details for the visits planned for the end of February will be announced shortly.

World Book Day 2025

The John Mackintosh Hall will once again host World Book Day, with celebrations on Thursday 6th March. The theme will be based on classic fairytales featuring stories like ‘Hansel & Gretel’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, and ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ among others. School children will take part in movement and expression workshops, art themed workshops and our interactive story telling sessions led by the John Mackintosh Hall Library volunteers. There will also be an interactive public storytelling session delivered by GAMPA. Tickets for this will be released shortly on Buytickets.gi

Various other initiatives to promote books, writing and literature will also be part of the week’s offering.

Lighting and Sound Workshop

A two-day technical workshop will be delivered by GCS’s in-house Lighting and Sound Technicians, for those interested in exploring the art and science of stage lighting and sound design. The course will cover lighting fundamentals, sound essentials and practical applications and will be held over two sessions on 4^th and 5^th April. The hands-on course will take place at the John Mackintosh Hall and Ince’s Hall Theatres. To book your place please contact development@culture.gov.gi

Gibraltar Festival for Young Musicians

The annual festival will take place from the 2^nd to the 8^th of February. If you play an instrument or enjoy singing, then do come along and participate at this festival. The categories of classes include piano, brass, woodwind, percussion, vocal and strings and an exciting "Pop and Rock" category. There are competitive sections in every category where trophies and medals can be won. Classes will be divided into Infant, Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories and you can enter solos, duets, ensembles or choirs.

Gibraltar International Dance Festival

The annual competition, now in its 23^rd year, will take place at the John Mackintosh Hall Theatre from the 26^th of February to the 1^st of March. Tickets will be available from the 17^th of February at Buytickets.gi

Young Artist Competition

The competition is open to Gibraltarians and residents of Gibraltar attending school in years 9 to 13 (or College equivalent), as well as young Gibraltarian artists aged up to 24 years old. Full details on entry can be found at Culture.gi and all entries will be exhibited at the John Mackintosh Hall from Tuesday 25^th February to Friday 7^th March, 2025. The Top prize to be awarded is £1,000.                                                                                                                  

Other arts related workshops and sessions will also be delivered in conjunction with the Gibraltar Youth Service and the Scouts and Guides Gibraltar. For more information, please contact the GCS Cultural Development Unit on 20040843 or email development@culture.gov.gi