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INUVIK - The youth of Inuvik have a new reason to celebrate this week.

A group of hip hop performers and self-described "community media activators" are in town this week to teach youth new skills about music and video recording and production.

Samuel Hearne student Nathan Nokadlak took to the mic with MC Roop during a demonstration at the Cafe Gallery on Monday afternoon. Roop is part of a visiting group looking to arm youth with skills in video and music recording. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

Mike Sheehan is founder and director of Beatboard, a group specializing in youth educational programs. This week, Sheehan and his team are at the youth centre setting up a recording studio for video and music production.

Sheehan said the equipment will remain in town as a gift from the sponsors of the trip.

"That equipment is here to stay and is for the use of the community," he said.

Included in the package is a sound recording deck, a P.A. system, and video editing and recording equipment.

"We're here to train these young people on this equipment," he said.

Sheehan said he wants the youth of Inuvik to learn a new skill and use it to capture the culture around them.

"We want to bring their ideas forward as young people and use these tools," he said.

"We want them to start creating mainstream culture."

Sheehan said his program teaches youth about healthy living and being productive.

"We deliver experimental education programs," he said.

His group usually works with youth aged 14-18.

"We develop media literacy programs and youth programs for the community," he said.

Each program is custom-made for every community they serve in Western Canada.

"We're here working with the youth centre to deliver those programs," he said.

Sheehan said he hopes by the time the week is done, participating youth will have the desire to step out into the community and document what they see and feel.

"We want to know what they want changed in the community and what they want to see," he said.

"For this to work, we're going to have to integrate the elder and adult communities into this."

Earlier this week, the youth took part in a sewing class with a local elder, which was recorded for a future production by the group and the young movie-makers.

Emma Tius is another member of the Beatboard team. She said she wants to focus on building the unity in the young members of the community.

On Monday at lunch, the group took over the Cafe Gallery to demonstrate their talent and show what they want to accomplish.

"We wanted to give the youth an idea of what we do and what they could be doing too," said Tius.

"We're having some beatboxing and a small hip hop performance."

The group is also holding a session on Saturday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m at the youth centre.