LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - A desire to increase youth participation is behind one of the primary components of this year's Open Sky Festival.

The first event in the line-up for the 11th annual festival in Fort Simpson is a week-long interactive build with artist Steve DeBruyn. Based in London, Ont., DeBruyn specializes in creating sculptural installations inspired by skateboard obstacles.

"I've never seen anything quite like what he does," said Ryan Good, the Open Sky Creative Society's programming co-ordinator.

From June 25 to July 1 people are encouraged to come by the OSC Gallery located below the village's library and help DeBruyn build his installation that will be featured in the gallery during the festival. Some of DeBruyn's pieces are useable as skateboard obstacles although with the gallery's carpeted floor no one will be able to try them out on site, said Good. When the exhibit is finished, any useable pieces will be donated to the local skatepark, he said.

DeBruyn had originally applied to just exhibit in the gallery but the society decided to incorporate him into the festival because of the unique nature of his work and the youth appeal it has, Good said.

With confluence as its theme, this year's festival is all about bringing people together. One of the confluences will be among all of the participating artists who are from different communities, said Good.

"We have pretty strong involvement from the communities and Yellowknife," he said.

As always, workshops and demonstrations by artists will form the majority of the festival. There is a mix of traditional and non-traditional artists offering workshops while the demonstrations are primarily by traditional artists. The demonstration subjects include beading, birch bark baskets and smoking moosehide.

The workshops, which will take place on July 2 and 3 from 1 to 5 p.m., include topics such as wire wrap jewelry, moosehair tufting and digital photography.

Dianne Nelson, an artist from Fort Liard, will be offering a two-part workshop on silk painting. This will be Nelson's first time at the festival.

"I've always wanted to try it out because we're so close by," she said. "I think that it should be really fun."

Nelson said she is looking forward to meeting and talking with other artists and getting people hooked on silk painting.

Participants in Nelson's workshop will be using special paint that's similar to water colour to decorate a silk scarf. The finished scarves can be worn, framed like a painting or used as a wall hanging, Nelson said.

Another multi-part workshop at the festival will focus on documentary filmmaking. Two members of Western Arctic Moving Pictures, a film co-operative from Yellowknife, will be teaching about the subject while videographing the festival.

A post-production workshop will be held later in the summer or fall to put all of the footage together.

The workshop is small and there's already been interest in it, said Good.

Although Good has volunteered for two previous Open Sky Festivals, this is his first festival as the programming co-ordinator. Good said he is drawing on the experience of local volunteers and waiting to deal with the last minute things that are sure to crop up as the festival draws close.

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