The second annual Shockwave Youth Arts Festival is coming to Blackall’s Memorial Hall and Skate Park over the 22nd and 23rd of May, 2010.

The festival will be back bigger and better in 2010, with headline performances from The Coalition Crew [Brisbane], Myth and Tropics [Sydney – with members of The Scare] and Melinda Wells [Brisbane]. Local bands and soloists, ranging from rock bands to beatboxers, will support the headline acts.

Young people will have the chance to release their creativity at the festival through the massive range of arts workshops, including tie dying [bring your own clothing], stencilling, temporary tattoos, skate deck painting, lantern making, music making, circus and acro balance, skirmish, body percussion and more.

“Momentum is definitely building toward the second Shockwave festival,” states Program Coordinator Steph Vajda.  “We encourage anyone interested in attending Shockwave to talk to their teacher or youth worker. We are organising buses from Winton, Charleville, Roma, Longreach, Isisford, Tambo and Barcaldine, and food and accommodation can also be provided.”

Parents are encouraged to actively support young people heading to Shockwave. Supervisors are required to travel with young people from each town and young people will only be allowed on the buses with a completed permission form.

The Festival organisers are also still looking for volunteers and performers – with opportunities still available on both the main stage and the acoustic stage.

In addition to the Festival, the Human Ventures team will be conducting free creative arts workshops in the lead up to Shockwave, for people between the ages of 12 and 25, in both Blackall and Longreach.

The Longreach Youth Club will play host to the Human team from 3.30pm on Friday 14 May. Workshops will be run on drama, costume design, tie dying, stencilling, film and multimedia.

The team will then be in Blackall, from the 15th to the 21st of May, conducting a similar workshop program. Workshop participants will learn new skills, enjoy being creative and also have the opportunity to create drama performances, stencils or film projections for presentation at the festival.

More information on Shockwave, including background information for participants and permission forms, can be obtained here.