The
      Kids
      are
      Atright
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (The
      Growm-ups
      Aren
      Oe:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Alec
      O’Hanley
     
     
      Arts
      &
      Entertainment
      Editor
     
    

    
     
      Scenario:
      16-year
      old
      Joey
      is
      a
     
     
      good
      kid.
      He
      does
      well
      in
      school,
      likes
     
     
      listening
      to
      music,
      and
      plays
      guitar
      in
     
     
      a
      young
      local
      band.
      Joey
      loves
      his
     
     
      town,
      but
      he
      knows
      there’s
      not
      much
     
     
      to
      do
      there.
      One
      can
      only
      take
      part
      in
     
     
      black
      light
      bowling
      for
      so
      long
      before
     
     
      it
      leaves
      a
      dirty,
      dirty
      taste
      in
      one’s
     
     
      mouth.
      The
      town
      is
      Charlottetown
      and
     
     
      Joey
      is
      bored.
     
    

    
     
      What’s
      a
      kid
      to
      do?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tired
      of
      staying
      home
      and
     
     
      playing
      Zelda,
      Joey
      decides
      to
      put
      his
     
     
      thinking
      cap
      on.
      After
      a
      little
      while,
      he
     
     
      comes
      up
      with
      the
      idea
      of
      putting
      on
     
     
      an
      all-ages
      show.
      It’ll
      give
      kids
      his
      age
     
     
      a
      place
      for
      to
      hang
      out
      and
      listen
      to
     
     
      local
      music,
      people
      will
      be
      expressing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      themselves,
      and
      best
      of
      all,
      Joey’s
     
     
      band
      will
      get
      their
      first
      chance
      to
      play.
     
     
      To
      Joey,
      this
      all
      sounds
      gas.
     
    

    
     
      After
      hearing
      from
      a
      kid
      at
     
     
      school
      that
      there
      are
      youth
      music
     
     
      shows
      at
      the
      Arts
      Guild
      sometimes,
     
     
      Joey
      rushes
      home
      and
      calls
      the
      PEI
     
     
      Council
      of
      the
      Arts
      (the
      proprietors
      of
     
     
      the
      Arts
      Guild).
      Joey
      asks,
      “How
     
     
      much
      would
      it
      cost
      to
      rent
      the
      Arts
     
     
      Guild
      for
      an
      all-ages
      show?”
      The
      man
     
     
      on
      the
      other
      end
      of
      the
      phone
      curtly
     
     
      explains
      that
      with
      deposits,
      Joey
      will
     
     
      have
      to
      come
      up
      with
      upwards
      of
      $500
     
     
      before
      the
      show
      can
      be
      put
      on.
      Joey
      is
     
     
      stunned.
      He
      doesn’t
      even
      know
      what
     
     
      $500
      looks
      like.
      Discouraged,
      Joey
     
     
      mumbles
      his
      thanks
      and
      despondently
     
     
      hangs
      up
      the
      phone.
     
    

    
     
      What
      is
      wrong
      with
      these
      peo-
     
     
      ple?
      Is
      the
      arts
      council
      so
      hard
      up
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cash
      that
      they
      reward
      a
      teenager’s
      ini-
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Attention
     
     
      Students
      &
      Faculty
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tiative
      with
      a
     
     
      proverbial
      kick
      in
     
     
      the
      junk?
      Perhaps
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      have
      to
      pay
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      All
      Your
     
     
      Storage
      Needs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      Stow-It-All
      Ltd.
     
     
      Self
      Storage
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      Sell
      packing
      boxed.
     
     
      Many
      different
      sized
      units.
     
     
      Lease
      by
      the
      Month
      or
      Long
      Term
     
     
      Free
      Use
      of
      Moving
      Carts.
     
     
      Free
      Padlock
      with
      Unit
      Rental.
     
     
      Located
      directly
      in
      front
      of
      Wal-Mart.
     
     
      Open:
      Monday
      -
      Friday
      9am
      -
      5pm
     
     
      Saturday
      8am
      -
      12
      noon
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Phone
      902-368-7000
     
     
      An
      Island
      Company
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lot
      in
      taxes
      for
      the
     
     
      Arts
      Guild.
      No,
     
     
      actually,
      their
      GST
     
     
      payment
      amounts
     
     
      to
      $50
      a
      month.
     
     
      Well,
      maybe
      they
     
     
      don’t
      get
      much
     
     
      support
      from
      the
     
     
      government.
      Oh,
     
     
      that’s
      funny
      —
      both
     
     
      the
      Provincial
      and
     
     
      the
      Municipal
      gov-
     
     
      ernments
      are
     
     
      responsible
      _
      for
     
     
      providing
      a
      com-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ’
      Ibined
      annual
      oper-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ating
      subsidy
      of
     
     
      $80,000
      for
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      building,
      Well
      then,
      if
      it’s
      not
      any
      1
      of
     
     
      those
      things,
      it
      must
      cost
      a
      lot
      for
      the
     
     
      Council
      to
      keep
      the
      deed
      to
      the
      build-
     
     
      ing.
      Oh
      snap!
      The
      PEI
      Council
      of
      the
     
     
      Arts
      has
      to
      pay
      a
      whopping
      five
      dol-
     
     
      lars
      a
      year
      to
      retain
      ownership
      of
      the
     
     
      Arts
      Guild.
     
    

    
     
      Show-organizing
      kids
      in
      the
     
     
      Charlottetown
      area
      have
      been
      running
     
     
      into
      the
      problem
      of
      adult
      apathy
      for
     
     
      years
      and
      regularly
      have
      to
      deal
      with
     
     
      retorts
      like
      “We
      don’t
      put
      on
      those
     
     
      kind
      of
      shows.
      here”
      when
      searching
     
     
      for
      a
      venue.
      The
      Arts
      Guild
      does
      per-
     
     
      mit
      all-ages
      shows,
      but
      the
      rental
      price
     
     
      for
      the
      room
      is
      ridiculous.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Municipal
      Government
      /
      PEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Council
      of
      the
      Arts:
      quit
      being
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pompous
      shmucks
      and
      support
      these
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      kids
      when
      they
      want
      to
      put
      on
      a
      show.
     
     
      The
      city
      should
      provide
      security
      for
     
     
      shows,
      while
      the
      Arts
      Council
      should
     
     
      work
      with
      people
      putting
      on
      shows
     
     
      instead
      of
      just
      renting
      out
      the
      venue.
     
     
      While
      other
      kids
      his
      age
      are
      investing
     
     
      in
      smack
      and
      calling
      in
      bomb
      threats,
     
     
      our
      Joey
      has
      come
      up
      with
      a
      wonder-
     
     
      fully
      creative
      idea
      that
      gives
      kids
     
     
      something
      to
      do
      and
      a
      chance
      to
     
     
      express
      themselves,
      and
      is
      shat
      on
      for
     
     
      the
      effort.
      Well
      done,
      people.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      March
      29,
      2004
      page
      17
     
    
   
   
    
     
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