A new summer arts program combining music and visual art is coming to Thompson this August, giving local residents a chance to create their own song and album cover from start to finish. The Beats and Brushes Series: Summer Beat, run by the community arts group Mall of The Arts, kicks off August 10, 2026, at their space in City Centre Mall on Mystery Lake Road.
The 12-day camp is an interdisciplinary workshop where participants learn the fundamentals of music, music production, recording, and song distribution. The program also includes a two-day Photoshop workshop to design the single’s artwork. By the end, everyone leaves with a self-produced song and single cover. The camp runs from 7:00 p.m. on August 10 to 11:00 p.m. on August 21.
Registration costs $350 for the camp without food, or $450 with meals included. Both morning and afternoon sessions are available. The program is designed to give northern artists a hands-on creative outlet in a region where such opportunities have been historically scarce.
Mall of The Arts operates out of a unit in City Centre Mall, the largest enclosed shopping centre in Northern Manitoba. The group was founded to fill a void in Thompson’s arts scene, offering a central place where northern artists can showcase and develop their work. The organization has since grown its programming and partnered with groups like the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts.
Anyone interested can sign up and get more details through Mall of The Arts’ website.
