TOAST is popping up again at York City Art Gallery from next week. Toast art sessions for 13 to 18 year olds have been running since April at the gallery in Exhibition Square, and following the sessions on digital imaging and fashion the focus now switches to cartoons and animation.

The latest six-week block of Wednesday art and toast-making activity runs from September 12 to October 17, and each 5pm to 7pm session costs £1.50, payable on the evening.

Lara Goodband, the gallery's exhibitions and publicity officer, says: "The digital imaging and fashion sessions were a great success, providing the Toasters with an opportunity to get to know the gallery; use digital cameras; manipulate images on a computer; as well as design and make their own clothes.

"The sessions also enabled the Toasters to meet new people, make new friends, play CDs, and, of course, eat unlimited toast!"

In contrast to the stereotype image of galleries being havens of peace, Toast nights are "quite noisy", according to Lara. "There's lots of art, lots of music, lots of toasting... and sometimes a bit of snogging, which we try to ignore!" she says.

On a more serious note, at the end of each six-week block, the gallery has exhibited a selection of the Toasters' work in the main reception hall, and on show at present are dresses, fashion story boards and individual and original fashion designs.

This autumn's sessions on cartoons and animation will be led by Sheffield cartoonist Jenny Booth.

"She's done a lot of work with young people, and this time she will be exploring the moving image, including old-fashioned animation, video animation and film, using pictures in the gallery as a starting point," says Lara.

Participants can try their hand at designing and making flick books and story boards, and in addition they will look at experimental film techniques and learn how to use video cameras and other film-making equipment.

Those keen to take part can just turn up on the night each week, but please note that the maximum number for each session is 15.

"We restrict it to this because we want everyone to have a really concentrated experience where they can all talk in detail to the artist," says Lara.

"People learn more in a smaller group and, besides, it doesn't feel so intimidating in a small group."

One Toaster who would concur with those sentiments is 14-year-old Natasha Little, from Fulford School, whose GCSE studies include art. She attended the very first session after Lara Goodband gave an introductory talk on Toast at the school and, enjoying the informal environment, she has been attending ever since and will continue to do so for cartoons and animation and the final sessions of 2001 in November and December on film and photography.

"I was really nervous about going - some of my friends said they would come along as well but they didn't," Natasha recalls. "I knew no one at first but from the start I liked the fact you had the freedom to do what you wanted; you don't have to do what everyone else does. You can just walk around the gallery on your own or whatever."

Natasha has put the digital imaging sessions to good use on her computer at home and says that while she had made clothing before undertaking the fashion classes, those sessions with Marie Neal-Smith had been far more detailed.

At the launch of the Toast autumn programme on Tuesday, Natasha was pictured in a black top she had customised, newly incorporating the puffed sleeve design from Francis Cotes's 18th century painting, The Honourable Lady Stanhope and The Countess of Effingham as Diana and Her Companion. "I wanted to update the top with a fashion trend for today, so I removed the long sleeves and added some period detail from the picture," says Natasha, whose ambition is to be costume designer.

She welcomes Toast as a chance to counter the "very common complaint that there's not enough for young people to do in York". Meanwhile, Lara Goodband believes there is a need for more workshops in the city and a place for the city's youngsters to do such activities.

As ever, the availability of financial resources from City of York Council would be the deciding factor in any such project.

In the meantime, Toast is playing its part. "A lot of kids think they're not any good at drawing but doing Toast they find they can do digital imaging with computers or alter clothes to the look they want, and they discover they can do more than they thought," says Lara.

"Then they start investigating how to take it further."

For more information on Toast, ring 01904 551861 or consult the website, www.toastshow.org.uk