New Community Arts Projects to Invest in Inclusiveness, Diversity, and Mentorship
More often than not, when people are asked to think of arts and culture in Edmonton, itâs the big public art pieces, our many exciting festivals, or our cornerstone organizations like the Citadel Theatre or the Winspear Centre that come to mind. Although these are all essential elements to Edmontonâs artistic fabric, one small program with a big community impact often remains under the radar.
Community Art projects allow professional artists to lend their knowledge and expertise to communities with fewer resources and options. These projects are valued for their ability to bring people together in shared, collaborative, creative experiences to express the things that have meaning to diverse communities: where weâve come from, where weâre going, our world, our fears, our dreams, our aspirations. These projects strengthen our community, develop creativity and increase awareness of the arts in our lives. With every Community Arts project that receives funding through the EACâs Community Arts grant, there is a common thread of artistic exploration, active participation, and intentional inclusiveness, allowing communities to tell their own stories in their own way.
With the 11 Community Arts Grant projects that were approved by City Council to receive funding from the Edmonton Arts Council, the City of Edmonton, and the Edmonton Community Foundation, Edmonton is sure to be filled with inclusive community art projects over the next year.
Participants from FAVAâs 2015 Future Visions workshop.Â
Speaking to the value of Community Arts, KazMega posits that âthrough community art we are able to inspire, educate, heal, entertain and express love in ways that are dampened by the commercial world.â
Through the Kulture Hubs Pilot Project with the Hip Hop in the Park Foundation, KazMega welcomes the opportunity to work alongside youth to re-imagine Edmontonâs Hip Hop community as self-sustaining, youth led, service driven, cultural group. By placing an emphasis on mentorship, the project aims to instill a sense ownership in the young participants, as they are afforded the opportunity to connect with community leaders and build relationships through art. âEmpowering [those who are afforded less voice and thus less attention from society] empowers us all.â
All of the selected community arts projects range in discipline, including visual art, music, theatre, storytelling, photography, and film, and afford opportunities for collaboration with diverse Edmonton communities, such as new immigrants to Canada, at-risk and barriered youth, and adults living with developmental disabilities. Through these projects, professional artists collaborate with Edmontonians who may not regularly engage in the arts, be it due to a lack of available resources or opportunities. Â
Michelle Lavoie, an artist, curator, and LGBTQ activist, hopes to empower LGBTQ youth through her project that partners with SNAP Gallery and Camp fYrefly. âThis project will provide art-based mentorship to LGBTQ youth in order to support their artistic skill development and encourage their use of art for self-expression. Additionally, this project will introduce LGBTQ youth to the experience of working in a professional printmaking studio and to members of the arts community,â says Lavoie. âBy developing a resiliency network of friends, trusted adults, community resources, and leadership strategies, we believe that youth will be able to thrive and become leaders who advocate for social justice and inclusion in their schools, families, and communities. The project demonstrates the commitment of all involved, to strengthen the vitality of the arts and the powerful role of the arts can play in public education and the pursuit of human rights and social justice for all youth.â
Rising Sun Theatreâs 2015 production of Sparks: an original play about friendship and connection.Â
Over the course of the next year we hope to follow the progress of these exciting Community Arts projects. Hereâs a brief recap of the 11 projects that will be receiving funding through the 2016 Community Arts grant:
A collaborative project between visual artists Brittney Roy and Leanne Olson and the Bissell Centre will provide print-making sessions to inner city artists who attend the Bissell Centre drop-in programs, followed by a showcase of their works.
Boyle Street Community Services will work with inner city youth to produce an album called Underground City, encouraging youth to express themselves through music in weekly songwriting sessions and facilitated workshops.
Working with artists Tim Folkmann and Matthew Wood, the students at the Boyle Street Education Centre will create a series of short videos that will commemorate both past and present stories of the Boyle Street Education Centre, to be featured at a âhomecomingâ street party with the community.
Over the course of FAVAâs 3-week Future Visions workshop, âat-risk and barriered youthâ are guided through the creation of their own individual artistic videos.
Hip Hop in the Parkâs Kulture Hubs Pilot Project will connect youth and professional artists to collaborate in art workshops on recording, social entrepreneurship, community organizing, leadership, and project development. The group of young people will then demonstrate their leadership skills by planning a youth-led workshop for approximately 20 of their peers.
Camp fYrefly and SNAP Gallery will provide profession art-based mentorship to LGBTQ youth in order to support their artistic skill development and encourage their use of art for self-expression. The workshops will guide the participants through inspiration and idea generation, hands-on practice, and the public presentation of artwork through curation to exhibition.
Mile Zero Dance will provide free contemporary dance education to over 2,000 members of the neighbourhoods of McCauley and Boyle Street, and host four free dance days.
In collaboration with SKILLS, a local non-profit society committed to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, Rising Sun Theatre and artists with developmental disabilities will script, rehearse, produce, and perform Sparks, a theatre piece utilizing physical movement, dance, and improvisation.
The Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomersâ project âMy Journeyâ explores the stories of newcomer youth transplanting roots in Edmonton, by engaging youth from ethno-cultural communities to come together and express their individual stories through acrylic painting, collage, clock printing, journaling, spoken word, and movement.
Arts on the Aveâs âAvenue of Championsâ will provide a celebration of the stories of some of the business people of Alberta Avenue through film, photography and writing, culminating in a video and photographic exhibit.
A theatre project facilitated by theatre artists Dhana Cartmell will engage older adults affected by Alzheimerâs or dementia at the Glenrose Rehabiliation Hospital.