Back in 2008, we founded ArtBridges/ToileDesArts to learn and share what was going on in community-engaged arts and arts for social change across Canada. People in the practice tended to work in silos and we sensed that with building the project, innovative ideas, models, promising practices, lessons learned and resources could be shared. Increased knowledge-sharing, collaboration and less re-inventing of the wheel, could result in more accessible and affordable community-engaged arts in Canada. The outcome would be more arts in under-served and under-resourced communities and more benefits to Canadian communities.
Art is a vehicle for healthy community development. Art-making, creativity and art expression brings children, youth, adults and seniors together in community studios that combine recreation, education, life-skills building, economic development and leadership.
The benefits of community arts for social change include:
The benefits of community-engaged arts have been demonstrated time and time again within inner-city, distressed, or isolated communities across Canada. You can read more about the benefits of community-engaged arts here.
For more in-depth information about why we do what we do and the rationale for ArtBridges, you can read our Raison d'être here.