The ArtBridges Resource Portal connects you to community arts toolkits and research, reflections and stories, program ideas, and more. These resources have been developed and generously shared by artists and cultural workers in Canada through the course of their work.
The Neighbours Toolkit was created by the Halifax Regional Municipality for people who wish to make positive changes in their communities. This online resource covers neighbourhood-based topics like hosting a block party and organizing a community cleanup.
The Toolkit has a special section called ‘How Do I Start a Community Art Project‘; this has some great tips and background information for people who want to start a community arts project for the first time. The section on key questions is very helpful as well: How will you ensure that all participants feel included in the project design, artwork design and art creation? How will the skills or relationships developed over the project be sustained past the life of the project? This section also includes basic information about grants, a list of local resources, and people and organizations to contact.
The Neighbours Toolkit is free online, and can also be downloaded as a set of PDFs.
To find out more about the Neighbours Toolkit, please visit the ArtBridges Resource Portal.
-Skye Louis, ArtBridges Resource Developer