The arts have been instrumental in facilitating social cohesion, bringing tourism to unlikely places, fostering a sense of belonging, and preserving collective memory.

To read more, go to Making the case: personal and social development of youth (Creative City Network of Canada)

Canadian examples and profiles

Canada wide – Directory of not-for-profit arts education facilities in Canada
Compiled by Loretto Beninger as part of a Master's degree practicum at the Department of Canadian Heritage. Document (Excel, 190K)

Various communities, ON – Engaging youth: opportunities for involvement
Examples of strategies to engage youth in five Ontarian theatre initiatives: Soulpepper Theatre, Six Nations Community Youth Outreach, Theatre Ontario's Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP), Oshawa Little Theatre, Sault Theatre Workshop and the Blyth Festival. Website

Various communities, SK and NS – Social Inclusion in Rural Areas: Innovative Projects for Young People
Strategies towards "best practices" for projects for the social inclusion of young people in rural areas. Case studies include several projects in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. Website

Galiano Island & Vancouver, BC – Peer Perspectives
The Access to Media Education Society Peer Perspectives program brings together young citizens to train and use media to create film and classroom curriculum to counter stereotypical media depictions of youth. In past projects, youth participants have addressed such topics as homophobia and racism. Website

Toronto, ON – ArtReach Toronto
ArtReach Toronto is a three-year pilot project that aims at increasing arts opportunities for excluded youth in under-served areas of Toronto to help develop their leadership abilities. It is supported by all three levels of government and various non-profit organizations. ArtReach Toronto will encourage youth to take the lead in defining what art means to them and what they need from the program to achieve their goals. Website

Vancouver, BC – GetOut! Push Your Boundaries
GetOut! is a multi-year pilot programme of the City of Vancouver – a joint initiative between Cultural Services, Social Planning and the Park Board. GetOut! is designed to actively and meaningfully engage less-active youth through the arts, culture, sport, physical recreation and community development. It is comprised of a grant programme with two streams (Community Partnership Grants and Grants to Youth), a New Recreation Programme, and the "GetOut! Ideas Factory" that provides research, evaluation, documentation, outreach, professional development and project development support. Website

Vancouver, BC – Watch yOUR step !
Sidewalk mosaic project undertaken by Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver to outreach to street-involved youth and to raise awareness of their issues. Document (PDF, 77K)

Background research and reading

A Place for Culture: Developing a local culture offer for all children and young people
Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK (April 2010). This document sets out a vision that all children, no matter where they live or what their background, should have the opportunity to enjoy high-quality cultural experiences in and out of school. Document (PDF, 112K)

Art after School: A successful way to reach youth in your neighbourhood
Guide to developing arts programming for at-risk children and teenagers. Website

Coming up Taller
Comprehensive & persuasive report of the President's Committee on the arts & humanities on the role of the arts & culture in youth development. Website

Connect for Kids: guidance for grown-ups
Excellent online resources regarding the arts and young people from national American non-profit organization. Website

How old do you have to be to be an artist?
Jones, Samuel (2005). London: Demos. Based on the proceedings from the conference, "How old do you have to be to be an artist?'" held at Tate Modern on 30 June 2005. This essay puts forward the case that, in their artistic production, children engage with the world around them in ways that are often lacking in adult life. Art is not only vital as a subject in itself, but it also has value across different subject areas and could be "connected more logically with the concept of engagement." Document (PDF, 620KB)

Using the arts and culture to deliver positive activities for young people
Arts Council England. (October 2009) Document (PDF, 2.2MB)

Truth UP: 23 Insights, admonitions and ideas about youth arts from the great masters
William Cleveland argues for greater involvement of youth in community arts partnerships for youth. He provides a very useful list of 23 principles developed from insights provided by youth on their needs, wants and ideas about community arts. Website

YouthArts Toolkit
Excellent online guide and resources for youth at risk arts programmes. Weblink

What's the point? Using drama to engage young people at risk
Arts Council England. (June 2006). This report summarises the findings of case study research into a drama based Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) project. The project was delivered using the Drama Enrichment materials which form part of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) PLUS strategy.

Executive Summary (PDF)
Part 1 (PDF, 448 KB)
Part 2 (PDF, 216 KB)