The Benefits of Community-Engaged Arts

Art-making, creativity and art expression bring children, youth, adults and seniors together in community studios that combine arts education, life-skills building, economic development and leadership.

Community-engaged arts benefit neighbourhoods and individuals by

Creating more vibrant neighbourhoods, improving crime prevention, enhancing mental and physical health, contributing to greater success in education and employment, increasing community involvement and engagement, as well as fostering neighbourhood revitalization.

Stories of community-engaged arts

We want to share with you, the inspiring stories of community-engaged arts making a difference in Canada. Take some time to browse and appreciate.  

Stories to read

  • DAREarts, Webequie, ON: In this story you’l l learn how the co-creation of a song empowered youth in a northern community.
  • The Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, Edmonton, AB: Read about the art and inspiring story of The Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, where adults with developmental disabilities focus on the creation of art and their development as artists. 
  • Le Festival de films par et pour les jeunes, Edmundston, NB: Discover this New Brunswick francophone festival that provides youth, ages 6-18, with a space to be heard. Youth are introduced to video production and their worked is screened. They also have access to screenings of videos directed by youth from around the world.

Videos to watch

  • BluePrintForLife, The Arctic: Inuit youth learn hip hop and free up their voices while connecting to their ancestral traditions and addressing important issues related to mental health, violence, drugs and alcohol, abuse and suicide.
  • Community Collaboration: ‘Placemaking’ Brings Halifax Neighbourhood Together, Halifax, NS: watch how city engineers and staff collaborated with community artists and residents to unite and strengthen one Halifax neighbourhood after a devastating car accident.
  • Leave Out Violence (LOVE), Halifax , NS : A video collection of stories from youth whose lives have been changes through media arts
  • Outside Looking In, Toronto, ON: Snippets and commentary from the 6th Annual Outside Looking In show June 6, 2012. First Nations youth perform live at St Lawrence Centre for the Arts.