Arts for Children and Youth and our students will benefit significantly from the partnership we have formed with the Rotaract Clubs of Toronto and the University of Toronto and The Rotary Club of Toronto. Their grant offers sustainable opportunities for community capacity building through digital arts education. Armed with the resources to offer programs featuring specialized equipment and software through arts programming under the guidance of professional artists, AFCY can develop itself as a leader among community arts organizations.

 

 

 

Many of the participants in these programs would not otherwise have access to the software and equipment made available through the purchase of the Digital Music and Sound Lab, Digital Photo Booth and Photo and Video Lab. Because these kits are portable, the equipment and funding give AFCY the means to develop programs in under-resourced priority neighbourhoods across Toronto. In light of recent school restrictions and cost limitations creating barriers to off-site field trips and excursions, these labs offer unique alternatives and access to new and meaningful learning experiences.

The Rotary Club of Toronto President Neil Phillips attended the inaugural launch of the Photo and Video Lab at Lawrence Heights Middle School on March 19th, speaking to the participating students about the spirit behind the Club’s Centennial, inspiring them to capture and explore what one hundred years of Rotary service – past and future – connotes. In a five-day AFCY project funded through this grant, Lawrence Heights students have created original digital artworks that represent their interpretations and understandings of how 100 years of service and contributions can impact communities and inspire ongoing social change.

 -          by Julie Frost, Executive & Artistic Director,  Arts for Children and Youth