Welcome to youthLEADarts Inc
Listen. Empathize. Act. Drive.
LEAD is a method to create change on 2 levels- within the individual participant themself, and in their communities. This set of values empowers young people, giving them the skills to become LEADers and affect a meaningful and positive impact in their lives and their futures.
Become part of our growing initiative …
keep reading to learn how!
Become a LEAD Supporter- Invest in our Future
- Are you in a position that you can give back?
- In your past was there an initiative, a person, or a program that gave you extra support when you needed it?
- Do you believe in the transformative power of the arts?
If you answered YES to any of the above questions, please consider donating to create programming for underserved youth across Canada.
Our programs make a significant impact. The investment youth make is evident on their faces, in their process and in the art they create. We have much more coming this year and beyond!
All of our programming is currently funded through grants and by donations from individuals and corporations. We thank all of our supporters- past, present and future.
What Does LEAD Stand for?
Listen. Empathize. Act. Drive.
Listen
Listening is as important as speaking in communication.
What do you think is important when you listen?
Empathize
Empathize means imagining how someone else feels.
How does it make you feel when someone does that for you?
Act
Actions speak louder than words.
What is it that you want to say? How do your actions reflect this?
Drive
Drive yourself and your ideas to completion.
What gives you the power to keep going? How and where can you share your ideas with a larger community?
Watch this Space
We often have news and updates. Check back often to read about our latest happenings and announcements.
DRUMMING WITH THE HEART: YOUTH POETRY AND PHOTOS FEATURED FOR NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
Established in Canada in 1998 by the League of Canadian Poets, National Poetry Month takes place every April and brings together lovers of poetry from across the country to celebrate poetry’s vital place in Canada’s culture. We, at youthLEADarts, are...
Read MoreRaising Awareness: Hunter and the Unhoused
This year’s LEAD program at Britannia Elementary School, a designated inner-city school on Vancouver’s East Side, asked youth to capture photos that were metaphors for their community. Each photo in their gallery-worthy compilation tells a story, produces a commentary on...
Read MoreyouthLEADarts Celebrates World Theatre Day: March 27th
Theatre is more than memorizing scripts, wearing costumes and role play. Augusto Boal said, “Theatre is the art of looking at ourselves.” Christian Bale says, “Theatre has got to do with putting yourself in other people’s shoes and seeing how...
Read MoreFUN WITH FOOD: A YOUTHLEADARTS CULINARY ARTS WORKSHOP WITH YOUTH MENTOR MELANIE MCDUFF
Melanie McDuff is a culinary artist and our youth mentor for youthLEADarts Nova Scotia. Earlier this month, in both Lismore and Little Harbour, she shared her creative process and skills with youth, guiding them as they designed their own, themed...
Read MorePOPPY’S POEM IN CELEBRATION OF WORLD POETRY DAY
World Poetry Day, March 21, was established by the United Nations in Paris in 1999 to promote poets around the world as well as the reading, writing and teaching of poetry worldwide. The theme this year is “Poetry as a...
Read MoreYOUTHLEADARTS MARCH MENTORSHIP IN ACTION!
The youthLEADarts Nova Scotia team has a new youth mentor! Johnny Baker MacDonald stepped up during our March Break sessions to support Melanie McDuff, our youth LEADer deliver a Fun with Food workshop at both Lismore Hall and Little Harbour. Johnny was...
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The Mentoring Team
Our regional Artist/Educators conduct live and virtual artist workshops. These cross-Canada experiences connect the values and themes of LEAD with various artistic disciplines. They create opportunities to engage in activities such as drama, dance, literature/ spoken-word, music, drumming, visual arts, photography/ videography, Indigenous, and media arts. Our goal is to create both in person and hybrid (online/in-person) programs that will serve as a sustainable model for communities of like-minded youth to communicate, connect and create together.
LEAD’s Artist Educators are experts in developing curriculum for all children and youth. Whether virtually or in person; for elementary, junior, intermediate or senior aged children; as a facilitator in your classroom, youth group, extracurricular or community activity, we are specialists at empowering youth with the vocabulary and skills to become LEADers. Our forte is using the arts to increase the skills such as group work, creative problem solving, interpersonal communication, personal responsibility and self-regulation. Through these skills the students also increase their resilience, self-esteem, and their ability to self-advocate.
Please contact us to schedule a consultation to meet your needs. We have resources across Canada. (info@youthLEADarts.com)
Marilyn Field
Founder/ National Coordinator
Visionary, Mentor, Teacher, Musician
Lori Sherritt-Fleming
President, West Coast Mentor
Author, Playwright, Performer
Shelley MacDonald
Vice President, East Coast Mentor
Performer, Educator, Film-maker
Deirdre Potash
Central Canada Mentor
Artist Educator, Entrepreneur
Trisha De Luca
West Coast Mentor
Creator, including ‘After-school Power Programs’
Roy Mulder
East Coast Mentor
Photographer, Videographer
Find out More about Artist Educators and Collaboration Partners
Each youthLEADarts workshop or program is designed to assist youth in discovering their strengths, addressing their challenges and developing communication and leadership skills within short, invigorating and fruitful timeframes. With strong roots in communities across Canada youthLEADarts, as it evolves, will continue to empower youth by developing accessible programs that help them to find their voices as LEADers who drive the future.
#youthLEADarts
See yourself and your friends featured on our website by using our hashtag #youthLEADarts in your arts and leadership posts.
Make sure it is OK with your adults first, and check its alright with the people in your pictures and videos too. And please make sure the content is “family friendly”.
A Word from One of our Youth Ambassadors/ Graduates
Elijah, 25, is a recent graduate of Trent University in Math and Spanish. He joined Marilyn Field’s empowering arts education program as a 12-year-old who was living in a marginalized Toronto suburb. On program days, Marilyn would call him early in the morning to make sure he got on the bus for the daylong workshops in downtown Toronto.
Through the arts education program, he was able to see what was possible regardless of the odds. He pursued that vision without fear. Today, we are so proud of him for finding his inner leader; to stay in school and succeed, to find his passion for writing poetry, swimming, and for mentoring other young people.
Ask Your Questions...
Contact Us
Contact us to find out more.
