National Youth Arts Week Youth Organizers
Our National Youth Arts Week Community Coordinators and Youth Mobilizers are located in different communities across the country. Read on to find out more about these amazing youth artists and leaders who are working hard to make National Youth Arts Week a reality.
If there’s one in your city or community, feel free to contact them directly with inquiries and exciting ideas. If you don’t have a coordinator in your area, click here to find out how you can recruit one.
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nunavut
British Columbia
Vancouver
Community Coordinator//Josiane Anthony//[email protected]Like many others, I want to make a change in this world; I want to make an impact one way or another. I want to steer a grassroots project and see it blossom to a bigger thing than my wildest dreams. My biggest fears are not being able to put my ideas into action and being called the dreamer who dreams big things but never see them through. However, fear comes from the devil, as my pastor would say. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure” says Marianne Williamson.
My feminist side is attributed to largely in part of growing up in a country where we are thought to only use our ears, not our mouth, and to swallow our own bitterness and not to cry. I saw the gender inequality in the parliament and at school, in societies. I am confident, dreamer, brave; I am always looking to connect with other like-minded/ open-minded people!
Activist, stubborn, passionate, a young-Black-feminist, spoken word artist, storyteller and I am open to change and to break barriers. Art is a big part of my life; through art I gain a voice to be able to express myself and make sure to be heard by my adult allies and people in power. I love Art, I live art, I breathe art! I'm currently studying Women studies and human sexuality at Langara College and will take journalism as my second major in Ryerson University.
I'm also a youth worker at ISS (Immigrant Services Society of BC) co-ordinating the multicultural youth program that i can talk about for days and days and will never get tired. I’m Josiane Anthony.
Connect with Vancouver via facebook
Alberta
Calgary
Community Coordinator//Antonio Rebalbos//[email protected]Antonio Relbalbos aka Rein has been doing Dance and Martial Arts his entire life. In his search for balance Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually he discovered the Art of Healing through Massage Therapy. Remaining passionate and a student his hunger for knowledge through these artforms has now become his lifestyle and life long journey.
His passion for movement has blessed him with the opportunities to train and learn from the best in many Art forms, ranging from Boxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Gymnastics, Capoeira, Salsa, Housin', and Bboying. His crew, The Original Rudes, are today one of West Coast Canada's oldest Hip Hop crews, recently celebrating there 13 year anniversary. His other crews include Broken Jazz out of London England and most recently Constant Fuzao, a Hip Hop Performance group based out of Recife, Brazil. His involvement in the Hip Hop Community has also allowed him to be a Promoter & Artist Educator on many levels.
His Companies include Thought Express, NuBeings and work with LiveStyle Urban Arts Festival. Anthony's Martial Arts training has complimented his dance style, studying under Gary Braniff EnergyLake and Contra Mestre Frankenstein Capoeira Gingativa.
Other major influences in his life are 4EverFresh, (Moshen) Skill Methodz, Bboy React, Ligeirinho, Bgirl Mission/Mei Lua, Sabo, One Circle, Tara Wilson (Wilson Dance Projects), Steve Scullion, Caroline Lady C Fraser (Involuntary Movement), Nino Acosta, Beats & Piecez, Albino Zebrahs, OMighty, Funky Monks, Unity, BluePrintCrew & Nacao Break.
Connect with Calgary via facebook and twitter
Airdrie
Community Coordinator//Rachelle Reed//[email protected]Rachelle (pronounced ‘Rachel’) Reed is a painter living in Airdrie, Alberta, and is a student at the University of Calgary. She feels inspired by pretty much everything around her, and paints just whatever feels right in the moment. Although she longs to really step into her element and develop a ‘theme’, or genre, of paintings she feels comfortable with, she is content painting whatever her heart desires.
At the moment, much of Rachelle’s time is devoted to the establishment of the first community art gallery in her home town of Airdrie, which she plans on naming ‘Articulate Gallery’. This gallery will be devoted to arts of all varieties and will encompass artists of all ages.
In her spare time, Rachelle can be found viewing art in Calgary and online, ‘Reed’ing a book while sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea, having a friendly match of tennis with her boyfriend, or playing Whack-a-Mole at XSCAPE arcade in Crossiron Mills Mall. She definitely has a juvenile side to her!
In 2010, Rachelle had the pleasure of running for Alderman of Airdrie, and although she didn’t become elected, she felt it was a very positive experience and is still heavily involved in her community. She looks forward to working with youth who are just as excited about arts as she is, and is excited to have been granted this opportunity to become even more involved in the City of Airdrie’s happenings and arts scene.
High River
Community Coordinator//Cynthia Farrow//[email protected]Saskatchewan
Saskatoon
Community Coordinator//Zondra Roy//[email protected]Zondra “Pricelys” Roy, who also goes by Zoey, is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; she grew up traveling across North America with her father and was in tae kwon do as a young girl, living with her mom around Saskatchewan. Zondra, who is now 22, is currently living in Saskatoon. She is an activist, a writer, a facilitator, a community leader and an adventurer. Zondra is most passionate about the northern rural and remote communities in Canada and learning more about the marginalized young people across the world.
She maintains a role within national and regional organizations including Young Leadership Team (Regional Community Action Coordinator) with Health Canada on Tobacco Control in partnership with the Students Commission of Canada, Regional Coordinator for Arts Network for Children and Youth, Event Coordinator for Rock the Vote Canada, Outreach Coordinator for Unified Minds Youth Action Network and her primary role, a Project Coordinator with CRU (Connections and Resources for U) Youth Wellness Centre. Zoey plans to attend university and pursue a career in social entrepreneurship. “The legacy is the process”
Youth Mobilizer//Andrea Cessna//[email protected]
Andrea Paige Cessna is a 22 year old student at the University of Saskatchewan completing her Honours Degree in Anthropology. She was raised in Saskatoon but her two passions – photography and culture – have taken her all over the world, including India in 2011 where she assisted ethnographic research and visually documented the effects of urbanization/globalization for 5 months in a village on the urban-rural fringe of New Delhi. Andrea played 4 years of Huskies soccer at the UofS and continues to coach young female soccer players while developing her skills as a photographer.
Currently, Andrea is a participant of Next Up Saskatchewan – a program designed to develop leadership/activism skills with a focus on social and environmental justice; a member of the Inclusion Task Team for the Saskatoon Anti-Poverty Coalition; vice president of the AnAmUs (Anthropologists Among Us) club at the UofS; a collaborator for Conscious Conversations; and a representative of the group Voice Avenue which aims to develop alternative/grassroots media literacy and video production within Saskatoon. Andrea hopes to pursue a future blending art/ethnographic media with social justice to create awareness and positive change across Canada.
Youth Mobilizer//Melissa Gan//[email protected]Gan does not like to label herself or others with single ideas, identities, or descriptions.
A classically trained musician, soccer playing cyclist, garlic-planting vegetarian, and a big time dreamer with an active imagination she is always working and searching for new people and new ways to improve our communities. She sees a day when the entire world can live in peace and security, so that a celebration of the arts will not be focused in just the span of one week. The language of art is what connects everyone of us. We are all artists; we just don't always realize it yet.
Youth Mobilizer//Samantha Katherine Braun//[email protected]
Samantha Katherine Braun is a 3rd year Visual Arts major working towards her BFA at the University of Saskatchewan. She was born and raised in Saskatoon and is committed to community building within the city and the university.
As the current Ambassador of the Visual Arts Student Union, she is an active student representative involved in the department. VASU hosts yearly events to bring to student body together and display their work for the public. With the student union, she helped put together the Drawing Marathon, Silent Auction and We the Artists these past fall and winter terms. Samantha is passionate about Saskatchewan's youth art and artists, and will continue to work hard for their future in the province.
For National Youth Arts Week in Saskatoon Samantha and the Visual Arts Student Union are coordinating the 24 HOUR ART-A-THON at the University, as well as helping with other events happening all week around the city. She is excited to get more involved with other dedicated youth in her artistic community and thankful for the opportunity to work, play and create with Saskatoon.
Follow Samantha on Twitter: @SKcreated and Google+: [email protected]
Manitoba
Winnipeg
Community Coordinator//Jillian Ramsay//[email protected]Jillian Ramsay is 28 year old artist and designer residing in Winnipeg MB. She obtained her h.BA in Art History from the University of Victoria in 2005, with an emphasis on costume history and art-for-social-purpose. Jillian has worked closely with Graffiti Art Programming over the past 6 years, teaching fashion design, painting, silk screening, muraling, and installing youth art exhibits in GAP’s unique youth art gallery. Currently she is acts as Programs Director at Graffiti Art Programming and is coordinating the various exciting Manitoban initiatives for National Youth Arts Week along with the creative team at Graffiti Art Programming
Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie
Community Coordinator//Rihkee Strap//[email protected]I am Rihkee Strap and I live in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. I was born in Red Lake, Ontario, and have lived in Northern Ontario my entire life. However, I have also travelled abroad to Europe, hitch-hiked across Canada, and travelled extensively around Michigan down to Chicago, IL. Despite this wanderlust Northern Ontario has always been my home base, where my family and my “oldest” friends reside. I am a multi-disciplinary artist; I make visual art with whatever means I have, self-publish poetry zines, and sing & play accordion in a band. After living in Matt Ceolin’s “social sculpture” the Arcadia Project, I consider my work in the community part of my art practice, and am involved with the Sault Youth Associations , Youth Empowerment Strategists and have volunteered as event coordinator for benefits such as the Soo Zombie Walk. I hope to continue doing community art work alongside my own practice, whatever that happens to entail.
Youth Mobilizer//Alexandra Jaffitt
Connect with Sault Ste Marie via facebook
Kingston
Community Coordinator//Greg Tilson//[email protected]Greg Tilson is a community organizer in Kingston, specializing in cultural events, such as festivals, concert series, and public art projects. He is currently the Programming Coordinator for The Kingston Arts Council, Artistic Director for The Skeleton Park Music Festival, and member of Kingston band, The Gertrudes.
Community Coordinator//Christine Dewancker//[email protected]
Christine is a visual artist interested in community art and collaborative working models. She currently lives in Kingston where she graduated from the BFA program at Queen’s University in 2011. Christine has been involved with many public art institutions in Kingston including the Agnes Etherington Art Center, Modern Fuel Artist Run Center, the Union Gallery and she is currently part of a lived-in artist collective called the Artel. Christine is enthusiastic about the possibilities that National Arts Week can build upon and expand in Kingston and is excited to make things happen.
Connect with Kingston via facebook and twitter
Thunder Bay
Community Coordinator//Alana Forslund//[email protected]Youth Mobilizer//Lora Northway//[email protected]
Lora Northway is a visual artist and the Youth Outreach Administrator for the Def Sup Artist Run Centre and Gallery in Thunder Bay. She is also the founder of Def Sup’s youth art collective, Die Active. This collective, of 300+ artists, creates massive graffiti walls, Y-Art sales, an art-zine publication and several other art interventions each year. Die Active strives to increase the visibility of new and young artists in Thunder Bay while encouraging sustainable practices and alternative models for working. They promote the sharing of skills and culture through the creation of art, craft, education, and performance.
Sioux Lookout
Youth Mobilizer//Iris Stünzi//[email protected]
Connect with Northern Ontario via facebook
Toronto
Coordinator//Robin Sutherland//[email protected] Coordinator//Sahar Ghafouri-Bakhsh//[email protected]Connect with Toronto via facebook
Mississauga First Nation
Community Coordinator//Jon Cada//[email protected]My name is Jon Cada and I am the Community Media Liaison for the Mississauga First Nation. I studied Journalism in North Bay, ON. One thing about me is that I’ve always been interested in helping people out. Plain and simple, I love seeing people succeed. I was involved in a photo-voice project in the spring on 2011 and it was an interesting experience to say the least. The fallout from that project has propelled me forward into developing a sustainable youth arts community in Blind River, Ontario and its surrounding communities. I have experience in organizing community scale projects and I lean on that experience and the connections I’ve developed over the years to assist me.
Mississauga
Community Coordinator//Oksana Cpin//[email protected]I am a graduate from the University of Toronto at Mississauga where I pursued my Honours Bachelor of Arts in Digital Enterprise Management. My past work experience as an Event & Marketing Coordinator has allowed me to mobilize and engage in local community projects where I have become passionate towards strengthening and increasing awareness of Canadian multiculturalism. I have greater determination for community involvement and a strong commitment to customer service excellence.
I occupy myself throughout the year with various activities such as camping, travelling and site-seeing. I am extremely adventurous and enjoy meeting new people, exploring diverse cultures and discovering new methods of social communication. Ultimately, I would like to bring some positive change into this world and no better way to engage, influence and communicate with the youth who will one day follow our footsteps and inspire others.
Community Coordinator//Amisa Hassan//[email protected]
I am a student at the University of Toronto graduating in June with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree. My programs of study are Environmental Science, Environment Management and Biology. Currently, I am enrolled in the Environmental Internship course where I am a student intern with the City of Mississauga, Culture Division. I am responsible for organizing and facilitating the various Jane’s Walk events taking place May 5, 2012. At the University of Toronto, I have gained some essential skills that directly relate to my role as an event coordinator with the City of Mississauga.
I am an enthusiastic individual that is extremely hard working. I work with speed and always with a smile! My hobbies include traveling, swimming, cooking. I also have a passion for fashion culture. I love volunteering and have worked with several organizations. My most recent volunteer experience was with Evergreen where I took part in community stewardship at the University of Toronto, Mississauga campus. I supported the campus’s naturalization project by providing hands-on care to native trees and shrubs.
Québec
Saint-Jérôme
Community Coordinator//Rose Gabrielle Mauffette//[email protected]Rose Gabrielle Mauffette, originaire de Montréal, Québec est née d’une longue lignée d’artistes. Elle évolue dans ce monde avec souplesse et passe de la chanson aux palettes de couleurs avec autant de passion. Elle obtient plusieurs appuis régionaux et décroche à maintes reprises, bourses et subventions pour divers projets artistiques et pour la mise sur pied d’une entreprise en organisation d’évènements. Rose Gabrielle s’intéresse autant à la scène qu’à l’envers du décor. Elle apprend le dessin et la confection de costumes, s’initie à la technique de son et à l’enregistrement en studio, travaille en montage et confection de décors, étudie le démarrage d’entreprise et le marketing. Elle a eu la chance de s’exercer avec plusieurs mentors dans les sphères artistiques les plus variées.
Au cours des dernières années, son entreprise a réalisé plusieurs “happenings” pour les jeunes artistes émergents. Elle crée des évènements de tous les styles pour des occasions multiples. (Spectacles, vernissages, projections vidéo, lancements, etc.)
Auteure, compositrice, interprète, elle chante et expérimente plusieurs styles musicaux comme soliste et choriste. Elle part en voyage accompagnée de son groupe pour s’inspirer et composer de nouveaux titres. Elle voyage en Europe et pousse son aventure jusqu’en Asie du sud-est. Elle revient au pays un an plus tard ressourcée et débordante de créativité.
Rose Gabrielle se consacre aujourd’hui à la coordination de la semaine nationale Jeunesse-Arts dans le but de partager ses idées et ses expériences. Sa mission est d’offrir des outils et d’encourager les jeunes artistes émergents a se réaliser.
New Brunswick
Fredericton
Community Coordinator//Vanessa Moeller//[email protected]|[email protected]Vanessa Moeller is the Deputy Director of the New Brunswick Arts Board by day and a word choreographer by night. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous periodicals and her first poetry collection, Our Extraordinary Monsters, was published in 2009. She completed her MA in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. As a National Youth Arts Week coordinator, Vanessa hopes to help engage as much youth as possible so that May 1-7 will be an epic youth-led celebration of creative expression across Canada.
Connect with New Brunswick via facebook
Prince Edward Island
Summerside
Community Coordinator//Lesley Noonan//[email protected]I am Lesley Noonan from Albany, Prince Edward Island. My love of arts and heritage comes from being encouraged to express myself through music, theatre and art as a youth. I have been working in the arts and culture field since age 17 when I got a job as a tour guide at the Wyatt Heritage Properties. I have my Bachelor of Arts in History and Anthropology from the University of Prince Edward Island and an Applied Museum Studies Advanced Diploma from Algonquin College in Ottawa. During an internship at the Diefenbunker I helped to create their audio/video tour. Recently, I have helped a local community create a digital history collection. I also enjoy acting and have performed in a number of programs, a short film and a radio drama. I hope everyone has a fantastic time during National Youth Arts Week.
Connect with PEI via facebook and twitter
Nova Scotia
Halifax
Community Coordinator//Leah Resnick//[email protected]Leah Resnick is a visual artist and curator currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Originally from Toronto, Leah moved to the east coast to be closer to the ocean, and to attend NSCAD University. She works at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in the Education and Curatorial Departments. She has been involved in a number of exhibition and public programs including the prestigious Sobey Art Award and a retrospective exhibition of David Askevold currently on view at the National Gallery of Canada. She is thrilled to be a National Youth Arts Week coordinator and to have an occasion to showcase the remarkable creativity of young people.
Connect with Nova Scotia via facebook and twitter
Youth Mobilizer//Ryan Veltmeyer//[email protected] Youth Mobilizer//Kate MacLennan//[email protected]
Bridgewater
Youth Mobilizer//Merydie Ross//[email protected] Youth Mobilizer//Kyrsten Collyer//[email protected]I am originally from the Bridgewater NS area, and although I have moved to Halifax to attend NSCAD University, I am happy to give back to the community I grew up in and give encouragement and support to the many artistic youth there.
As a high school student at Park View Education centre I was in the first class of students to take the International Baccalaureate level art offered there. After graduating I spent six months travelling Canada volunteering as a participant in Katimavik where I worked with students at an elementary school level and with youth ages 13-18. When I returned to Bridgewater after the program ended I became involved in the beginnings of Bridgewater's first community garden, and designed the posters and banner for the 2010 Bridgewater Sustainability festival before moving to Halifax. I am now working on my BFA with focuses on textiles, craft and drawing.
Amherst
Youth Mobilizer//Sarah MacIntosh//[email protected]New Glasgow
Youth Mobilizer//Andy Cunningham//[email protected]
Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's
Community Coordinator//Kyle Bustin//[email protected]Kyle Bustin is a 25 year old visual artist based out of St. John’s Newfoundland. His practice largely revolves around contemporary murals and alternative installation work. He works at Eastern Edge Gallery, an artist run gallery in St. John’s, and has worked as a preparator for the Grenfell Art Gallery. In both institutions he has run and assisted in many workshops for children and youth participants. In 2009 he was one of three Newfoundland representatives sent to the National Arts Program at the Canada Summer Games where he took on leadership roles as young artists from across Canada planned a multidisciplinary performance. For National Youth Week in St. John’s he plans on focusing his efforts on showing the youth how to work in alternative setting within their community with several workshops, community discussions and movie screenings.
Photo by Charlotte Morgan
Connect with St. John's via facebook
Nunavut
Iqaluit
Community Coordinator//Pascale Arpin//[email protected]Pascale Arpin is a 24 year-old, self-employed project coordinator, and freelance artist, living in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Originally from Ottawa, she moved to the Arctic in February 2011 upon completing her Bachelor of Humanities and Sociology at Carleton University. With art as her main passion and priority, Pascale devotes all of her time and energy to putting together projects and programs that expose individuals to both traditional and contemporary art practices and allow them to engage in art-making activities. Among other projects, Pascale created and weekly facilitates the first art program to be offered at the Nunavut Women’s Correctional Centre. She also recently founded the Makuktu Art Project, of which the goal is to provide youth in Iqaluit with exciting opportunities to express themselves artistically. Driven by a desire to share her love of art with others, and with over seven years of experience facilitating art programming at the National Gallery of Canada, Pascale strongly believes that art is one of the most important tools for community building and currently strives to make art programs a permanent feature in the lives of Iqalummiut.
