tdsbCREATES is a board-wide Arts initiative connecting local artists with classrooms through Mentorship and Residency Programs to help foster creativity while exploring visual arts, dance, drama, spoken word, film, music and multidisciplinary arts. This Program focuses on process and engagement through the Arts, while celebrating student voice, powerful ideas and creativity for all.
This program is offered by the TDSB Arts Department in partnership with the Toronto Arts Council and in collaboration with Prologue Performing Arts at no cost to schools.
Artist Mentorships are offered to grades 7 - 12 teachers based on teacher application. Artists are matched with Arts classes or extra-curricular groups for a series of in-person classroom visits. This program invites teachers and artists to collaborate while mentoring and guiding students through the creative process. At all times, students will remain the authors and creators of their own work.
Art forms include Dance, Drama, Film, Music, Photography, Spoken Word, Visual Arts, and Multidisciplinary Arts. The role of the mentor artist is to:
- provide feedback and ask guiding questions, and support students as they realize their artistic goals
- help students clarify their message, find connections to the theme
- assist students with the development of specific techniques or skills
- work individually or with small groups of students within one class or extra-curricular group in a school
At the end of the artist mentorship sessions, the Arts Department will host an in-person Performing Arts Festival and Visual Arts & Film Exhibition, celebrating student voice and choice in both the process and finished pieces.
Artist residencies are available to classes from grades 1 - 8 as well. Every year each participating class will be partnered with a residency artist. Artists facilitate a rich creative process which can be extended and expanded upon by the classroom teacher. Artists work with students and teachers through a series of workshops that are embedded in the school day.
The artist residency will culminate with a sharing of the learning, rather than a final exhibition or performance. Focus will be on process and collaboration with less emphasis on an obligation to create final products.