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Arts Umbrella Vancouver | www.artsumbrella.com Artspace Burnaby | www.artspaceforchildren.com Collage Collage Vancouver | www.collagecollage.ca Visit us online at www.westcoastfamilies.com for more arts educators in your area!
Arts-infused education that encourages creative process, unique expression, and inquiry-based exploration nurtures expansive thinking, self-acceptance, and acceptance of others. As a professional artist, Wilkinson testifies to the life-long impact the arts have had on her. “Arts are not just my career. The arts have given me a unique way of taking in the world around me and have allowed me to practice looking at things from a variety of perspectives. It has made me confront my own boundaries and has given me a powerful means of expression, whether about my views on global issues or simply personal emotional responses to day-to-day happenings.” Researchers like Elizabeth Murfee have found that when the arts become central in the community, the learning environment improves and the culture of that community transforms to become more positive, creative, and supportive. Parents play a significant in role supporting their children’s creative expression. Wilkinson believes that “the heart of nurturing artistic expression starts at the home.” She encourages parents “to turn off the TV and read a book with your children. Turn up the music and dance in the kitchen with your children. Pull out some art supplies and a big roll of paper and put your blinders on to the mess that will be made and instead see the beauty that will be created. Put on plays, dress-up, sing in the bath. The important thing is to create a safe haven where your children are free to express themselves without being judged or criticized.” The arts have the power to shape a child’s life and to lay a solid foundation for their future. Visual and performing arts exploration transforms children’s lives and has intrinsic value throughout each child’s lifetime by cultivating emotional resilience, new ways of experiencing the world, and opportunities to express their individuality. In Wilkinson’s words, “Arts fire brains into action and fulfills souls... it brings magic into children’s lives. Artistic experiences are beautifully enabling and I believe that is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child.” Winnie Tam is a parent, educator, and founding director of artspace children’s arts centre, a brand new facility in Burnaby.
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