The Arts for Social Justice (ASJ) program is a three-year initiative that aims to promote the arts as catalysts to tackle social issues in society. It does this through high school workshops and emerging artists residencies.

In the ASJ High School program, VIBE Arts partners professional artists of two different disciplines, to deliver idea-led workshops in Toronto high schools. Students produce collaborative, community directed and generated artworks, that address an injustice or inequality that the youth are passionate about and would like to act upon. These projects provide an opportunity for youth to gain artistic experience and expertise from professional artist facilitators. Youth also develop a strong sense of agency by strengthening and amplifying their artistic voices and exploring oppressions and injustices through a creative advocacy lens, which focuses on personal action, systemic change and solutions.

ASJ residencies ask VIBE Arts emerging artists to bring forth a social justice issue they want to explore, select an art medium, and a relevant and unexpected public location where the art-making will happen. These residencies are intended to engage the public with contemporary art and artists while providing the emerging artist with a platform to raise awareness and mobilize change. Residencies have taken place in police stations, Salvation Army Stores, Community Centers, and empty storefronts, and have tackled issues of shadeism, homelessness, consumerism in fashion, and police-community relations.

The following resources have been put together to provide you with information on social justice and the arts, so that you may introduce social justice and activist art projects in your own classroom or unexpected community location.

Video Resources

Other disciplines