History

UrbanArts begins to hire local, emerging youth artists for The Graffiti Transformation Program in the summer of 2001, with the recruitment expertise from For Youth Initiative.

Fulfilling a long-time organizational goal, Y-Arts storefront Community Arts Centre is launched in Weston in May of 2002

Arts York changes its name to UrbanArts, to better represent the urban, post-amalgamation community in central west Toronto.

After School Arts Program at Y-Arts is launched with Program Director and theatre artist Trey Anthony. What If , a rap song written by kids 7 ­14 years old is aired nationally on CBC radio 2 days in a row.

UrbanArts receives charitable status in November 2003 and receives its first corporate sponsorship from Sears Young Futures Program

Program Manager and visual artist Karen Bell hires Juno-nominated BrassMunk to teach songwriting to 16 ­ 20 year olds during our first summer arts camp, 2004

UrbanArts receives local support from Weston Lions, Kodak Canada, Irving Tissue, Ward Funeral Home for summer arts sessions in 2005

Dreambuilding, 2005, encourages local people to re-think the design of their public spaces in the disadvantaged corridor of Weston Road. From the Ground Up, a documentary created by 2^nd year film student and resident Ryan Hughes presents the ideas and opinions of the diverse community

RBC Foundation begins generous support of our After School program in Sept 2005

CanStage partners for the first time with UrbanArts on the Hattitude project: a hat creation and youth theatre project exhibited at Bluma Appel Theatre during the Nov 2005 performance of Crowns.

UrbanArts hires Michael Murray as ED in January 2006. Subsequent additions to the team include Karen Richardson, Klyde Broox, Lily Tannis (returning to be a program manager), Tasha Schumann, Emilee Barrington and the continued commitment of Denis Calnan.

UrbanArts gains the support of an Anonymous Donor and the Ontario Trillium Foundation in the spring of 2006.

UrbanArts and Dub Poets Collective draw 17 amazing young poets from around the city for STEP UP (Speech That Enlightens People Uplifts Places) in the summer of 2006, supported by livewithculture.ca and led by acclaimed dub poet Klyde Broox. They become a youth performance collective to be reckoned with and perform for the ArtReach launch, various AGM's around the city and their own Voice Out Series.

The Dreambuilding Program in its second year completes a 10 ft x 50 ft community canvas that is displayed on 1765 and 1775 Weston Rd from Fall 2006 to Winter 2007. There were over 140 community contributors.

A new beat production , cultural and non-profit learning program, beats.mind.movement,envisioned by Michael, is planned and supported in the inaugral round of both the Youth Challenge Fund and ArtReach Toronto granting programs in the fall of 2006 and engages Laidlaw's Youth Arts program in the spring of 2007. The program launches with young producer Tasha Schumann at the helm in March 2007.