Artasia at Dominic Agostino Riverdale

A location such as the Dominic Agostino Riverdale Community Centre was a crucial site for me as an Artist Educator with my specific background. Out of all the locations I have delivered programming to, the participant groups at this site were most closely aligned with my cultural background – specifically, newcomers to Canada with a South Asian background. My interaction with children and families, therefore, was far more unique as compared to other sites because of our shared culture and languages. I noticed that I was able to speak to younger children in their native languages far more easily as opposed to conversing with them in English, as their caregivers are most likely engaging with them in their native language in the private spaces of their homes. Parents and caregivers also eased into engaging with me once they knew I could give instructions for activities in a language they could easily understand. Each child has the right to not only gain exposure to different cultures, but also see a reflection of their own culture being represented in the community spaces around them. Art programming that encourages this kind of cultural diversity and representation is what can make an impact in the early years of a child’s development and creativity. This site became an important case study for how art programming can become more nuanced when different cultures play a role in enhancing the meaning behind each theme and prompt.

The kinship found in the caregivers’ communities was evident when observing the participation of children at the site. Most of the parents (being newcomers either from India or Pakistan) had strong friendship ties to each other, also sparking the same relationships in their children. When thinking about “Space”, the parents collectively worked on outdoor areas like parks and gardens with swings and slides, most likely as the spaces where they connected or their children first became friends. The children would also get inspired by each other’s artworks and wish to make them look more uniform or connected in some way, saying: “I also want a slide in my park just like my friend!” For the theme of “Energy”, a group of three young girls sat together and talked throughout the activity, giving each other prompts and ideas to make the activity go on longer, even when most of the other children had already finished. Sibling pairings also worked closely together for activities such as “Body” that allowed the older child to assist the younger child with instructions. There were also cultural signifiers that enhanced the activities beyond the initial prompts. When conducting the activity of “Body”, a caregiver helped her young child trace out her hands and feet on the sheet of paper, after which she helped her decorate the tracings with tissue paper to look like henna designs (a South Asian practice for festivities and special occasions), telling her child: “This is just like Diwali!” The specific themes and prompts designed for Artasia at this site highlighted how arts programming can instigate ideas of community and kinship between cultures, while also providing a safe space for children and families from different backgrounds to come together.

– Noor Butt