Artasia at Westmount

It is a unique experience providing arts programming to children at a site that has a free-flowing structure like that of an EarlyON drop-in program, and is also part of a recreation center like the YMCA, where children have access to other facilities such as a gym and swimming pool. Every site is also specific in terms of its location, size, and structure. For a site like the YMCA (Westmount), it was crucial to navigate the space in a way that accommodates planned activities without being disruptive or intrusive for children who are accustomed to the space – particularly toddlers and infants. During my observations, I noticed that children are present with their caregivers at the site for a fairly brief amount of time, usually around 1 hour. This is a time when caregivers are most likely taking a break between other errands or daily tasks to bring their child to the site for a short period of leisure or recreational activity to take place. In those moments, the child wants to fit in as many activities as they can – whether it is playing with specific toys in their space, swimming, sports, or reading. Such young children in a drop-in program have not yet been accustomed to more structured programming like that in schools, so their approach to Artasia programming is far more intuitive, relaxed, and based on personal preference as compared to older age groups. This is where the unique experience arises to encourage the free-spirited nature of younger children to participate in arts programming that will excite them enough to grab their attention in the limited time they may have at the site, while also being educational and memorable.

Children find it most intriguing to participate in an activity when they are introduced to a theme or material/process that they have not necessarily engaged with before. When I posed the question: “What is your most favourite place in the world?” children found it easy to express which space came to their minds through the materials provided. Someone created their best friend’s house, or a space related to their family heritage, or a completely imaginary space. They intrinsically knew what spaces they felt most at ease, or free. There was a specific moment during Week 2 of programming when a brother and sister started the activity of “Space”, but then realized halfway that they also had swimming class to finish at the same time. They left their incomplete projects in the art space to go to the swimming pool in the recreation center, and nearly half an hour later, they returned (with wet hair, still in their swimming costumes, and with towels wrapped around them) to finish the rest of their art project. Any other art activity that they had already been exposed to before would not have made them curious enough to think so deeply or return so eagerly to complete if it had not been so specifically planned or designed with the materials and themes given to them. The specific themes and prompts designed for Artasia at this site highlighted how arts programming can stand out and ignite the creative interests of children even when situated at a location with multiple other activities happening at the same time.

– Noor Butt