The Rotary Club of Toronto is celebrating 100 years of service to the community.  During our Centennial year, we are donating in excess of $1,000,000 to local and international agencies!

Please join us at our Special Friday Centennial Luncheon at 12:00 noon

On May 10, 2013 at The Fairmont  Royal York

Upper Canada Room-18th floor

Highlighting:  

The Rotary Club of Toronto Centennial Award of $50,000 granted to

the Arts For Children and Youth (AFCY) for our innovative Program:

“ Digital Arts Education”

The Rotaract Club of Toronto and the Rotaract Club of the University of Toronto partnered with AFCY, a grassroots organization that engages young people from Toronto's under-serviced communities in meaningful arts education outreach programs. AFCY received equipment that supports its capacity to develop and implement sustainable digital arts programming. Participants utilizing the Digital Sound Lab will acquire new skills with specialized software, as well as unique learning opportunities that combine the experimental settings for creativity using digital technology with the foundations of music production.

 

Inspiring the Creativity and Artistic Talents of Our Youth

Arts for Children and Youth is delighted to be the recipient of a $50,000 Rotary Club of Toronto Centennial grant. This grant enables AFCY to increase opportunities to assist young people living in priority neighbourhoods in developing their potential through meaningful engagement with the arts.

AFCY has been able to implement education programs for digital arts, an art form we have identified as being one of the most powerful and accessible to youth participants. As well, this grant is being used to purchase equipment for three portable labs – a Digital Sound Lab, a Digital Photo Lab and a Video Lab. 

The inaugural arts education programs provide hands-on, participant-led arts education in photography, video, digital art, and sound recording, using state of the art equipment. The programs’ objectives include exciting, inspiring and communicating the ideas, dreams and emotive qualities of the young artists.  

The Digital Sound Lab comprises five laptops loaded with Pro Tools software, serving as workstation hubs equipped with microphones, headphones, and a digital looper. A repeating section of sound, called loops, is used prominently in digital music in an array of styles, effects, and genres.  Through access to this equipment, participants utilizing the Digital Sound Lab will acquire new skills with specialized software, as well as unique learning opportunities that combine the experimental settings for creativity using digital technology with the foundations of music production.

Complementing the Sound Lab are Digital Photo and Video Labs, including access to Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Pro software on four laptops. An extremely versatile and professionally relevant program, Creative Suite provides the platform to play and learn in a digital environment. Accompanying these components are digital SLR cameras, photography accessories, and a digital projector.

As portable workstations, the equipment will provide skill development opportunities to children and youth through access to specialized equipment and new outlets for creative, cultural expression. The catalyst to unleash and harness their creativity in new forms, the equipment also provides the means to distribute and share their work through online networks and social media like YouTube.

The equipment purchased through this grant also spurs the potential for innovative fundraising initiatives through the development of a fully customized and portable digital photo booth for use at special events. Working in partnership with design agency MixMotion, AFCY devoted a portion of the grant towards the design and fabrication of an internally housed photo booth that can be transported to offsite events, workshops, and celebrations. Featuring a tablet interface, the experience not only captures the user’s picture, but also incorporates tools to redesign and modify the digital JPEG photography with colour, imagery, adjustments, and other features. From there, images can be printed onto photopaper, creating a hardcopy of the image.

-          By Julie Compton, Office Administrator, Volunteer Coordinator, Arts for Children and Youth