This year's tdsbCREATES program culminated in two celebrations of student creativity: the Performing Arts Festival at Northview Heights Secondary School and the Visual Arts & Film Exhibition at Daniels Spectrum.
Throughout the school year, students worked alongside professional artists and educators through residencies and mentorships in Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music, Photography, Spoken Word, Film, Visual Arts, and Multidisciplinary Arts. Together, they explored artistic techniques, developed creative skills, and brought original ideas to life.
This year, the program intentionally centered student voice and choice. Rather than responding to a prescribed theme, students created work that reflected their identities, experiences, interests, and perspectives.
The resulting performances, films, photographs, visual artworks, spoken word pieces, and interdisciplinary works highlighted the creativity and talent of students from across the TDSB. Families, educators, community members, and arts partners gathered to celebrate their achievements and the important role the arts play in supporting well-being, belonging, self-expression, and student success.
Presented through a partnership between the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Arts Council, and Prologue Performing Arts, tdsbCREATES helps connect students with Toronto's professional arts community while expanding access to meaningful arts learning opportunities.
Veronika Belova, a Music, Integrated Arts and Special Education teacher at Heydon Park Secondary School, emphasized the importance of the initiative, sharing, “For schools like ours, these supports are often the difference between students having access to transformative arts experiences or not having access at all.”
Thank you to the artists, educators, students, families, and community partners who contributed to another successful year of tdsbCREATES.
Information about the 2027-2028 tdsbCREATES program and registration process will be available next fall. The TDSB Arts Department is excited to welcome schools from across the system for another year of creativity, collaboration, and inspiring artistic experiences.
For more information, please contact Miranda Blazey, Program Coordinator for the Arts, at [email protected].