2011 Event

The Arts for Everyone Foundation (AEF) was established in 2007. The primary purpose of the foundation is to raise funds that will provide arts education to youth and adults in the City of Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick, who cannot afford these programs due to their economic status.

Background

Over the past 20 years, physical numbers of those affected by poverty in the City of Saint John (25%) has not diminished. While there are a lot of excellent programs and organizations active in our city and the province to help at the root level, studies such as the “Education to Employment – Pathways Out Of Poverty” by Vibrant Communities Saint John have found that more needs to be done to break the cycle of poverty.

Impact on Community

The affect that the arts provide not only to individuals, but to the population at large have been clearly documented in the “Culture Policy for New Brunswick“, and the “Self-Sufficiency by 2026 Action Plan”, both published by the Province of New Brunswick.

“It is essential that New Brunswick’s children be encouraged and provided with opportunities to express themselves and take part in the creative process at the earliest possible age and throughout every stage of their formal education. It is one of the best guarantees of self-fulfillment, self-respect, and respect for others, all essential components of a culture of tolerance and peace.”

By providing life-long learning in creative arts and opportunities to apply the learned skills, participants of the programs sponsored by the AEF become more self-confident, and are shown real-life opportunities that work for them to break their own cycle of poverty.

Where do the funds go ?

Funds raised by the AEF are distributed to other charitable organizations, such as P.R.O. Kids, The Resource Centre for Youth, and the Inner City Youth Ministry to place their best candidates into the specific art programs at institutions such as the Atlantica Centre for the Arts, which has been providing professional art education as an accredited post-secondary institution since 2006.