About artsREACH

The artsREACH project is managed by the OCTA Collective Society, a Victoria-based charitable organization. Its mission is to provide all children with the opportunity to develop life skills by exploring their potential through arts experiences.

To view videos on YouTube about the artsREACH program:

General program information (2010)

Victoria Foundation interview (2011)

After-School Visual Arts program (2011)

Why was artsREACH created?

Research has shown that an involvement in the arts increases a person's capacity to think critically and act independently-skills that are important to an individual's ability to contribute to our community.

A quality education in the arts is often expensive and therefore inaccessible to the children who may benefit the most.

Through artsREACH, those children who are least likely to have access to an education in the arts are able to benefit from the critical life skills that are learned as part of the artsREACH workshops.

Through these workshops, children:

• Develop artistic and creative skills in a positive learning environment
• Gain an appreciation for the arts
• Improve their self-confidence and self-esteem
• Develop teamwork, communication, and personal management skills