Kamloops Arts Council continues to cross bridges with Outreach Program

Keeping with its mission statement of Connecting Creative Communities, the Kamloops Arts Council is home to the inspirational Crossing Bridges outreach program. Crossing Bridges believes that every person should have the opportunity to access art and creatively express themselves, to experience a sense of connectedness and to have a chance to be a contributing member to their community; they work towards accomplishing this goal by bringing together local art instructors and social service agencies to create high-quality workshops at absolutely no cost to those who attend, ensuring that there is not only a great variety of workshops but that they are also accessible to those who may be in crisis.

To aid in its accessibility, the workshops are brought directly to the social services and agencies weekly and biweekly. This way, participants do not have to worry about coordinating transportation, and it encourages them to return to areas and people who can provide the services they may need to aid in their healing. Staff from these centres join in the workshops themselves and often remain in the area to provide support to their residents, should they require any, and their presence and participation help foster a community around these budding artists. Additionally, the art instructors all have experience working with vulnerable groups and ensure to cultivate a welcoming, inclusive environment for all to express themselves as they feel comfortable. The KAC strongly believes that art can change lives, which is a significant contributing reason to the creation of Crossing Bridges. Many find that they are able to process emotions and thoughts through art that they may struggle to articulate in more traditional talktherapy environments. A Crossing Bridges participant speaks to the impact of art in her life, saying, “Art has saved my life. I have been in and out of the shelter through my life, but something has happened this time to make it different. I believe it is the art. It made me stop and look at things differently.” Similarly, a teacher from the Twin Rivers Education Centre who collaborated with Crossing Bridges and the YWCA Women’s Shelter notes, “Art is a powerful outlet for expressing one’s identity and stretching out

by Keiko Bolen, Kamloops Arts Council

of comfort zones. … Giving [the students] access and instruction to tools that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to work with is empowering and has fostered a leadership role for a number of students who work closely with [our Crossing Bridges instructor]”, demonstrating just how impactful art can be.

Crossing Bridges hopes to continue its important work far into the future. If you are an artist or an agency that is interested in working with Crossing Bridges, please visit the Kamloops Arts Council website at kamloopsarts. ca/programs/crossing- bridges/ for more information.

If you would like to make a donation to Crossing Bridges, please contact Tanya Nielsen, Executive Director, at (250) 372-7323.