DAREarts GTA Springs Into Action

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 12, 2013) - DAREarts learned today that the charity was recognized by the TDSB last night with an "Outstanding Partnership" award for their "contribution to the success and well-being of TDSB students". Kids need critical life coping tools to vigorously challenge social and economic pitfalls before they fall in. Through DAREarts, kids from high needs neighbourhoods are igniting change in their lives.

DAREarts young delegates from 25 TDSB schools will showcase their talents on Thursday, June 13 at 7pm at the Brockton Centre, 90 Croatia Street. Over one hundred and seventy DAREarts kids aged 9 - 14 will sing a song they wrote, model fashion items they designed and run the show they created - "Promenade Through Time".

The evening will showcase the culmination of the last three months of DAREarts Days, in which the students explored and engaged in visual arts, music, drama, dance, architecture, literature and fashion throughout the 15^th to 21^st centuries in workshop settings outside of their classrooms. The grades four to eight children had been chosen by their schools based on potential and need. In their DAREarts Days, they painted, sculpted, sang, danced, composed, designed, wrote and acted through past world cultures while guided by local arts professionals. The students gained leadership skills by returning to their schools and teaching their classmates what they learned.

DAREarts is a Canadian not-for-profit organization which stands for "Discipline, Action, Responsibility and Excellence". DAREarts' 5-year program works with 9-14 year olds from schools in high-priority neighbourhoods, empowering them to become leaders. Visit www.darearts.com for information on how this is accomplished. In sixteen years, DAREarts has empowered over 170,000 children from high priority communities to make better choices in their lives and become leaders. One of this year's Leadership Award recipients, Molly S., explained what she gained through the program, "DAREarts gave me a second chance of life"

DAREarts partners include: DAREartists 2013: Njacko Backo, Candice Bogdanski, Gayle Boxer-Duncanson, Bruce Brown, Eleni Edwards, Moshe Hammer, Ildiko Hencz, Sarah Hicks, Bryan Lockyer, Joanna Lozowchuk, Leanna Manning, Glenn Marais, Véronique Mathieu, Ashley Meloche, Melissa Noventa, Kevin Ormsby, Jane Pang, Lee Pham, Michael Pietrocarlo, Malati Rajagopalan, Mark Raynes Roberts, Jon Reid, Matt Richardson, Jamie Robinson, Manny Sandoval, & Cortney Stephenson Education Partners: Aimia, Art Gallery of Ontario, Arts & Letters Club, Bata Shoe Museum, Casa Loma, CBC Museum, Centre of Gravity, Clearview School of Arts and Culture, Eliile Gallery, Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, Gardiner Museum, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Lillian Smith Library, Long & McQuade, National Ballet School, Royal Ontario Museum, Sampradaya Dance Creations, St. Paul's Basilica, Trinity St. Paul's, The Walmer Centre. DAREarts Teaching Team: Laura MacKinnon (Lead Teacher),Renee Atchison, (Teacher), Mackenzy Willis (TA), Molly Enneson (TA)

DAREarts thanks its generous supporters, without whom this much-needed program would not be possible, led by corporations Northbridge Insurance, Guy Carpenter and Scotiabank, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Council. A special thanks goes out to Johansen-Larsen Foundation and TDSB.