DAREarts Montreal Launches March 31st

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - April 1, 2014) -

Editors note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

DAREarts is proud to announce a week-long launch program to empower high-priority Montreal youth and to ignite change in their lives. The program will run from March 31 - April 8, 2014, with a public performance on Saturday, April 5th, 3 pm, hosted by the Canadian Centre for Architecture. All are welcome. See the attached invitation.

Since its inception in 1996, DAREarts' unique approach to arts education has filled a critical need in Toronto, Vancouver, the Atlantic Region and several Aboriginal communities. Teacher Marilyn Field saw that through DAREarts values-based arts programs, children acquire effective tools to build their confidence, self-discipline, and leadership skills. "The arts have a special power. They take kids outside of themselves. Once children find a passion, they begin to find out who they are. The arts are the only tool that allows that."

DAREarts Founder Marilyn Field and DAREarts Montreal Coordinator Sarah Manolson, have been in consultation with artists, teachers and community members to establish a local program for an initial 30 young teens who have already experienced life challenges. The two participating schools in this launch are Perspectives 1 and Vezina alternative schools. There is a waiting list of other schools wishing to participate next year.

The teaching team is: Laura MacKinnon, DAREarts Lead Teacher who is a past artist-educator for Learning through the Arts, the National Ballet, Danceworks and the Canadian Opera Company; Marie-Helene Lemaire, a Montreal based experienced museum educator in contemporary art, Emily Rose Michaud, an artist, performer and community teacher-organizer bridging art and ecology; and Stephen Legari, Montreal based art therapist and art facilitator working in secondary school, addiction recovery, private practice and arts-based community work. Alex Leonard-Coloccia, a Montreal secondary student and musician, photographer, will assist the team as Student Apprentice.

With lead sponsorship from Northbridge Insurance, DAREarts is working in partnership with The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, The McCord Museum, The Canadian Centre of Architecture, DHC-ART and Tangente as Education Partners. Each of these Montreal institutions is generously providing space for the youth to explore their creativity plus and innovative educational tours with their educational staff working closely with the DAREarts teaching team and artists.

Each day, different guest artists will inspire the children to find their voice in various arts mediums that include song writing, spoken word, contemporary and Aboriginal dance, drumming, visual art, architecture and fashion. The artists-educators are: musician and Hip-Hop artist, Butta Beats; videographer, Elijah Baker; artist, Margot Klingender; Oscar winning film producer Frederic Bohbot; dancer Marc Pronovost; and Aboriginal musician, writer and broadcaster, Sylvain Rivard.

DAREarts is a Canadian not-for-profit organization, which stands for Discipline, Action, Responsibility and Excellence. Visit www.darearts.com for more information.

DAREarts thanks its lead supporters: Northbridge Insurance, Guy Carpenter, Scotiabank and TD.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20140401-DAREartsMontrealInvitation1.jpg.