The mandate of the 4Cs Foundation is to build connections between children and their communities through arts projects in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada.
To fulfil our mandate, the 4Cs provides grants for projects that bring children and community members together to work side-by-side in creative, arts-based activities. The activities result in the creation of artworks through the collaborative efforts of the group, and often reflect the stories, interests, issues or concerns of the "community of participants". The time spent together fosters lasting connections between the children and the community members.
The 4Cs Foundation also works to train, connect and support individuals interested arts-based community development and in facilitating community arts projects and programs.
The activities of the Foundation are governed by the Foundation Trustees and are administered by Terri Whetstone, the Executive Director.
Our History
Inspired by their own community experiences, a small group of individuals in Halifax, Nova Scotia established the 4Cs Foundation in December 1998, as a privately funded, grant-giving foundation. The 4Cs Foundation is committed to strengthening the "creative connections between children and their communities". Since September 1999, over 200 projects have received grants from the foundation.
In 2006, the 4Cs Foundation expanded its support to fund projects that were not directly affiliated with a public school. We invited artists and community organizations to submit letters of interest for arts-based community development proposals. Although we continue to fund projects within the school system, we are seeing a rapid growth in applications for projects that involve dynamic partnerships between children, community members and community-based organizations and that take place at a neighbourhood level.
We embrace a role of community animator by participating in a variety of activities to stimulate and support the growth of community arts in the Halifax Regional Municipality. We provide training in community arts facilitation, a small resource library, and take part in many activities, meetings and groups related to community arts.
We are particularly pleased to offer the Art Bikers program each summer, as well as hosting regular meetings of the Community Arts Circle, an open network if people working or with an interest in arts-based community development and community arts. In 2010 the 4Cs Foundation presented the symposium and training intensive Arts Engage! Arts for Community Engagement http://www.artsengage.com/ - the first gathering of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
We are proud of our work with children, youth, artists, schools, organizations and community members in HRM.