Mission | Vision | Values
RCAD Initiative
RCAD INITIATIVE
Redefining Communities through Art + Design
ABOUT
Our Story
​RCAD Initiative empowers equity-deserving youth through innovative programs like the Digital Storytelling Mentorship and the Creative Arts Entrepreneurship Hub. Our mission is to create inclusive communities, support marginalized youth, and encourage youth-led change through art and design.
As a Tkaronto-based non-profit, we work with underrepresented youth to address pressing social issues, inspire community transformation, and influence policy through creative expression. RCAD is a space for equity-seeking groups to flourish, heal, and help rebuild the social and economic fabric of our city. Together, we’re building a vibrant, sustainable network of creative changemakers.
PROGRAMS
Digital Storytelling Mentorship
Our Digital Storytelling Mentorship empowers marginalized youth to share their unique stories through multimedia. With mentorship and resources, participants build digital skills, connect with professional arts mentors, and explore new ways to define community. Together, mentors and mentees envision a future of resilience, mutual care, and collective empowerment.
Creative Arts Entrepreneurship Hub
The Creative Arts Entrepreneurship Hub empowers young individuals to develop their artistic talents and entrepreneurial skills, transforming their creativity into impactful projects. This social entrepreneurship initiative includes three components: training modules on launching creative businesses, a pitch competition with the Creative Mind Prize to fund top artpreneurs, and collaborative workshops with professional artist-entrepreneurs. It’s a dynamic space for young artists to innovate and build a community of changemakers.
Podcast: Interviews with Political Artists
This podcast interview series is designed to inspire and encourage art-activist processes and plays that catalyze social change. Featuring global political artists, it shares stories of resilience and care, shaped by our histories and the socio-political contexts of daily life. Available on Apple and Spotify.