Youth Programs

Tools for Care explores what "taking care" might look and feel like for our unique, ever-changing bodies. You’ll be guided through a short practice of stretches with energetic, playful movement and various practical breathing techniques. The exploration will incorporate mindful writing prompts to practice…

Join our free, online Dance Hall workshops for youth taught by Fabiola “MustBeFABY” Dieuve, founder of Irie Jamz International. While learning about Jamaican culture, y…

This workshop is designed to support participants who identify as having intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Recommended age group: 13- 18 years old.

Join us for an interactive artmaking workshop that brings into the limelight the budding artistic talents of neuro-diverse youths. In this online virtual studio, we will take a look at an artwork from the AGO Collection to explore the many ways you can express yourself. It can be anything!

This workshop is inspired by…

Want to learn how to vogue dance from the legendary vogue pioneer Twysted? These beginner-level workshops will cover the five elements of vogue fem, ending each week with a ball. Kiki’s Lounge encourages anyone who wants their first voguing experience to participate.

All are welcome to come regardless of age, sexuality or level. Vogue is a style of dance that arose from the gay and transgender Black and Latinx communities in ballrooms across Harlem from the 1960s - 1980s. In Toronto, Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance has been actively…

Often considered an indicator of spring and a metaphor for renewal, the performance of planting dahlia bulbs elaborates on the importance of care, tenderness and follow-through. Seeds do not need humans to be planted; they will spread and grow as they have for millennia. Humans need to plant seeds in order to cultivate food. By planting dahlia bulbs, this performance plays with the human desire to act upon nature. As the first gardening gesture of the year, the performance alludes to subsequent gestures: the dahlia growing, blooming and eventually…

This self-reflective drawing exercise  guides the viewer through the artist’s drawing process and thoughts. Inspired by Korean folk paintings, Enna Kim will focus on the symbolism of each element, such as cranes, peach trees and lotuses, representing longevity, courage and good luck in Korean culture. With this activity, the artist encourages audiences to reflect on the meaning behind symbols and the physical act of drawing. The fluidness of this combined approach prompts participants to consider their own agency in relation to objects and…

A Traced Feeling is based on the forward bend test, a physical examination that assesses for scoliosis by running a finger down a person’s spine, feeling for a curvature. The comfort and trust of being "traced" in such an examination is tactile, leaving a lasting impression. Participants will be invited to trace surrounding surfaces with their index finger and draw a corresponding line, examining the shape their bodies make in the spaces around them. A Traced Feeling is presented as part of …

AGO Youth Council member Violeta Rodriguez Zurita and her older cousin, Kelly Zurita, lead a revealing walk around York Mills, the only neighborhood they have ever lived in. Demonstrating the class divide that runs through the community, Violeta and Kelly give a tour of the high-rise apartments and the different types of housing in their neighbourhood. Along the way, they share their experiences growing up in York Mills and talk about how it is starting to change.

This artist-led virtual video walk is an art student's reflection on the power of education. As isi bhakhomen travels from home to school, they will take the time to recall on precious moments that have impacted their artistic growth. Throughout this excursion, isi  hopes to share the wonders of what it's like to be a part of a theatre arts community. They will take the time to reminisce over the past three years with both fondness and dread. Looking back at your mistakes isn't easy,…

This virtual walk combines storytelling, healing and Hip Hop. You'll learn about Toronto’s historical relationship with the dynamic dance style and you'll be introduced to the key elements of Hip Hop used in innovative methods of critical healing.  While Toronto represents the Hip Hop community-at-large, this virtual video walk reveals how  individual locations and neighbourhoods have contributed to Hip Hop's growth in the city. During the walk, specific locations in Toronto related to Hip Hop are presented and the…

Distance Dress Up invites everyone to dress up in their favourite party outfit, take a selfie of themselves and post on IG with tag #distancedressup! This participatory photo project is inspired by the exhibition Studio 54: Night Magic and the social restrictions that are currently in place due to Covid. …

Get ready for Studio 54: Night Magic with 8 weekly workshops on the Hustle and Whacking, two dance forms that came out of the disco era.

Hustle is a partner dance created by Puerto Rican teenagers in South Bronx in the early 1970s to disco music. It has common features of mambo, salsa and swing dance. The dance is…