Dream & Draw – Creative Roots for Newcomer Youth
SUMMARY OF PROJECT
Dream & Draw is a youth-led creative initiative that supports newcomer youth in Ottawa through trauma-informed art workshops, leadership development, and community engagement. Over 11 weeks, youth aged 12–18 will participate in expressive, hands-on sessions where they explore identity, share migration stories, and build self-confidence through drawing, painting, and mural-making. Each participant will receive their own art kit and contribute to both personal projects and a large collaborative mural. The project culminates in a hybrid art exhibition—featuring a permanent mural at a community center and a mobile showcase touring libraries and cafés—allowing youth to publicly share their stories and art.
SUMMARY OF PLAN
Newcomer youth often face systemic barriers such as cultural exclusion, identity suppression, and emotional isolation, especially in environments that prioritize assimilation or academic success over well-being. Traditional settlement supports rarely focus on mental health or identity affirmation, leaving many youth without spaces where they feel seen or understood. Dream & Draw responds to this gap by creating inclusive, culturally responsive spaces that prioritize creative expression, community-building, and emotional resilience. The project sees art not as a luxury but as a critical tool for healing, identity formation, and youth empowerment.
SUMMARY OF ISSUE IN FOCUS
Newcomer youth often face systemic barriers such as cultural exclusion, identity suppression, and emotional isolation, especially in environments that prioritize assimilation or academic success over well-being. Traditional settlement supports rarely focus on mental health or identity affirmation, leaving many youth without spaces where they feel seen or understood. Dream & Draw responds to this gap by creating inclusive, culturally responsive spaces that prioritize creative expression, community-building, and emotional resilience. The project sees art not as a luxury but as a critical tool for healing, identity formation, and youth empowerment.
Led by
Nilgun OzturkYusha Turna Ayse Kaya
