iHuman Youth Society is grateful to announce renewed operating support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA). This funding supports of youth arts and mental health.
iHuman has been awarded $100,000 in operating funding to sustain its arts programming and community-based creative work with youth.
Strengthening Alberta’s Arts and Culture Sector
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts plays a vital role in strengthening Alberta’s cultural landscape by supporting organizations, artists, and communities across the province. Through funding streams focused on accessibility, artistic engagement, and community participation, the AFA helps create opportunities to connect meaningfully with arts and culture.
What This Support Means for iHuman
At iHuman Youth Society, creativity is more than artistic expression. For many young people, it is a pathway to connection, confidence, identity, healing, and belonging. Each day, youth participate in visual arts, music, fashion, multimedia, and creative mentorship programs while building trusted relationships in a space rooted in dignity, safety, and support.
This funding helps ensure young people continue to have access to low-barrier arts programming that centers self-expression, cultural identity, collaboration, and creative exploration.
As an organization working alongside youth navigating homelessness, poverty, trauma, mental health challenges, and systemic barriers, iHuman understands the profound impact creative spaces can have. The arts can create opportunities for storytelling, reflection, skill development, cultural connection, and personal growth while helping youth build confidence, community, and a stronger sense of self.
The Role of Art in Youth Wellbeing and Mental Health
This understanding is increasingly reflected in emerging research on arts, culture, and youth mental health. A 2024 publication on arts and culture-based approaches described the growing global youth mental health crisis and highlighted the need for supports that are innovative, accessible, scalable, and rooted in community.
The article identifies arts engagement as a promising approach because it builds on existing community resources, cultural practices, youth voice, and opportunities for connection and expression. It also points to mounting evidence that arts and culture can support youth wellbeing, mental health, and flourishing, while calling for greater investment in accessible community-based arts initiatives.
Alignment with iHuman’s Low Barrier Approach
These principles closely align with iHuman’s mission and daily practice. Youth voice is central to programming, and young people are encouraged to shape their own creative journeys, explore identity, build relationships, and participate in community through art, music, storytelling, fashion, and cultural expression.
iHuman’s trauma-informed, relationship-based approach recognizes creativity as an important part of healing, self-worth, resilience, and connection.
The Connection Between Art and Youth Mental Health
Research reinforces what many community organizations and youth-serving agencies witness every day: access to creative spaces and meaningful artistic engagement can support mental health, belonging, confidence, and overall wellbeing for young people.
Research highlights several key benefits of arts-based engagement for youth:
- Reducing stress and encouraging mindfulness
- Building resilience and supporting identity development
- Strengthening social connection, inclusion, and belonging
- Improving emotional wellbeing and supporting positive mental health outcomes for youth and communities.
Our Sincere Gratitude
We appreciate the support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. They continue to invest in youth and community arts. They also support organizations that create inclusive and accessible creative spaces.
Thank you to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for recognizing the importance of youth-centered arts programming and for continuing to support the creativity, resilience, and voices of young people in Edmonton and beyond.
Research References
“Arts and Culture for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing” (2024)
“The Arts and Their Impact on Health and Wellbeing” (Canadian Network for Arts & Learning, 2024)