Streams Community Hub: Igniting Creativity and Supporting Young People Through the Arts | Written By: Lindsay W. (Dufferin Board of Trade)
Opening in 2017, Streams Community Hub, co-founded by Juli-Anne James and Andrew James, is a youth arts charity offering a variety of arts programing for young people to explore their creative interests. The hub aims to make creative outlets more accessible in Dufferin County and ignite curiosity through the arts. “Every child deserves access and engagement with the art because of what it does for their development,” says Juli-Anne, the Executive Director of Streams.
After moving to Shelburne in 2015, Juli-Anne and Andrew noticed a lack of arts opportunities for youth. With her experience in business and communications, and his experience in arts and graphic design, Juli-Anne says, “It’s in our hands to do it so we might as well do it.” Kids need access to creative outlets, “Our kids are growing up here, so we should bring these opportunities to the community” she continues, “We believe the arts are very important and impactful for nurturing the imagination for children.”
“Arts are important for all of us. It’s often the first thing we reach for when we need healing or repair as a society”
Streams Community Hub offers innovative creative programs in an after-school format, week-long summer and march break camps, PA Day camps and workshops, which are also available for adults. These programs range across many arts disciplines, including music, culinary, visual arts, media, photography, sewing and more. This also includes STEM based programs like creative coding. “You never know what is going to resonate with a child,” explains Juli-Anne, “They need to be exposed to as many things as possible in order to build the connections they need to.” By nurturing their imagination, the hub keeps children engaged as they grow through different programs. “There is always something for everyone at every age and stage.”
One of Streams Community Hub’s core values is sharing with the community and keeping everyone engaged. Coming out of Covid in 2021, they needed a creative way to re-engage youth and “give young people opportunity to express how they were feeling during the crisis we were all going through,” says Juli-Anne. This led to the creation of the Word-of-Mouth Monologue Competition.
Modeled after American Idol, the competition allows kids to submit their monologues online, followed by a public voting faze. “It’s giving them something to aspire to and look forward to” Juli-Anne exclaims. “It is important to give them opportunities to engage in positive ways and for the community to congratulate them and lift them up.” The 2024 Word-of-Mouth Monologue Competition will launch mid-August, with submissions starting in September.
“When kids create art, think of them expressing a piece of themselves. It’s important for them to get feedback from people other than their home, to affirm their art, creativity and their existence, and what they’re producing especially if it’s positive.”
As a non-profit with many volunteer positions for students and community members, Streams Community Hub is eager to explore new collaboration opportunities. “We don’t want to re-invent the wheel; we want to collaborate” says Juli-Anne, who aspires to work with other arts and youth organizations. They envision a collaborative future, creating a central hub for the arts and community-serving organizations, “putting Dufferin County on the map as a destination for the arts,” Juli-Anne exclaims.
Built on the idea of “third space” away from work, school, or home, Juli-Anne emphasizes, “it’s critical to provide a safe social space for everyone.” Working on the preventative side of charity for young children, the impact is never immediate. “Sometimes it takes years to see the impact you’re making in the life of a young person.” “Seeing kids choose to come each year gives us an indication of the impact we are having, and fuels us to continue the work we are doing,” Juli-Anne concludes.