Audain School of
Art & Design
Students ages 2-19 are inspired through a curriculum of technical, critical, and creative skills that challenge them to develop original ideas, form creative connections, and become innovative problem solvers. Learning is task-based, designed to develop a particular skill and encourage growth and progression over time.
Lindsay Mearns School of
Dance
Arts Umbrella Dance is a rigorous program designed for dancers ages 2-22. As students advance through our ballet-based program, curriculum balances physical development with emotional and intellectual growth, providing a life-changing dance education that leaves an impact long after graduation.
Robert M. Ledingham School of
Theatre,
Music & Film
Students 2-22 will see how musical harmonies foster teamwork, how learning to use your voice builds self-confidence, and how leadership is shaped long before one sits in a director’s chair. Young artists are develop their creativity and build skills that benefit them in performance and in everyday life.
A Place For Everyone
We acknowledge that for many students, barriers exist to accessing the right care, medical diagnoses, treatments, tools, and/or medication options. Arts Umbrella strives to support students who need support whether they have a diagnosis or not.
The Arts Umbrella’s Bursary Fund also helps young artists experience the freedom of creativity by providing financial support to low- and middle-income families based on financial need.
Why Arts Umbrella
Art For All
At Arts Umbrella, we strive to ensure that all young people, regardless of economic or social circumstance, are provided with the opportunity to access a high-quality arts education.
We reach over 20,000 young people across Metro Vancouver annually, with nearly 80% served through bursaries, scholarships, and donor-funded community programs.
Our Philosophy
Whole-self learning is the philosophy that guides every program at Arts Umbrella. From toddlers arriving for their first visual arts, dance, or theatre class to teens training in our intensive programs before heading out into the professional world, we believe that arts education goes past training artists who are proficient at their craft.
We provide the space and time for students to examine the world and their place in it, using their arts education as a foundation for life, no matter where their path takes them.
A Multi-Disciplinary Hub
The opportunities provided to our students are limitless. Studios specific to each discipline allow instructors to teach and students to train to their fullest potential.
Unique to Arts Umbrella is the offering of so many artistic disciplines in the same space. Arts Umbrella students arrive to learn and leave inspired, surrounded by other young people’s imagined creations taking form.
Upcoming Events
Our Community of Supporters
We are proud to be supported by a cohort of incredible partner organizations, who help to drive our mission forward.
Help us makes a difference to the lives of children and youth
20,364
Young people accessed our programs in 2024/25
Continuing our commitment to making our programs accessible to as many children and youth in our communities as possible.
79%
Participated at no cost
Ensuring that the life-changing benefits of an accessible arts education can be experienced by all.
570
Served through bursaries and scholarships
Transforming the lives of our students through a high calibre arts education.