School Partnerships

MASC's programs fit within school's specialized programs such as Indigenous Education, Specialized High Skills Majors (SHSMs) and Experiential Learning.

Specialized programs for your school

MASC offers specialized programs in partnership with school partners offering engaging arts and cultural programming for your students. MASC's diverse roster of professional art educators will mentor students as they explore cross-disciplinary curriculum-based subjects through an arts and culture lens from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Through experience and reflection, students will learn about diverse topics, including Indigenous studies, Natural Sciences, Cultural and Social studies, and will co-develop with MASC artists an aesthetic interpretation resulting in beautiful murals, engaging videos, live performances and more. These programs can be adapted to fit your needs, or we are always open to developing new programs in partnership with you.

Specialized High Skills Majors Programs: SttArts

Storytelling Through the Arts (SttArts) is an 8-week artist in residency program during which students will be mentored in event management, storytelling with Jacqui Du Toit, and video production with Craig Conoley. At the end of the program, students will organize a final showcase where the short videos of the stories will be screened along with an engaging storytelling performance by Jacqui Du Toit. As developed with the OCDSB, SHSM Students will obtain their SPE, Reach Ahead, Experiential learning and the certificate indicated with each Artist. Ideal for students in grades 3-8.

A young man in the foreground films a woman in front of a whiteboard on a digital camera, one hand on the lens. / Un jeune homme au le premier plan filme un femme devant un tableau sur une caméra digitale, une main sur l’objectif.

Videos for Specialized High Skills Majors Programs: SttArts

A young girl wearing a tie-dye mask just below her mouth and a BlueJays baseball hat that hides her eyes sits on a park bench. / Une jeune fille portant un masque tie-dye juste en dessous de sa bouche et une casquette des BlueJays qui cache ses yeux est assise sur un banc dans un parc.

A young White girl with long brown and green hair sits in a classroom, in front of a whiteboard and a blackboard, the following text typed next to her head: TRINA, Pinecrest Public School, Ottawa, Canada. / Une jeune fille Blanche aux longs cheveux bruns et verts est assise dans une salle de classe devant deux tableaux, un texte tapé à côté de sa tête: TRINA, École publique Pinecrest, Ottawa, Canada.

A young Brown boy with short black hair and a thin moustache stands in front of a blackboard in a classroom, a graphic in front of him states: Rayhan Shahzad. / Un jeune garçon basané aux courts cheveux noirs et une fine moustache est debout devant un tableau dans une salle de classe avec un texte sur l’image: Rayhan Shahzad.

Experiential Learning: The Connection

The Connection: Spoken Word and Cinepoetry Mentorship is an 8-week artist in residency program. Students will be mentored in three interconnected areas: the art of spoken word with JustJamaal ThePoet, video production and distribution with Craig Conoley, and event management. At the end of the program, students will organize a final showcase of live performances and videos. This cross-disciplinary and experiential learning project will offer an overarching view of the arts - students will understand the arts sector's complexities, making connections to community issues and professional career interests. Ideal for students in grades 4-12.

A young girl wears a Hijab and a mask in front of lockers as she is seen through the screen of an iPhone recording her. / Une jeune fille portant un Hijab et un masque devant des casiers est sur l’écran d’un iPhone qui la filme.

A young girl wearing a Hijab smiles as she is recorded on an iPhone and a Digital Camera, both on tripods. / Une jeune fille souriante portant un Hijab se fait filmer sur un iPhone et une Caméra digitale, les deux sur des tripodes.

Videos for Experiential Learning: The Connection

Experiential Learning: FLOW

FLOW is a new workshop series offered by Skeleton Key Theatre and Ottawa Riverkeeper that inspires youth to become stewards of the Ottawa River by understanding their impact on the watershed through artistic exploration. What can arts-based and scientific understandings of flowing water teach us about how to live in better relationships with the land, river, and each other? In this multidisciplinary and experiential workshop series for students in grades 5 to 12, a combination of science and dramatic performance strengthens students’ connections with the watershed. Over the course of a 10-day residency, students will create their own performance piece around the concept of flow and how it pertains to water, time, bodies, and the relationships between these elements.

Videos for Experiential Learning: FLOW

A White woman with blonde hair pushed to one side stands outside facing the camera with the follow text below her: Kate Smith, Artistic Director, Skeleton Key Theatre. / Une femme Blanche, ses cheveux blonds placés d’un côté, est dehors, le texte au bas de l’image indique: Kate Smith, Directrice Artistique, Skeleton Key Theatre.

Indigenous Education: Elder & Artist in Residency

The Elder and Artist in Residency Program is an arts education program that pairs an Indigenous Elder with a MASC artist and offers students an in-depth and enriched artistic experience, providing an alternative lens to understand Indigenous ways of Knowing, Thinking, Feeling, and Being. The project introduces students to Indigenous culture through the arts. The Elder introduces students to Indigenous teachings through storytelling and songs, exploring concepts like the knowledge of the land, the sacredness of water, holism, interrelatedness, reciprocity, Turtle Island, among other teachings. Each project results in a mural installed permanently in the school.

"The Grade 4 students at Guardian Angels were honoured to be given the opportunity to participate in the Elder and Artist in Residency Program. Students were fully engaged and enthusiastic as they explored aspects of the Indigenous culture through the storytelling and songs of Elder Irene Compton. Through her teachings and references from the past and present, all learners had a better understanding of the land; the gifts of water, air, fire; how to care for Mother Earth; the Grandfather Teachings; the significance of the Land Acknowledgement; and so much more. Artist Kseniya Tsoy provided an enriched artistic experience by having the students transfer their knowledge using paper cut-outs to explore and express themselves creatively by collaborating with one another on the mural. Stopping to celebrate each child’s contributions was an important, exciting part of the process. The final piece is evidence of how each child translated their newfound passion they have for Indigenous art and culture. This special partnership and project has far exceeded what we could have ever imagined and the memories made will live forever in the minds of those fortunate to have been part of the journey." - Karen Wilson, Principal, Ottawa Catholic School Board

Four pairs of children’s hands each hold a small red fabric ball tied off with twine. / Quatre paires de mains d’enfants tiennent une petite boule de tissu rouge attaché avec de la corde.

Children lined up next to each other hold one hand in the air as they stand on a rocky shore of the Ottawa River. / Une rangée d’enfants debout l’un à côté de l’autre sur une rive rocheuse de la Rivière des Outaouais lèvent une main en l’air.

An Indigenous Elder stands outdoors in a circle of seated children, a blanket in the centre, as three adults look on. / Trois adultes écoutent une Aînée Autochtone dans un parc qui est debout, encerclée d’enfants assis, une couverture au centre.

Videos for Indigenous Education: Elder & Artist in Residency

Indigenous Education

MASC is proud to offer many Indigenous programs featuring dancing, storytelling and theatre performances, hands-on art projects and more. In 2020, MASC established an Indigenous Advisory Committee comprised of Elders representing First Nations, the Algonquin Anishinaabe Host Nation, the Métis Nation and the Inuit community.

The Committee focused on the importance of respecting cultural protocols in the context of MASC’s Indigenous programs through the following cultural protocols:

• being honoured by your community
• having the permission and support from your community to deliver teachings
• being connected and active in your community