Kids Up Front Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with CIBC to help provide access to live arts and cultural performances for kids who would not otherwise have the opportunity. Beginning this fall, CIBC Theatre for ALL will be offered by each of the four Kids Up Front regions located in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto.
The benefits of exposure to arts and culture have long been recognized, yet thousands of Canadian kids face financial and social barriers that prevent them from accessing performances in the community. CIBC Theatre for All will help Kids Up Front remove these barriers and give underprivileged kids the gift of experiencing a live arts production – theatre, dance, opera or symphony.
In 2010, Kids Up Front Vancouver provided over 4,500 live arts experiences, valued at $137,000, to a wide variety of performing arts events. “Exposure to the arts can have such a positive impact on a young person’s development, by opening doors to a world of creativity and new possibilities, instilling a sense of self-esteem and belonging, and creating important lifelong memories. By partnering with all four regional Kids Up Front Foundations, CIBC will create even more opportunities to enrich the lives of underserved kids. We applaud CIBC for making this significant investment in kids, the arts and our community.” Cindy Graves, Executive Director, Kids Up Front Foundation (Vancouver).
With this initiative, CIBC becomes Kids Up Front Canada’s primary corporate partner in providing access to live arts performances. “CIBC and its employees are pleased to support the national expansion of the Theatre for All program,” says Richard Nesbitt, Senior Executive Vice-President, CIBC and Group Head, Wholesale, International and Technology and Operations. “Our support for Kids Up Front Foundation is made possible through our CIBC employees, who each year donate their fees and commissions on the first Wednesday in December as part of CIBC Miracle Day. We are proud to have invested in more than 400 children’s charities last year to help make a difference for kids in need.”
“We were thrilled to be able to attend this event. Our children loved every moment of it. They loved the music fair beforehand where they were able to try out various musical instruments. They would not have had this opportunity otherwise and they were just glowing when they tried out instruments like the double bass and the clarinet. They had never been to a theatre before and they were in awe of its big size and details on the walls and ceiling. We got to our balcony seats and the children watched every musician enter the stage. They were engaged from the beginning to end with the sights, sounds and emotions of the concert. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity!”
Parent, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association.
