For more than four decades, Arts Umbrella has been shaping Vancouver’s arts community by giving young people the space, support, and confidence to explore their creativity. What began in 1979 as a local arts education initiative has grown into an internationally recognized non-profit serving more than 20,000 children and youth each year through programs in visual art, dance, theatre, music, film, and design. Under the leadership of people like Lisa Daly, the organization continues to champion the belief that access to arts education should never depend on background or financial circumstance — a mission reflected in the fact that the majority of its programming is offered free of charge through donor support. Since moving into its expansive new Granville Island home in 2021, Arts Umbrella has transformed into more than just a school: it has become a creative hub where young people are encouraged to find their voice, build resilience, and imagine stronger possibilities for themselves through the arts.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
Arts Umbrella’s mission is to deliver profound life experiences through arts education that inspire young people to live creative, authentic, and courageous lives. Founded in Vancouver in 1979, Arts Umbrella is a not-for-profit, charitable organization that is recognized internationally for its unique, multi-disciplinary approach to arts education for children and youth. With two locations and programs in art, design, dance, theatre, music, and film, Arts Umbrella provides the highest standard of arts educational training led by a faculty of more than 200 passionate artists and educators. Providing access to an arts education is the cornerstone of everything we do and, today, Arts Umbrella serves over 20,000 young people annually, with approximately 79% accessing a wide range of programs at no cost, thanks to donor funding.
What problem does it aim to solve?
At Arts Umbrella, we believe that arts education must be available to all young people, regardless of background, ability, or circumstance. Since the early 80’s, we have dedicated resources towards establishing a robust set of Community Programs, an initiative that now sees over 15,000 young people engaged each year at no cost.
When did you start/join it?
December 2018
What made you want to get involved?
After many years working in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, it became clear to me that the not-for-profit world is much more aligned with my values. The work is purpose-driven; you can see the direct impact you are making in people’s lives, and it allows you to contribute to something larger than yourself.
What drew me to Arts Umbrella in particular was the opportunity to be part of an organization that empowers young people to discover their individual voices, express themselves creatively, and build confidence through the arts. In this day and age, with so many mental health issues arising amongst our youth, these benefits are not to be taken for granted. There is something incredibly inspiring about walking through the halls of Arts Umbrella and seeing creativity around every corner, whether that is in a drawing class, a dance studio, or on stage during a theatre performance.
I am really proud to be part of an organization that provides a safe and supportive space where young people can explore the world around them, develop resilience and self-expression, and use arts education as a foundation for life, no matter where their path takes them.
What was the situation like when you started?
I can’t think of a better time to have joined Arts Umbrella (especially for a die-hard marketer)! After four-plus decades in a small, yet charming building of under 20,000 square feet on Granville Island, the organization was in its final stages of moving just across the street into the former Emily Carr South Building – approximately 4 times the size, coming in at 70,000 square feet. From the beginning of 2019 until spring of 2021, while the renovation was happening, our Marketing and Communications team was knee deep in an exciting, multi-channel branding campaign that built awareness of the transition (got to work with talented local artists such as Carson Ting of Chairman Ting), running a full PR campaign to ensure we received ink across the city and beyond, and bringing the brand to life inside the building in a new, fresh way, but without losing the soul of what had made us so successful to date. The new building was bringing about a transformative change for the organization, and a fever of excitement was palpable. When COVID-19 tossed in some enormous hurdles to our plans, we were able to quickly pivot and open our doors to an online audience of close to 1,000 viewers. Days later, we proudly opened the building for programming on April 10, 2021.
How has it changed since?
As mentioned above, the move was transformative for Arts Umbrella. Not only did we more than quadruple our space, but we grew up overnight, and the opportunities provided to our students became limitless. Studios specific to each discipline allow instructors to teach, and students to train to their fullest potential. With our own in-house 132-seat theatre, state-of-the-art Green Room for pre-show prep, and a spacious exhibition gallery, we can do so much of our programming directly on site (we used to have to rent neighbouring spaces). On top of that, we can welcome our community into the building for events, rentals, and more Community Programs.
What more needs to be done?
We believe that Arts Umbrella can and will become a true arts and culture hub, a place of innovation, and a thought leader on all things surrounding arts education for youth. We can host artists and thinkers from around the world, we can help advocate to government for funding, and we can offer programming that doesn’t even exist yet. We just have to dream!
How can our readers help?
The more fundraising we can do, the more free access to an arts education we can provide to those that need it most.
Like most not-for-profits, we have a user-friendly way for donors to sign up for monthly giving. Just think! If you have 3-4 less special coffees in a month or pass on that glossy magazine at the grocery check-out counter, you can donate $20 monthly to Arts Umbrella and provide more students with the opportunity to grow more creatively and confidently.
Do you have any events coming up?
Splash 2026! Our annual signature fundraiser will be held this year on October 3, 2026, and is an event not to be missed.
For the past 44 years, Splash has established itself as one of Canada’s highest-profile fundraising art auctions. Every year, Splash is proud to feature renowned artists from British Columbia and beyond who donate original work, showcased in a four-week exhibition at Pendulum Gallery, as well as during the spectacular evening.
All proceeds from the evening ensure that Arts Umbrella can continue to provide inclusive arts education for young people throughout our communities.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
Arts Umbrella is committed to the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation, and has a very meaningful relationship with Joleen Mitton, the founder of Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (VIFW) and All My Relations Indigenous Society. This Society’s mission is about empowering youth through basketball, self-expression through fashion, and fostering positive relationships through mentorship. Our proceeds raised around and for September 30 (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) go towards supporting this meaningful cause.
