How does Migrante BC use the Community Arts as a catalyst for social change and to advocate for migrant justice and wellness?

Numerous studies have documented the effectiveness of using the Community Arts as a tool for promoting individual well-being as well as increasing social capital. Studies have also documented the use of the arts and the Community Arts as a tool for advocating for social justice. Limited studies have documented the use of the Community Arts by migrants. With increasing worldwide migration, due to the economic inequality between the North and the South, it is important to understand what tools exist to help migrants cope and celebrate their migration experiences. Firstly, this report seeks to understand how the Community Arts are used by migrants at the British Columbia chapter of Migrante, Migrante BC, to promote wellness as well as advocate for migrant justice through the affiliate arts organization PANCIT (Philippine Artists Network for Community Integrative Transformation). Secondly, this report seeks to provide the organization with suggestions on how to sustainably expand their programs in the future. Using Socio-Ecological Systems theory as a guiding framework, a visioning session with core Migrante BC members, as well as interviews with the program’s leading artist, four migrant artists, and an informational interview with a leading Canadian Community-Based Arts Organization, the report documents the success of using the Community Arts according to participants. Furthermore, the report showcases how the Community Arts are used by migrants to promote social change at various societal levels (micro, meso, and macro). The Community Art programs at Migrante BC promote micro changes by empowering participants through teaching them artist skills that better allow them to capture their migration experiences. Meso changes are promoted in that the art workshops help the migrant community to come together, make new friends, and learn about their shared struggles as migrants, and thus, help build social capital. Meso changes are also promoted in that the art workshops are showcased to wider Vancouver society through events, helping to create ties between migrants and non-migrants. Macro changes are promoted in that the organization uses the arts to reach out to strategic community partners.Applied Science, Faculty ofCommunity and Regional Planning (SCARP), School ofUnreviewedGraduat