Building Connection and Change Through Art
We use creative practice to build connection, learning, and belonging. The Creative Community Impact Association (CCIA) is a federally incorporated non-profit offering free, socially engaged arts programming for adults. We bring people together through workshops, conversations, and community events that focus on process, not product.
Our programming is built around four core areas: Creative Connections, Inclusive Arts Practice, EcoArts Labs, and Pride Pedagogy. Within these, we facilitate hands-on, process-led experiences that use creativity as a way to support dialogue and reflection on inclusion, accessibility, diversity, and environmental futures. Our programs reduce isolation, strengthen belonging, and support gentle, community-led social change through shared creative participation.
What We Do
We use creativity as a tool for learning, connection, and positive change. Our work builds on inclusion, accessibility, and belonging. We combine creative practice with gentle advocacy and arts-based research to offer:
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Inclusive Programming: We host diverse arts experiences that foster connection and belonging for everyone, regardless of background.
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Gentle Advocacy: We use art as a tool to facilitate gentle dialogue to build stronger communities, and help our social and natural environments thrive.
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2SLGBTQIA+ Initiatives: We create safe, welcoming spaces designed by and for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, rooted in queer pedagogy that prioritize safety, joy, and creative autonomy.
Our Community
CCIA is a central hub for anyone who believes creativity can build a stronger, more connected world. Based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) and growing across Canada, our diverse community includes:
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Socially Engaged Creatives: Artists and creators who use their work to drive meaningful, real-world change.
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Sector Leaders & Educators: Professionals looking for proven ways to make their spaces more inclusive and accessible.
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2SLGBTQIA+ Community: Individuals taking part in our dedicated Queer-led programs, built entirely around safety, joy, and collective care.
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Civic-Minded Adults: Adults from all walks of life looking for a safe space to connect, talk, and support one another.
Whether you are an artist looking to deepen your impact or a neighbour searching for connection, you belong here. You are part of a growing movement built on care and shared values.
How We Create Change
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Collective Care: We turn individual burdens into a shared responsibility. Join a Program
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Gentle Advocacy: We share evidence-based facts to help build a stronger arts sector.
Connect on Sector Collaboration
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Ecological Resilience: We use creativity to help communities adapt, respond, and thrive in a changing world.ve in a changing world.
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Values-Driven Leadership: We offer creative team-building workshops and public speaking that support groups in building inclusive, collaborative ways of working. Inquire about workshops and speaking engagements
Research & Knowledge Mobilization
We conduct arts-based research to understand how creativity can advance inclusion, accessibility, and community building. We are committed to a model of continual inquiry, ensuring our programming is grounded in evidence and lived experience.
Our Current Focus:
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Informed Design: Integrating frameworks of collective care and inclusion into every new initiative.
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Knowledge Sharing: Translating creative practice into actionable tools that strengthen the arts and social sectors.
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Accountable Growth: Establishing the foundations to ensure our work remains responsive to evolving community needs.
Our findings will guide future programs, inform advocacy, and bridge local practice with national community-building standards. This ensures our work is informed, accountable, and impactful.
Upcoming Events
For more information please visit our Community Programs Page
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Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, ASL interpreter for panel talk, all-gender washrooms, and paid underground parking available ($3/hour). Film Language: English, with English subtitles provided for increased accessibility.
Special Event | Cinema & Changemakers Panel
Presented by Creative Community Impact Association in partnership with Halifax Public Libraries.
Date/Time: Monday, July 13 | 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Paul O’Regan Hall ,Halifax Central Library
Address: 5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS
Free Event | No registration required | Suitable for: Adults
Kick Off Pride with an Evening of Film, Conversation, and Community.
Join us for a free Pride kickoff event featuring a screening of Parade: Queer Resilience and Love followed by a lively panel discussion with local 2SLGBTQIA+ artists, advocates, and community leaders.
Expect an evening that is engaging, welcoming, and full of heart. Our panel features a vibrant group of local trailblazers who bring diverse lived experiences, creativity, humor, and passion to the conversation. Whether you are coming to learn, reflect, or simply enjoy a meaningful evening in good company, you will be welcomed into a friendly, inclusive space with comfortable auditorium seating and opportunities to connect with community.
Snacks & refreshments provided by the Q Creative Network while supplies lasts. Film provided courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.