Sign up to our newsletter and stay up-to-date with Arts Ignite news, events and happenings.
NEW! 2022 Program
Freedom dreaming together
I/magine invites students to dream of the world they wish to live in—and collaborate towards that vision through the arts.


About the Program
From observation to creation
I/magine is a five-part residency where students evolve from arts spectators to art-makers driven to use their artistry for community impact. This year, the program was held at Humanities Preparatory Academy in Chelsea, NYC working alongside 50 high school students. Led by a team of Arts Ignite Teaching Artists, this ongoing long-term engagement in both artistry and community guides young people into deeper, more complex ways of seeing and thinking about the world.
Changing communities through the arts
I/magine supports students in creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships with those who may possess differing viewpoints and communication patterns. It also teaches them how to develop their self-definition through artistic expression. Each I/magine residency culminates in a final project devised by participants at the intersection of the arts and their community. To learn more about bringing the I/magine program to your school, please reach out to our team via the contact link below.
I/magine: Our Arts Ignite Approach
The inaugural program focused on five areas of exploration:
- I/create – Students were invited to explore who they are through art. They were then warmed into the idea of expression: it is fun, it is exciting, it is creative?
- I/speak – After they explored ideas of expression and creation, students explored their own stories and understood they were worthy of speaking and being heard.
- I/connect – Students were invited to explore different avenues of communication. Oftentimes, we didn’t share a common language, mode of expression, or perspective on life.
- I/collaborate – Students worked together to build a community inside their classroom/cohort/workshop space and built a greater group project or art piece.
- I/magine – Students were invited to pair art with community action by seeing themselves as cornerstones of their communities.
Program Spotlight
The Arts Ignite program I/magine piloted in Spring 2022 with Arts Ignite Teaching Artists and 50 high school students in Chelsea, NYC!

Support our work
Become a vital part of expanding access to arts education.

