Her Excellency has been particularly interested in the ways in which young urban artists are using their talents for the common good. As such, she has inaugurated the Governor General’s Urban Arts Forums. This initiative assembles urban artists, Order of Canada recipients, decision-makers, and community members in dynamic discussions on the way the urban arts can foster social inclusion and engage youth, particularly marginalized ones, in building better communities and neighbourhoods. To date, seven very touching discussions have taken place with over 700 young urban artists in Calgary, Toronto, Winnipeg and Montreal, as well as Salvador and Rio, Brazil, and Bronkhorstpruit, South Africa.
