The Youth / Artist Mentorship Project was a piIot project running from June, 2017, to February, 2018. It was built on two ideas:

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1. Healthy communities thrive on creativity, diversity of expression, and innovation.
    

2. The key to fostering these conditions in the present and the future lies in an inter-generational stream of creative and experiential knowledge sharing. As Paul Soderberg has written, "Art's golden thread of mentors stretches not just into the ancient past, but also far into the future."

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YAMP fostered a culture of teaching and learning, career development, and community connection across London’s horizon of established artists, aspiring artists, and young people — and encouraged the next generation of London’s artistic community to pursue future mentorship roles.

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YAMP artists worked in 'Artist Teams' — composed of a LAIR artist and two or three emerging artists of high school or post-secondary age — over a period of eight months. While the professional artist helped the emerging artists develop their arts-education skills, the emerging artists brought their own passions and abilities to teaching young people about expressive diversity and innovation. YAMP focused on the disciplines of dance, digital media, drama, music, and visual arts.

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The project was sponsored by Ontario 150 and was delivered in partnership with local community organizations that acting as YAMP hosts, including the London Health Sciences Centre, WAYS Mental Health Support, and the Boys & Girls Club.