As our arts-based youth development work with the Arts Ed Collective continues to evolve, the idea of "healing-centered" approaches have emerged as central to reimagining and creating an LA County where all youth—and especially youth who have been historically precluded and excluded—engage in arts all year, every year. To learn more about the emerging field of Healing Centered Engagement, especially as it relates to arts based youth development, please download our zine Healing-Centered Engagement—Reflections and Insights from the Field.
A part of Los Angeles County's New Regional Blueprint for Arts Education, this research was commissioned by the Arts Ed Collective to explore the important ways arts-based Healing Centered Engagement can support and uplift youth voices as part of healthy growth and development. This zine is a summary of six months of intensive review of academic literature and interviews with research-practitioners and youth, and serves as a guide to understanding key concepts and ideas that can advance arts-based healing practices across the region.