Based in Toronto's Junction neighborhood, 4CATS is an art studio offering graffiti classes for kids. In addition to being introduced to street art techniques when they join a 10 class program, kids can also host birthday parties at the facility or can collaborate with the whole family to create a tagged masterpiece.
Titled 'Express Yo Self,' this graffiti class for kids equips participants with the art tools and skills needed to become a creative street artist. While graffiti was often synonymous with vandalism in the past, the popularity of street art icons like Banksy and OBEY founder Shepard Fairey have made it a more respected art form in recent years.
In addition to its famous Graffiti Alley, Toronto is home to a myriad of commissioned street art projects, making graffiti an expressive art form that young generations want to take part in.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Kid-friendly Graffiti Classes
- The trend of offering street art classes for children allows for the discovery of new and innovative graffiti techniques, opening up opportunities for expansion of this niche market.
- Express Yo Self
- The Express Yo Self program provides an opportunity for disruption in traditional art education models by encouraging children to explore unorthodox methods of self-expression.
- Respect for Graffiti as an Art Form
- The growing acceptance of street art in mainstream culture presents new opportunities for artists to legitimize and commercialize their craft in alternative markets.
Sectors Adopting This
- Art Education
- The trend of offering graffiti classes for children presents a unique opportunity for businesses in traditional education institutions to extend their services and attract new students.
- Event Planning
- With the availability of facilitating birthday parties in this unique setting, event planning businesses have an opportunity to create customized experiences such as themed parties and team building events for companies.
- Street Art
- As graffiti becomes more mainstream, businesses in the street art industry can capitalize by creating innovative and unique products with rising artists, marketing their artwork, and collaborating with brands to fuse their styles with commercial design.
