About

Our signature events and programming facilitate healing through the arts by creating safe spaces to learn and share in culturally appropriate ways.

History

The Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts (ANDPVA), Canada's oldest Indigenous arts service organization, was founded in 1972 by James Howard Buller. It became a non-profit entity in Ontario in 1974. Buller's vision foresaw Indigenous people driving social change through the arts.

In its early days, the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit arts scene was relatively inactive due to the impacts of colonization—residential schools, displacement, and cultural erasure caused immense trauma. Today, ANDPVA serves as a haven where Indigenous peoples' rich traditions, stories, and cultures are nurtured. ANDPVA provides a platform for Indigenous artists and audiences to see themselves reflected in various artistic expressions, fostering cultural restoration, and strengthening community bonds.

The unique cultural lens that ANDPVA provides enables Indigenous communities to restore and strengthen their cultural identity and build strong connections with each other.