Eliza has been working with children and youth in a variety of roles for over a decade. Her work has spanned outdoor education, early childhood education, arts education, enhanced support education, community arts, and now child and youth mental health.
As an arts educator, Eliza has worked for Children's Arts Theatre School, Shakespeare in Action, Lakeshore Arts, Purple Carrots Drama Studio, and attended Young Peoples Theatre's Artist Educators Training. Eliza also designs and facilitates creative programming for early years in classrooms and centers around the city. In 2017, Eliza launched her own initiative: Queen Bees Arts Education. The program runs extra-curricular and co-curricular programming focused on confidence and self-esteem building for children ages 5-9.
Eliza studied Child and Youth Care (M.A.) at X University. As a child and youth care practitioner, she is passionate about inclusive and trauma-informed spaces, child and youth advocacy, and the therapeutic benefits of arts-based, mindfulness-based and nature-based interventions. Eliza's research explored creative methods of emotional regulation to support children who have experienced childhood trauma, adverse childhood experiences, are neurodivergent or live with mental health challenges. Her studies informed the creation of a multi-intervention strategy emotional regulation resource, All Minds, designed to be used in elementary classrooms to foster more inclusive and trauma-informed learning spaces.
As an interdisciplinary artist and CYC-P, Eliza combines her practices whenever possible, works with both children and adolescent populations, and is particularly passionate about creative programming, therapeutic play, and socially engaged art making. Outside of her personal creative practice, Eliza is currently working as a Child and Youth Counsellor in a hospital, a creative facilitator in the community, and continues to study play therapy.
As an arts educator, Eliza has worked for Children's Arts Theatre School, Shakespeare in Action, Lakeshore Arts, Purple Carrots Drama Studio, and attended Young Peoples Theatre's Artist Educators Training. Eliza also designs and facilitates creative programming for early years in classrooms and centers around the city. In 2017, Eliza launched her own initiative: Queen Bees Arts Education. The program runs extra-curricular and co-curricular programming focused on confidence and self-esteem building for children ages 5-9.
Eliza studied Child and Youth Care (M.A.) at X University. As a child and youth care practitioner, she is passionate about inclusive and trauma-informed spaces, child and youth advocacy, and the therapeutic benefits of arts-based, mindfulness-based and nature-based interventions. Eliza's research explored creative methods of emotional regulation to support children who have experienced childhood trauma, adverse childhood experiences, are neurodivergent or live with mental health challenges. Her studies informed the creation of a multi-intervention strategy emotional regulation resource, All Minds, designed to be used in elementary classrooms to foster more inclusive and trauma-informed learning spaces.
As an interdisciplinary artist and CYC-P, Eliza combines her practices whenever possible, works with both children and adolescent populations, and is particularly passionate about creative programming, therapeutic play, and socially engaged art making. Outside of her personal creative practice, Eliza is currently working as a Child and Youth Counsellor in a hospital, a creative facilitator in the community, and continues to study play therapy.
Eliza continues to work as a facilitator at Purple Carrots Drama Studio -- offering accessible arts-based programming specialized in diverse neuro and physical abilities, as well as arts-based counselling sessions for children and youth.
Purple Carrots Drama Studio
Purple Carrots is a space for growth in connection and communication with self and other through drama. Combining elements of drama art, play therapy, speech therapy, improvisation, singing, dancing and music into theme-based workshops, Purple Carrots helps students with all abilities explore their full potential in a safe, supportive, and fun environment! Visit their website to learn more about programs offered here.
Youth Climate Collective
Youth Climate Collective (YCC) is a mentorship program by Lakeshore Arts through which mentees have been trained on how to use the digital space to raise awareness for climate change. A collective of 11 youths have explored the intersection of art and activism for 8 weeks resulting in this #EarthDay video.
Be challenged to pick up one of their actionable creative recommendations to make the planet a better place. The video was produced under the mentorship of YCC facilitators; Nick Sweetman, Graham Budgeon, and Eliza Martin and edited by Zamarla Joseph.
Be challenged to pick up one of their actionable creative recommendations to make the planet a better place. The video was produced under the mentorship of YCC facilitators; Nick Sweetman, Graham Budgeon, and Eliza Martin and edited by Zamarla Joseph.
Arts Education
Eliza teaches and offers creative workshops for schools and childcare programs. Learn more about the programming Eliza could offer as a guest arts educator:
Queen Bees Arts Education
Queen Bees Arts Education is an arts education initiative created by Eliza Martin and co-founded by Cornelia Audrey and Olivia Orton. The goal of the program is fostering personal growth, creativity and self confidence in children, through dramatic art and storytelling. Queen Bees welcomes all, however focuses particularly on, and is designed for girls!
Please visit the Queen Bees Arts Education website for more information.
Please visit the Queen Bees Arts Education website for more information.