Arts York

Arts Unionville (formerly known as Arts York, prior to the York Region District School Board's expansion of the program), is a four-year co-educational arts intensive program at Unionville High School. The program specializing in Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts.

The arts curriculum at Arts York is designed in conjunction with the academic discipline of Unionville High School. Students of the Arts York program specialize in one core arts major within each semester in addition to the expectation to fulfill all required academic credentials for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students of the program can expect to perform frequently in the Markham Theatre which was built with the school on a similar architectural theme.

Note: Arts Unionville is one of four schools within the York Region District School Board that offers specialized arts programming of choice.

In the 1970s, Superintendent Stephen Bacsalmsi created the idea of an advanced arts program. The Ontario government approved the proposal pending the construction of the new school. The program was opened in 1985 along with the opening of Unionville High School.

In recent years, due to the success of the Arts program at Unionville High School, the York Region District School Board created additional locations for the program: in 2000 (Arts Huron), 2007 (Arts West), and 2009 (Arts Alexander Mackenzie). The Arts Huron program (at Huron Heights Secondary School) was created as the alternative for students living in the northern areas of York Region and the GTA, the Arts West (at Westmount Collegiate Institute) program was created as an alternative for students living in western areas of York Region and the GTA, and the Arts Alexander Mackenzie (at Alexander Mackenzie High School, Richmond Hill) program was created as an alternative for students living in central areas of York Region and the GTA.

Admission is open to interested students who reside in York Region and the Greater Toronto Area. Students are expected to make an application prior to their enrollment in high school. In special circumstances, students of Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 can apply in various areas of Arts programming, excluding Drama. Students and parents are encouraged to visit each of the four schools to determine specific arts programming that is available at the schools, prior to the application process.

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