Central to Red Tree Collective's programming policy is our cross-cultural collaborative and multi disciplinary artistic practice and curatorial approach. Member artists collaborate with each other, with guest artists and with community groups on creative production and presentation. Community collaborations evolve within a participatory research framework, where participants decide on the content and form, and professional artists facilitate the creative process.

Red Tree facilitates community art projects, and offers arts education workshops at schools, at community gatherings, and in public space. Trail Mix Museum along the Pipeline Trail in East Hamilton features work by professional artists, as well as community collaborations.  The "creative commons" mural of youth art between Tragina and Weir is renewed annually.

Founded in Toronto in 1989, Red Tree established a Hamilton base in 2005. Red Tree Hamilton members are Klyde Broox, Elizabeth Seidl, Ingrid Mayrhofer, Tara Bursey, Edgardo Moreno and Kerry LeClair.