Search Results

ArtReach is excited to announce a collaboration with Ashima Awakening and Tatu Rafiki (directly translates to “Three Friends” in English), a deaf tailoring shop located in Moshi, Tanzania at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Ashima and Tatu Rafiki will be creating and selling custom Kitenge laptop sleeves, and for each purchase of a Tanzanian-made laptop sleeve, one will be given to a 2020 grantee! Buy one, support another! Kitenge is African wax print fabric used in East Africa. Each fabric is handpicked from the shops that drape the local markets in Moshi. The laptop sleeves are individually handmade, and each design is stitched using four different fabrics: that’s three different sleeve designs and 12 different fabrics! The unique placement of fabrics ensures that each sleeve is made as a one-of-a-kind piece. There are three different designs to choose from: Moja, Mbili, Tatu (photos of front and back below). Each laptop sleeve is $60, including shipping, and will be a customized fit for your laptop! Send in your bag measurements via DM to @ashimaawakening or via email to rafikimasks@gmail.com to order yours now!

Funded by ArtReach for a second time in 2018, Soundcheck Youth Arts is a youth-led not-for-profit organization stationed within the Weston-Mount Dennis community that empowers underserved youth through music and mentorship programs. Their name, SoundCheck, captures the essence of their vision, while their objective is to musically develop youth while empowering them as leaders in their communities. Soundcheck was first funded by ArtReach in 2014 to run Play our Sound, an education project catered towards beginner to intermediate level musical instruction, and offering mentorship programs. In 2018, Soundcheck took their project even further with Play our Sound Too, a one-year musical instruction and mentorship program with a unique focus on music recording for racialized youth ages 15-29 in the Weston-Mount Dennis community. Running from January to December 2019, the project expanded Soundcheck’s reach by providing musical recording and performance opportunities for participants. Soundcheck also provided mentorship sessions with a focus on building the skills, confidence and resilience of the youth they serve. The goal of the program was met, with youth graduating with the resources and skills needed to excel as artists and leaders in their community. SoundCheck is the first for-youth-by-youth musician’s incubator, having a majority youth-led decision making team. Joel Reid, Soundcheck’s Executive Director, is a seasoned community engager with over ten years of experience working in the community development sector, while Soundcheck’s co-founder and project administrator Cheyanne Reid is a singer, song-writer and worship leader with a strong passion for community work and excellence in the arts. Joel’s history working in the community and Cheyanne’s musical skill sets ensure that Soundcheck has two strong leads that support people through the power of music. They also have three musical mentors as part of the program, all with several years of valuable experience in musical education and community work. When asked why Soundcheck chose to focus on the Weston-Mount Dennis community, Cheyenne shares, “We chose this crucial location because we are black youth from this neighbourhood who share experiences of racism, structural injustice, systemic failure and marginalization, and wanted to support other youth who face the same barriers by providing a safe and positive way to gather”. Soundcheck states that “it’s not just about free music lessons and free musical instruments- our goal is to build strong healthy relationships amongst youth and remove barriers by providing accessible, high-quality music programs” Commencing their third year of operations, SoundCheck has worked with valued partners The Ontario Trillium Foundation, The City of Toronto, ArtReach, Long & McQuade, and Steve’s Music to successfully implement these free high-quality music programs for the youth in the community. Soundcheck has reached hundreds of racialized youth through their music-mentorship programs while providing meaningful, paid performance opportunities. Soundcheck hopes to build on this successful infrastructure in order to reach more youth with future projects. You can learn more about Soundcheck at their website, and you can follow them on Instagram @soundcheckyouth to stay up-to-date on their latest programs.

From June 2018 through January 2020, Conscious Minds Co-op ran Whole, a multi-faceted, multi-arts storytelling project led by young womxn artists of colour in Tkaronto that included a residency, workshop programming, and anthology magazine. Whole worked to create healing spaces for youth leads and participants alike to come together to remember, re-imagine, and embody holistic ways of being, and sought to inspire social action through the arts by questioning what it means to be “whole” during this time of global transformation. The project began with a one-week residency in July 2018 that provided the space and resources for leadership training, artistic exploration, and self-reflection. Project coordinator Kristen notes that, “The residency was not just about developing artistic best practices- it became a safe space for us, as womxn of colour, to express ourselves with honesty, to move through heavy blockages and practice living holistically as a community. On the final day of the residency, overwhelmed by the love, support, and sense of family we exchanged throughout the week, we decided to form an art collective called Seven Waves”. In reflecting on the time spent in the residency, one collective member shared that, “the residency was an interesting experience. I felt I saw myself in each of the womxn who attended, which allowed me to see myself in a clearer portrait. This was possible with the conversations that came about, the exercises and workshops we completed together, and the spiritual work. It felt like a safe space was created for understanding and creative energy and that really resonated with me”. In addition to the forming of the collective, the residency also birthed the project’s workshop programming, which focused on tackling the unhealthy and unsustainable ways that we live and work, and how to co-create cultures of care and belonging. The workshop “used storytelling to empower participants to connect to their power, explore their purpose through artistic exploration, and activate their creative selves. Through playful visioning work and reflective writing prompts, we’ll explore how to use storytelling as a change-making tool, while sharing practices to heal, and better take care of ourselves and our communities”. In Winter 2019/ Spring 2020, editors and contributors finished the compilation of their culminating magazine, It's Bigger Than All of Us (IBTAOU), set to be published in Fall 2020. IBATOU is a beautiful archive of what the project lead describes as “notebook scans, poetry, written work, photographs and illustrations, from the very vulnerable transformative years of 2018-2019, as we actively moved through shadow work, confronting fears and previously unseen traumas. This is the work of 40+ youth questioning what it means to be whole. This is the work of self-healing and empowerment. This is the work of re-storying ourselves, of reclaiming our power to stand in our truths, to tell our own stories (outside of the conditioning of colonialism, patriarchy and capitalism)”. So what’s next? In 2020, an expanded and evolved version of the project was funded by ArtReach, and in 2020/ 2021, the collective will run a storytelling workshop series that will again culminate in a collective magazine. Also be sure to stay tuned for the release of their 2019-funded magazine this fall! And you can follow the work of project lead, Bonesthrown, at bonesthrown.com!

Run from Summer 2019 through Winter 2020, Invisible Footprints 0.3 engaged Asian LGBTQ youth artists by training the group as guerrilla archivists and facilitating inter-generational dialogue through art and storytelling. This was done through creating platforms such as workshops, art-based community forums, a knowledge transfer symposium, and a website. Through community organizing and storytelling, the project aimed to foster a sense of belonging, strengthen community support networks, and improve artistic skills for the youth involved. In February 2020, Invisible Footprints held their culminating symposium and video screening, Life to Art: Retracing Footprints Across Generations, at the Toronto Media Arts Centre. The event was a celebration of participants’ journeys through the project, from "connecting with elders within the community, to tracking down archival materials, to learning the various ways veteran activists, artists and community members have organized or represented themselves". One project lead notes, “over a seven-hour event we managed to have full attendance the entire time, with the majority of the audience identifying as part of the LGBTQ Asian community. The sheer success of this event is proof that more programming of this kind is in demand”. This program was part of the larger Invisible Footprints series, programming that includes multi-generational projects that celebrate the history of Toronto’s East and Southeast Asian LGBTQ movement. They explain that "by revisiting the footprints of artists, activists, academics, and groups like Asian Lesbians of Toronto and Gay Asian Toronto, these projects highlight the milestones of disruption and social activism while exploring unknown and untold stories of these communities. Invisible Footprints also seeks to remind community members that 'if we do not collect our stories, if we do not celebrate the contributions of our pioneers and heroes, and if we do not preserve our collective memories, who will? And if we leave these tasks in the hands of others, how will we be represented'?” When asked about the successes of the project, the IF team shares, “we are so happy that many of our youth artists were able to find a platform within the community and a place to form bonds with older generations. For many of them, this was their first exposure to the community and its history so we were honored to be able to facilitate their introduction to it. Some of the artists expressed feeling like they had "gotten the chance to explore parts of themselves they had not had the resources to do before. Others mentioned how this opened the door for them to doing further work investigating their Queer and Asian identities”. A participant follows up, “As a filmmaker, I began this project with a clear idea of a voice in mind. I was not prepared for the wealth of emotions and bonding that would come from meeting and getting to know my interviewees- this completely threw off any idea of a ‘clear voice’ because I found that I had learned and absorbed so much more knowledge, understanding, and growth that I had become a different person than who I was at the start of the project. This project helped me grow artistically as well as emotionally, allowing the film to be mostly focused around the elders themselves, while also still told from a perspective of personal reflection”. It’s been a privilege to support two rounds of Invisible Footprints programming, and we can’t wait to see what comes next from this brilliant and resilient group. To stay up to date on offerings, be sure to follow IF on Instagram at @invisible.footprints!

ArtReach wishes you a happy National Indigenous People's Day! We acknowledge that the land ArtReach lives and works on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. You can learn about Treaty 13 here. Why do we do a land acknowledgement? Engaging in a land acknowledgement gives time for reflection and demonstrates recognition and honouring of Indigenous lands, treaties, and peoples, people who have lived on this land for over 10,000 years. It involves humbly thinking about what happened in the past and what changes we can make going forward in order to further the reconciliation process. It’s also a reminder that we are all accountable to these relationships. Learn more about land acknowledgements here. Want to have a conversation about how ArtReach can be more inclusive and accessible to Indigenous youth artists? Let’s talk! Email us at info@artreach.org Indigenous Arts in Tkaronto Indigenous Now Centre for Indigenous Theatre Red Sky Performance 7th Generation Image Makers IndigiArts imaginNATIVE Native Earth Performing Arts Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto Titiesg Wîcinímintôwak Bluejays Dancing Together Collective MAAIINGAN Productions Indigenous Community in Tkaronto Maamwizdaa ODE 2Spirited People Of The 1st Nations Ojibiikaan Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council Canadian Roots Exchange ENAGB Indigenous Youth Agency Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT) Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre Toronto Inuit Association Native Child and Family Services of Toronto Tkaronto Indigenous People’s Portal Donate Most, if not all, of the arts and community-based organizations listed above accept donations. To make a contribution, please click into each group directly to find information on how to donate. Educate Yourself About National Indigenous History Month APTN News 108 Indigenous Writers to Read Publications by TASSC Canadian Race Relations Foundation CBC Indigenous News Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education, and Society Indigenous Canada (Massive Open Online Course from the University of Alberta) Research and Policy (Tab on Tkaronto Indigenous People’s Portal Website) Information on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Indigenous History in Canada Read the Canadian Government’s Web Page on Reconciliation National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Take Action Petition: Justice for Regis Korchinski-Paquet Petition: Justice for Chantel Moore Petition: Justice for Rodney Levi Take Action: Call to Defund Police in Toronto Read: Defunding The Police Will Save Black And Indigenous Lives In Canada Act: Click here to access key phone numbers and email addresses, as well as a template script for this call to action Take Action: Demand Justice for Regis Contact the Office of Ontario's Premier Email Addresses + Phone Numbers (for local Toronto MPPs, MPs, the lead SIU investigator in Regis' case, the mayor, and the attorney general) Not sure what to say when you call/ email? Find a script here Take Action: Demand Justice for Chantel For Chantal Moore, Canadians can contact Edmundston’s Chief of Police Alain Yang, Mayor Cyrille Simard and New Brunswick’s Premier Blaine Higgs. Not sure what to say when you call/ email? Find a script here Take Action: Demand Justice for Rodney Levi Click here to see a template with a script and email addresses Take Action: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Click here to see advocacy and action items you can do Image credit: https://esllibrary.com/

ArtReach always has been, and always will be committed to investing in black youth, platforming black artists, amplifying black voices, sharing black resources, advocating for black justice, and working towards creating a world where we don't have to fight for the acknowledgement that Black Lives Matter. See below for a small collection of Canadian, black-centered resources and supports on mental health, where to donate, how to demand justice, and education resources. Have a suggestion on a resource to add? Email us at info@artreach.org Health + Mental Health How to Find an Anti-Racist Therapist Blackline Black Youth Helpline What's Up Walk In Friends of Ruby (for Black LGBTQ youth) Black Health Alliance LGBT Youthline Stella's Place The Villij The Well Collective Hope Hustle Heights The Most Nurtured Lifted by Purpose Black Women in Motion Adornment Stories Black Mental Health Visibility (BMHV) Ethel’s Club Donate Black Lives Matter Canada Justice for Regis Black Legal Action Centre How to Donate without Money (read the description below the video for how this works) Canadian Race Relations Foundation AntiHate.ca Urban Alliance on Race Relations Nia Centre for the Arts Demand Justice for Regis Contact the Office of Ontario's Premier Email Addresses + Phone Numbers (for local Toronto MPPs, MPs, the lead SIU investigator in Regis' case, the mayor, and the attorney general) Not sure what to say when you call/ email? Find a script here Defund the Police Click HERE to access key phone numbers and email addresses, as well as a template script for this call to action Not sure why we need to demand the defunding of police? Click HERE to watch Desmond Cole explain the need Educate Black Lives Matter website A Different Booklist How to Have a Conversation with a Racist Relative How to Teach Your Kids About Race and Racism Resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence Thumbnail photo cred: Jalani Morgan

Igho Diana is a talented writer, spoken word poet, community educator, and the founder of Ebony Girls Obsession (EGO). EGO is an initiative that seeks to empower black women into action: prioritizing healing, growth, and celebration through storytelling, sisterhood, and communal learning experiences. They seek to create space to practice self care and sisterhood with intention, collaborating with other creatives, entrepreneurs, businesses, educators, and community organizations to provide mentorship, workshops, wellness events, retreats, and community engagement projects. She notes on her website, “I wholeheartedly believe that it takes a village- not only to raise a child but also to support adults through our healing and wellness journey. So I create communities of/ for folks who invest in themselves and each other’s well being through storytelling and communal learning experiences. Particularly, I support Black women and youth in prioritizing self-care, so that they are better able to show up for, and receive the support of their communities”. ArtReach was first introduced to Igho in 2017 when she participated in our Youth Arts Pitch Contest, placing second in the Business of Art stream. During the contest, she pitched her highly successful Self Care n’ Sisterhood workshop series, a monthly opportunity for black women to come together in a curated and safe space to engage in mindfulness, conversation, networking, and the celebration of black women. Why the focus on black women’s wellness? Igho shares, “I believe that being black and a woman serves an ongoing lesson in resilience. However, our stories don’t begin or end with how resilient we are. Self-care is a birthright, not a set of luxury products. And art like writing and storytelling, are powerful tools for self-care. I want to shift the conversation of health and wellness spaces being synonymous with whiteness. My chief aim is to create more spaces for women of colour to build community and foster their creativity”. In 2019, Igho was funded by ArtReach to run Stay Whole 2019, a workshop series for Black, Latina, and Indigenous women 18-29 to cultivate a personal writing practice as a form of artistic expression, self-care, and creating community. The project explored the use of oral and written storytelling and other literary techniques as tools for reflection, empowerment, and community building. Over multiple sessions, participants developed skills through prompts, activities, and games, as well as practice the art of performance. The series culminated with a weekend retreat at the Bliss Haven Retreat Centre to reflect on and evaluate the ways in which we actively care for ourselves, and how that reflects on our respective communities. In reflecting on the ways participants benefited from the program, Igho beautifully reflects, “The most memorable moment was on the last day at the retreat: after our usual morning movement, meditation, and writing session, we sat in the living room, awaiting lunch before our final workshop. During this time, we formed an impromptu story circle and shared collective experiences. Tears were shed, hugs were exchanged, and new bonds were formed”. Check out the Ebony Girls Obsession website, and follow them on Instagram @EGOinitiative to learn more and get involved!

Formed in 2012, Illumine Media Project is an artist and community collective of youth based in St. James Town who want to contribute positively to their media environment. Illumine participants come together to create films that reflect social reality, learn about using media as a tool for fostering community dialogue, and develop the capacity to analyze how media shapes our neighbourhoods and how it affects our understanding of ourselves and our communities. A key component of Illumine’s impact are their community film screenings. Their short films and web series have been seen by thousands of young people across Toronto in schools, community centres, and film festivals, as well as through programs offered by Wordswell. These screenings are opportunities to learn about using media as a tool for fostering community dialogue. “In neighbourhoods where systemic poverty and marginalization exist, our experience has shown how crucial it is to assist young people to understand and analyze the power structures and ideologies that underpin the media content they are exposed to”. In 2018, Illumine was funded by ArtReach to run The Hideout Media Lab, a community based arts initiative that brought together a group of youth together from Scarborough to engage in media analysis and media creation. This workshop series gave participants the opportunity to analyze themes in Illumine Media Projects’ youth-created web series, How We Grow, in order to reflect on their own neighbourhoods and communities, as well as to create and develop their own artistic projects, through script writing, acting, filming, and recording. “Illumine invites youth from diverse backgrounds to assume creative leadership roles in a safe space while analyzing their place in their society, community and world. We can also see the importance of the diversity of representation and locally-made content. However, the need for diversity extends beyond representation in the content Illumine creates. Seeing the creation of art and grassroots media as an aspect of service to the community allows for both young people who may not have seen themselves as ‘talented’ in the arts and for young people who may not traditionally be put in more technical roles on film sets or as editors to arise and develop these skills in an encouraging environment”. In 2019, Illumine expanded on their first ArtReach-funded project with Illumine Media Lab. This Lab again focused on media analysis and creation, including an exploration of Illumine’s How We Grow series and offering youth the opportunity to create and develop their own films, this time running the program in their own neighbourhood of St. James Town. In collaboration with the Wellesley Community Centre and The New Common, ten youth participants developed filmmaking skills over 14 weeks and created, We’re in This Together, a narrative short about the protective nature of peer friendships in times of neighbourhood violence. In summarizing the success of the project, the Illumine team shares, “The St. James Town Media Lab saw youth from different communities come together and reflect on narrative media and the ways in which it can challenge or change how we see reality. With time, effort, and trust, participants engaged in creative activities and explored new ways to share their experiences in the world through stories and film. They become stronger individuals and more aware community members as a result, and expressed the desire to continue working together in the future. We saw a real need for youth-focused community arts in St. James Town, as the participants were eager for new opportunities to learn and contribute to their neighbourhood”. They continue, “A huge success was the way the film allowed for greater connection and conversation in the community and opened up a larger dialogue around safety and violence, and the role of youth in supporting each other and contributing to the community”. Watch their 2019 film, We’re in This Together here, and follow them on Instagram @IllumineMediaProject!

Formed in 2014, Dream House Collective is an initiative led by a group of Toronto creatives that aims to create a community for visual artists, music producers, performers, dancers, designers, and new media artists. Their mission is to highlight the work of youth artists in the Toronto community by creating arts events that amplify their work, raise their profile, and connect them to fellow artists, well-recognized personalities, and greater opportunities to publicly present their work. "We’re designing a space that fosters deeper connections and networking, and also allows young people to be acquainted with local talent from their own city. We want them to see themselves reflected in the arts and music, which reaffirms that they belong in the cultural arts environment". In 2014, the Collective received their first grant- $10,000 from ArtReach to support their program, “Dream House Arts Event Planning”. The project saw the curation of multiple music, fashion, and arts events, using the events as training opportunities for youth to develop skills in arts event production and management. Mentors involved in the program provided training in curation, stage setup/ design, prop design, live sound setup, and more. A key component of the Collective’s focus is supporting the development of artists’ entrepreneurial skills, ensuring they have the expertise and skills to build a successful career in the arts. Their programming seeks to provide youth with the knowledge needed to implement and transform their artistic work through entrepreneurial business strategies. They note that this will prepare youth for artists’ careers, and provide them with the necessary qualifications for a future career in the arts world. In 2018, they were funded by ArtReach to run, “Build a Dream”, a program supporting the professional development and training of marginalized artists aged 18-29 towards the creation and execution of their annual Music + Arts Festival. From April to November 2019, youth participated in an intensive training program that focused on in-studio music production, including vocal training and songwriting proficiency. Youth participants were also mentored in the various elements of event coordination, including artist and venue booking coordination, contract writing, event communications, set design, stage management, marketing, and branding. In November 2019, the program culminated in Dream House’s 6th annual music and film festival, Speak Your Peace, held at the B-Side Lounge and Carlton Theatre, and attended by over 200 audience members. When asked about the artistic skills participants developed through the project, they share, “Our emerging artists got to work with established artists in learning how to utilize studio time efficiently. Some of these artists had never been to a professional recording studio, and they accomplished artist milestones by recording their first projects and songs. Other artists had never preformed and needed a push of confidence to be on a main stage. Artists got more confident with each show, and as the crowds got bigger, personalities and personas on stage got more entertaining. Through the project, artists have been able to perform across the City and grow their Instagram and Spotify following as well”. So what’s next for the Dream House Collective? Moving forward, they hope to secure their own space and provide consistent programming for youth emerging artists in Toronto. Follow them on Instagram at @DreamHouseCollective and Facebook @DreamHouseTO

ArtReach has compiled a list of resources to help you during this unprecedented time. Many community support lists are being compiled, and our list is by no means exhaustive. Please also check out ArtReach's Instagram stories, where we'll be sharing up-to-date information from across the Toronto arts scene as we're able to. We hope these resources are helpful, and please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@artreach.org if we can support you in any way. Government Information- Health Recommendations and Updates Government of Canada COVID-19 Awareness Resources Government of Canada COVID-19 Travel Advice Public Health Ontario COVID-19 Information City of Toronto Resources City of Toronto’s COVID-19 Information Page Health Advice Affected City Services Watch the City’s daily media briefings live Monday through Friday at 3:45 p.m Economic Support Updates from the City of Toronto’s Economic Support & Recovery Task Force Government of Canada: How to Apply for Employment Insurance (EI) (phone: 1-833-381-2725) Funds: Toronto Arts Council COVID-19 Response Fund Format's Photographer Fund Toronto Queer Film Fest Queer Emergencies Fund COVID-19: Emergency Support Fund for Sex Workers Indigenous Community Support Fund Emergency Fund for Toronto's Precarious Workers Canadian Low-Income Artist/ Musician Relief Fund Woodcock Fund Grant (emergency funds for writers mid-project) Unison (financial aid for musicians) Emergency Survival Fund for LGBTQ2S artists, performers, tip-based workers NABS financial assistance for media, marketing, and communications pros The AFC — Emergency financial aid for entertainment pros North American Mutual Aid Fund for LGBTQI+ BIPOC Folks Behind the Scenes Toronto Dancers COVID-19 Relief Fund AKIN Rent Relief Fund National Arts Centre + Facebook Canada - Support for Canadian Performers From Arts Funders Canadian Heritage- Information for Grantees Canada Council for the Arts- Information for Grantees Ontario Arts Council- Information for Grantees Toronto Arts Council- Information for Grantees + Other Resources for Artists Ontario Trillium Foundation- Information for Grantees FACTOR Music Grants- Information for Grantees Community Care Community Care During COVID-19- Tips, resources, and inspiration for a transforming world TO Community response to COVID19 Facebook group Aboriginal Curatorial Collective- Curating Care Project I Lost My Gig - A space for creative industries and other vulnerable freelance and gig economy workers to connect and share stories in response to COVID-19 in Canada The Social Distancing Festival - An online artist community made to celebrate and showcase the work of the many artists around the world who have been affected by COVID-19 Health & Mental Health Supports Hard Feelings Friends of Ruby Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Full Circle Art Therapy Centre LGBT Youthline Unison (Counselling for Musicians) Affordable Therapy Network Layla Big White Wall Distress Centres of Greater Toronto Access Alliance NABS Shift Collab Free/ Low-Cost Mental Health Resources Toronto (compiled list) Mental health resources during COVID-19 Temporary/ Remote Job Opportunities Find a freelancer — doc for freelance writers and photogs to be connected with editors 25+ Sites for Finding Remote Work Resources for Remote Work Tutoring online with Cambly Work in Culture - For cultural sector jobs Charity Village - For jobs across the non-profit sector Legal Resources Steps to Justice- Legal Questions Answered Other Resources The 519: Mental Health, Housing & Newcomer Services COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources COVID-19 Resources - A resource sheet consolidating a number of grassroots resources re: Mutual Aid, Disability Justice, and Community Care; Holistic Health; Organizing & Activism; Critical Political Analysis and more External programs & resources active during COVID closure (by SKETCH) - Includes: Drop-Ins, Food Banks + Meals, Mental Health Resources, Emergency Housing and Tenant Supports, Supports for Artists, Community + Online Resources, Info on Covid-19, etc. Compiled Resource List (by CUE)

Throughout Winter 2019, artist and dancer Neetika Sharma ran her project, the Katha-Ras Youth Dance Lab, a dynamic youth-empowering initiative that brought together four young female dancers of colour that practice the traditional dance form to work on a five-day intensive choreography lab with the intention of exploring lines, movements and grammar of Kathak dance under the context of personal experiences. The Katha-Ras Dance Lab focused primarily on an Indian Classical dance form called Kathak, which can be traced back to 400 BCE, and is marked by a strong grammar of complicated rhythmic patterns and combinations presented through intense footwork, pirouettes, hand gestures and movements. The term Kathak comes from the Vedic Sanskrit word Katha which means "story". As the name suggests, storytelling and dance apologues are a major component of this energetic art form. While ArtReach invests in many emerging art forms, we also recognize the importance of providing funds to preserve traditional art forms. Dances like Kathak are a key component of Indian culture and spirituality, and essential in the survival of important historical stories. When asked why the community needs a project like this, Neetika shares that “while there is an ever-growing demand to see diverse stories and themes on stage, it is also true that Indian classical dancers only represent a very tiny percent of the Canadian dance industry. It wasn't until the late 1970’s when Indian classical dance was recognized as an art form by arts councils in the country, and the first time an Indian classical dancer ever received operational funding as a solo artist was only in 1993! These figures and certain personal experiences always propel me to work towards creating more opportunities, not just for myself, but also for other dancers like me who face similar cultural and gender-based stereotypes”. Throughout the project, participants not only learned the technical skills of the art form, but were also given the opportunity to have their work showcased, build their networks, and in Neetika’s words, “to connect at a human level and support each other in ways that went beyond just being a participant. They built life-long relationships and are excited to find new ways of working together in future too”. She continues, “I strongly believe that when young artists start viewing each other as synergistic collaborators, rather than competitors, great quality artwork can be produced that will have enough gravitas and power to change societies for the better”. Neetika also notes that an important intangible developed through the project was that participants were “able to discuss the common issues and challenges that young women of artists of color face as part of their journey to establish themselves in the mainstream Toronto arts scene. Ultimately, we were able to hold conversations along the two major concerning topics: surviving gender-based biases within our society and communities, and finding a niche for a traditional and culturally-rooted dance form in the modern Toronto dance spectrum”. So what’s next for Neetika and the Dance Lab? She notes, “moving forward, we would like to make the Katha-Ras Dance Lab an annual occurrence where more and more dancers come together, explore synergies, and create exciting new dance works based on innovative themes”. See the video from the Dance Lab final show case below, and follow Neetika’s work on Instagram at Instagram.com/Neetika.s5!

Funded by ArtReach for a second time in 2018, Wave Art Collective is a youth-led, Scarborough-based grassroots collective that provides arts mentorship and teaches youth from Malvern valuable skills in digital media, photography, and music production. The Collective was first funded by ArtReach in 2016, running their initial iteration of the Wave Runners Program (WRP), then called YOU for YOUth. Through 2018/ 2019, the Collective ran Phase 2 of their Wave Runners Program, an arts entrepreneurship initiative for minority youth aged 15-24 in the Malvern community of Scarborough. The aim of this project is to give young people exposure to both the digital media and entrepreneurial skills required to create social media content as a means to build confidence, express creativity, and gain the often neglected business skills that are relevant in today’s technology-driven society. The project involved weekly sessions that featured entrepreneurial education, workshops from industry professionals, experiential film, photo, and audio training, and internship opportunities. The program culminated in a show hosted in collaboration with Scarborough Arts that drew 150 attendees. Understanding the importance of a well-rounded program, the Collective shares that, “in addition to teaching the artistic skills, we placed an importance on entrepreneurial skills to help sustain an artistic career. Specifically, we had multiple workshops centered around grant writing. These covered topics such as artist bios, writing a description of the proposed work, creating a budget and workplan, and creating an artistic treatment. We also did pitch sessions where youth participants presented their projects to a panel of artists from the community, working on their presentation skills”. They also used this program to offer networking opportunities, providing a range of artist mentors for participants to connect with, effectively building out their professional networks in Toronto. In describing why the Collective runs the WRP, they share, “at the end of the day, we see ourselves in a lot of the youth growing up in the area, and we understand how easy it is to fall through the cracks without the proper mentorship. Ultimately, it is because of these experiences that we feel so passionate about WRP – it is an avenue for youth in Scarborough to be creative, understood, and self-motivated. The truth is, we are die-hard Scarborough fans, and this is our way of changing the community we live in!” Reflecting on their development since the first funded project, they note, “given that this is our second time running this program, we are proud of the growth that we have shown. We feel very confident with our curriculum now, and we are seeing very real results in terms of growth of our participants. We have a great balance of experiential workshops, didactic learning, and homework assignments”. To date, the Collective has received grants from funders like CUE, LIFT, the Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Arts Council for their artistic work, and continue to make videos for a diverse range of businesses across Toronto, having completed works for companies like Sunnybrook Hospital and Chronic Ink Tattoos. With a solidified program curriculum, a diverse community and professional network, and a demonstrable impact their programming has had on participants, we have no doubt that this collective will only continue to grow in their success. Follow their work on Instagram here: instagram.com/waveartcollective/

“In a world filled with anger and resentment, it becomes easy to harden our hearts to the idea of letting go. Forgiveness is not permission, or predisposed justification- it is the release of detrimental feelings, thoughts, and emotions that can consume us”. F-You: The Forgiveness Project “encourages and empowers all of us to let go, for no one other than ourselves”, and consistently begs the question, ‘what does forgiveness look like to you’? In 2010, the F-You Project was founded by the incomparable, Tara Muldoon. Over the last decade, Tara has grown this project into the institution it is today- running hundreds of programming sessions, winning countless awards, earning commendations by community members, celebrities and politicians alike, and being featured on platforms ranging from MTV to the CBC. The F-You Project was first funded by ArtReach in 2013 for, ‘Grief’, a youth-led writing project that resulted in a published book of memoirs on the themes of grief, loss, and acceptance. Through the project, youth participated in capacity-building workshops related to storytelling, writing, and spoken performance, building their skills and creating the space to safely share, document, and process their grief. In 2015, they successfully reapplied for funding for, ‘Sad City’, an artistic and provocative play on the statistic that Toronto is the second saddest city in Canada due to depression. The project created exhibits and art installations, and included random acts of art-based projects all to align for making our ‘Sad City’ a brighter place. And in 2018, funded for their third (and sadly) final time by ArtReach, the F-You Project ran, Look Both Ways, a two-part program that resulted in a six-episode podcast and a quarterly publication for inmates and by inmates of Toronto South Detention Centre. In reflecting on the project, the team shares, “While recording each of our guests, one of the most striking similarities between them is how much what these guys saw in the communities they grew up in affected their choices. One would think it’s obvious by now what some of the main issues are in lower income and at-risk communities, yet the impetus to address the social imbalance is still overwhelmingly reactive only when a crisis arises. Among the most important insights that was reinforced by speaking with our guests, is that incarceration and recidivism will continue until there are meaningful changes into the ways we address poverty, mental health, and a focused effort on rehabilitation for people in custody”. So what’s next for the F-You Project? With CBC supporting their podcast series, and various post-secondary institutions looking to offer accreditation for their programming, its only onward and upward for these trailblazing change-makers. ArtReach is so incredibly thankful for the privilege of getting to work with Tara and the F-You Project over the past seven years, and wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors. Be sure to follow their success on Instagram here!

Founded in 2011 by the incredible Monique Julieanna, The Next Edition (NXE) is a Toronto based production company and collective that produces and publishes music, digital media and live productions. NXE’s fresh and creative content aims to entertain, educate, and inspire the next generation. From July to October 2019, The Next Edition team ran the “At Dem”, a culturally-driven songwriting and song development workshop series for youth 13-18 years old. At Dem is a program grounded in personal growth, self-expression, and fun, and encouraged, guided, and provided a safe space for participants to be comfortable enough to expand and express their creativity. The curriculum for this project includes songwriting, storytelling, creating melodies and flows, self expression exercises, introduction to pre- and post-production, and basic music theory and rhythm. Throughout the workshop series, participants also gained knowledge on the music industry, and how to become an independent artist. At Dem was originally created in 2016 by project coordinator History Heights, a Reggae and Hip-hop artist born and raised in Jamaica who recently moved to Toronto to expand his creative awareness, technical knowledge, and be introduced to a new market. Growing up, History shares that he didn’t have access to technical music development and therefore, was self taught. Wanting to give back and share his knowledge of music and the music industry, History created At Dem to support underserved artists through professional development workshops and opportunities. When asked about the benefits that came out of the program, the NXE team shares that many participants came into the program “shy and timid to express their truth”, but that they “ended up building the confidence and rhythmic intelligence to express their skills. They didn’t expect to dig so deep within themselves, and it was eye-opening for them to see themselves on higher levels. It’s hard to be an independent artist if you don’t know yourself. Artists can get lost in the industry if they don’t know what they stand for, and through this program, participants have started their journey towards self discovery”. On top of learning tangible songwriting and song development skills, NXE also share that, “Participants peaked our interest in developing a research model on rhythmic intelligence from a black artist perspective. Throughout the series, participants and leaders came together to develop our own definitions of music theory that’s more culturally appropriate and conducive to us as black artists. This project helped us to develop a new model of understanding how to teach from a more holistic perspective that we like to call the 8 intelligences (Rhythmic, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, spatial, creative, intuitive, physical)”. So what’s next for the At Dem program? The NXE team shares that, “we would like to do this program again, and include an extra day of drum-making. The drumming workshop was the one most loved by participants- they said it ‘gave them life’. We would also like to continue to develop research on rhythmic intelligence from a black creative’s perspective”. We’re sure that great things are in store for At Dem and the Next Edition- stay up to date with their offerings by following them on Facebook or Instagram!

If you’re planning on applying for the upcoming deadline and think you could use some extra support, we’re host a Grant Writing 101 Workshop on January 16th, 2020 and 4 Grant Writing Clinics throughout the month of January. WORKSHOP SIGN UP: ArtReach is offering a free Grant Writing workshop specific to the 2020 ArtReach grant at Toronto City Hall! This interactive session will explore the basics of preparing a grant application for ArtReach’s upcoming 2020 deadline. It will break down the main components of our application, including the proposal, work plan and budget; and will provide tips for creating a clear and concise application. More info + RSVP here! CLINIC SIGN UP: These clinics are an opportunity for applicants to ArtReach's 2020 granting round to meet one-on-one with a reviewer to receive feedback on your application draft, get support with planning your project, or request tips for strengthening your writing. Each applicant (artist or group) may sign up for one, 30 minute time slot. January 15th// Grant Clinic at 187 Augusta; more info and sign up here! January 22nd// Grant Clinic at Art Starts; more info and sign up here! January 23rd// Grant Clinic at Urban Arts; more info and sign up here! January 28th// Grant Clinic at Stolen From Africa; more info and sign up here! ABOUT THE GRANT: ArtReach is distributing $300,000 in grants to youth arts projects in Toronto! This funding is available thanks to ArtReach’s partnership with the Toronto Arts Council. Learn more about this partnership here. ArtReach funds projects that meet all of the following criteria... Projects that serve youth 13-29 who have experienced exclusion from active participation in high-quality arts opportunities Projects run in the City of Toronto, Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York Community-based projects (no personal artist projects) Ongoing workshop series' (no drop-ins or one-time events) Projects run by individual artists under 30 or groups/ organizations/ collectives run by youth under 30 (no adult artists or adult-lead organizations) HOW TO APPLY: Click here to review our program guidelines to confirm your eligibility, determine your funding stream, understand allowable expenses, and more. Once you're ready to apply, head to artreach.org/grants to start the application process! OTHER SUPPORTS: Want to know more about how to write an amazing grant application? Check out our Grant Writing 101 Toolkit, Videos (Good Habits, Top Tips, The Basics), or our Grant Writing and Resource Page! ArtReach has also created a new resource guide to support you through your application: click here to read it! Have questions or concerns? First time applying for a grant? Accessibility needs? Want to set up a time to talk with our program manager? Email grants@artreach.org!