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Happy Holidays from the ArtReach team! We hope you had a fantastic 2019, and wish you a happy and healthy 2020! Please note that our office will be closed starting Saturday, December 21st, 2019 and will reopen Monday, January 6th, 2020. If you need assistance during this period, please email allie@artreach.org and your message will be responded to as soon as possible. GRANT APPLICANTS: If you’re planning on applying for the upcoming deadline and think you could use some extra support, we’re hosting a Grant Writing 101 Workshop on January 16th, 2020 and 4 Grant Writing Clinics throughout the month of January. Sign-up for these supports will go live at artreach.org/grants January 1st, 2020! Have questions or concerns? First time applying for a grant? Accessibility needs? Want to set up time to talk with our program manager? Email grants@artreach.org! POST-IT SUBMISSIONS: Post-It will return Friday, January 10th, 2020. If you have any submissions to be included in this issue, please email them to post-it@artreach.org no later than Wednesday, January 8th.

Funded by ArtReach in 2018, JustOverMusic lead Grassroots Music, a program that engaged youth 15-29 from York South-Weston through artist development and hip-hop music training. Through this program, core staff, guest speakers, and industry field trips provided over 30 youth with tailored artist development supports and technical training around producing, recording, and sound engineering. Youth were given the space to create empowering personal narratives through music and have their voices heard. The program culminated in an event at The Galeri Recording Studio, where youth were able to perform their songs for family, friends, and community members. So how did the program start? “JustOverMusic: Grassroots Music is a youth-led initiative that first came together in 2015 through mobilizing friends and family for monthly jam sessions. While these sessions began as an opportunity to bring together folks from different schools and communities to talk and play, it ended up flourishing into something much more. Sessions organically started with a group debrief were we would reflect and discuss the challenges and issues that were affecting us. These discussions ranged from the ever increasing cost of public transportation, to the lack of employment opportunities and resources, to human rights. We quickly discovered that these sessions were a very unique opportunity to bring together a diverse range of musicians and allowed us the space to discuss and express our feelings around these topics through a creative outlet”. After pooled funds for a community jam space no longer covered the rising costs, they sought to partner with an organization, and eventually were connected with For Youth Initiative (FYI). Through this partnership, their artist development program, Grassroots Music, was born. Program leads share the benefits youth gained through the 2018/ 2019 ArtReach-funded iteration of Grassroots Music: “Youth who participated in our program learned an array of new skills to further their music and arts related objectives. The program goal was to create an environment where youth who had not yet had the chance to work in a studio could develop the skills to be confident to take their artistry to the next level, and to network and connect with those active in the music scene. Participants had hands-on opportunities to practice all the necessary skills to complete live recordings of musicians, to handle multi-track recording sessions, and to work with multidisciplinary, creative teams to achieve a common goal”. So what’s next for the program? In 2019, JustOverMusic successfully secured a four-year Ontario Trillium Foundation- Youth Opportunities Fund grant to continue and grow their programming. They note, “This grant will literally allow the program to continue from the foundation set with the ArtReach grant, and evolve it into a cohort-based artist incubator”. ArtReach is so proud to have been JustOverMusic’s first program funder, and cannot wait to see the incredible things this organization will accomplish. Learn more about JustOverMusic and get involved through their website and Instagram!

Funded by ArtReach for a third and (sadly) final time, Wee Bake was run at the East Scarborough Storefront by the incredible Lolita Richards throughout summer 2019. Founder and CEO of Made by Moi Desserts, Lolita fell in love with baking at the age of eight when she was gifted her very first Easy Bake Oven. Her passion for baking and perfecting her craft lead her to successfully Graduate from George Brown College, Baking and Pastry Arts Course. Combining her entrepreneurial spirit with determination, perseverance, and the support of family and friends, Lolita began her first business venture, Made By Moi, Cakes in 2013. After a few years of building up her business, in 2017, Lolita applied for and successfully received her first of three ArtReach grants. “As a young woman growing up in low income neighborhoods like Warden Woods and Malvern, I could directly see the positive impacts after school programs had on the youth that reside within these communities. After witnessing the impact and importance of these programs I decided that, whenever I got the chance, I would work with youth in these same communities. The great free programs that I have attended and worked with over the years have inspired me to create an opportunity for youth in low income families just like the opportunities that were created for me”. And with that, the Wee Bake Program was born! Throughout it’s three ArtReach-funded programming runs, Wee Bake worked with aspiring young bakers in Scarborough’s West Hill neighbourhood, combining culinary education with financial literacy, and providing participants with free baking supplies to continue their learning at home. Through every workshop, participants also gained the soft skills essential to working in a kitchen- communication, team work, patience, organization, leadership, and time management. The project was extremely well received, and participants had nothing but positive feedback to share. One participant shares, "Wee Bake is an amazing program that I love to have spent my summer at. I love how we got to bake so many delicious treats and really bond with other youth. I am really excited to come back next summer, and I hope that next year the baking sessions will be longer!”. Another participant adds, "Wee Bake is awesome! The last three years have taught me a lot and helped me to bring my inner passion out. Wee Bake helped me express myself and learn new things. And most importantly, it gave me the chance to make many new friends that I can actually call family”. So what’s next for Wee Bake? Lolita hopes to merge her existing company with the program to create an employment social enterprise! Her plan is that “Wee Bake ESE will be a 12-week training program that will consist of participants from underserved communities learning employability skills, baking skills and basic financial literacy skills. Youth will then be linked to employment or education with the opportunity for successful participants to be employed with my company Made by Moi, Desserts”. We wish all the best to Lolita, Made By Moi, and Wee Bake, and cannot wait to see where this incredible program goes! Learn more and order your custom desserts today through Made By Moi’s website or Instagram page!

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world; it's a day that encourages people to do good. GivingTuesday strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity and equity around the globe. As you know, ArtReach is an organization that supports community-based arts initiatives that engage youth from underserved populations. Our programs are open to young people 13-29 who face barriers to accessing meaningful, high-quality arts opportunities in the City of Toronto. In every way we can, we support youth by providing them with a platform for building, delivering, and engaging in community arts projects. When you give to ArtReach, you’re investing in the thousands of youth artists and youth-lead organizations that engage in ArtReach programming. Organizations like Pretty Wings, a non-profit that offers free workshops for marginalized young people who self-identify as facing mental health challenges, survivors of abuse, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+, who are interested in pursuing dance as a creative outlet and career. Hear what the founder of Pretty Wings, Jena Alma has to say about the impact ArtReach has made on her program. In order for us to continue delivering our high-impact work, ArtReach needs your help: we are currently working to raise the final $2020 of our fundraising goal before 2020. 2019 has been a difficult year for those in the arts and culture sector. With the availability of public funding drastically reduced, organizations like ours are facing severe challenges. We cannot continue to support the development of young artists and youth-lead organizations without donations from valuable ArtReach community members like you. We ask you now to make a donation in support of ArtReach. We welcome contributions of any amount- every dollar helps. All gifts over $10 will be eligible to receive a tax receipt. Making a donation is easy: head to artreach.org/donate to give now! Thank you for your continued support and your belief in the positive impact of our work, Allie Harvey ArtReach Program Manager See our GivingTuesday.ca profile here for more info!

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, see who can apply, understand allowable expenses, and more. Once you're ready to apply, head to our Grants page to start the application process! NEW THIS YEAR! ArtReach is proud to announce that projects involving Deaf artists and artists with disabilities may now apply for an additional TAC grant to cover accessibility-related expenses. A TAC Accessibility grant will provide up to an additional $5,000 per project towards accessibility costs for artists incurred during the project. These funds may go towards supporting any participating artists, which includes the team leading the project and project participants. Click here to learn more! 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! 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 are hosting 4 Grant Writing Clinics throughout the month of January. Sign-up for these supports will go live on artreach.org/grants January 1st, 2020! Have questions or concerns? First time applying for a grant? Accessibility needs? Want to set up time to talk with our program manager? Email grants@artreach.org!

Dear ArtReach Community Members, As you know, ArtReach is an organization that supports community-based arts initiatives that engage youth from underserved populations. Our programs are open to young people 13-29 who face barriers to accessing meaningful, high-quality arts opportunities in the City of Toronto. In every way we can, we support youth by providing them with a platform for building, delivering, and engaging in community arts projects. Since its inception in 2006, ArtReach has provided over $3.5 million dollars in project funding to nearly 350 to youth artists and youth-lead organizations across the City of Toronto. These funded projects have allowed 2,500 youth leaders to deliver programming to 12,000 participants, and host events that have welcomed 285,000 community members. We've also been able to support over 4,000 youth through our capacity-building workshops, training sessions, and one-on-one mentorship opportunities. In order for us to continue delivering this high-impact, high-quality work, ArtReach needs your help: we are currently working to raise the final $2020 of our fundraising goal before 2020. 2019 has been a difficult year for those in the arts and culture sector. With the availability of public funding drastically reduced, organizations like ours are facing severe challenges. We cannot continue to support the development of young artists and youth-lead organizations without donations from valuable ArtReach community members like you. We ask you now to make a donation in support of ArtReach. We welcome contributions of any amount- every dollar helps. All gifts over $10 will be eligible to receive a tax receipt. Making a donation is easy: head to artreach.org/donate to give now! Thank you for your continued support and your belief in the positive impact of our work, Allie Harvey ArtReach Program Manager

Through July and August 2019, community changemaker Ashley Abdul ran the Brown Girl Diary (BGD), a program designed to help young South Asian and Indo Caribbean women explore their identities through spoken word and creative writing in order to develop a voice for their community, and instigate self love through understanding the stigmas and challenges they, as brown women, face. How did the program start? “Growing up, I always felt out of place. As a brown Indian woman with a family from Trinidad, I wasn't sure where I fit in. I felt as though I was on the borderline of being West Indian (specifically Afro-Caribbean) and South Asian. I was unclear of what being an Indo-Caribbean meant. This created an extreme loss of understanding within myself, causing me to struggle socially and emotionally. At a certain point, I established that I didn't feel represented under the term ‘woman of colour’ and this contributed to my lack of confidence and understanding of self. But, I couldn't let that continue. Once I determined the issue, I wanted to create representation for the young women a part of the culture; since were probably experiencing the same issues. Through this, the Brown Girl Diary was born”. This 2019 ArtReach-funded round of programming served young Indo-Caribbean and South Asian women living in East Scarborough. “It’s important that we target this community because there is a lack of programming for this specific demographic. Culturally, young women in this community often do not have the space to create art and talk about the issues they face in their lives. Whether they hail from South East Asia or the West Indies, this community is often bonded through cultural and societal pressures, rules, traditions, and expectations with little room to explore their own ideas. Art is often not encouraged as providing viable opportunities in life which leaves these young women voiceless and lacking space for self expression”. Able to offer over 20 skill and capacity building workshops to participants, this round of BGD programming was a great success. Reflecting on benefits the project had on youth, Ashley notes, “these young women were able to create a collective and strong sisterhood, and we still continue to connect. They have grown an interest in who they are and where they came from culturally. They were able to come together make friends, and create relationships. Their common ground of not knowing how talented they were when entering the program and growing to figure that out, brought them together, and kept them together”. The program also culminated in a showcase at the East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club, drawing over 100 community members to celebrate what was achieved through the project. So what’s next for the Brown Girl Diary? Ashley hopes to secure further funding to continue running community programming, and is working on a podcast for young women. Learn more about Brown Girl Diary and stay up-to-date with offerings at their new website https://www.browngirldiary.com/

On November 19th, our friends at Inside Out are hosting a Flash Day fundraiser for ArtReach! Talented artists will be tattooing flash at the Inside Out's studio at 379 Queen Street West in Toronto, with all proceeds going to ArtReach. Check out the artists profiles through the links below below for information on flash and booking! instagram.com/curtmontgomerytattoos instagram.com/alexsappy instagram.com/handpushed instagram.com/neocorticalhoney Not getting a tattoo but still want to support ArtReach? Share this post with your friends, or head to artreach.org/donate to give now!

The Where Are You From? Collective (WAYF) is an arts-based activism program for Asian-identified youth that offers arts-based educational workshops, community events, and an online platform for discussion. Their work seeks to address issues of agency that Asians living on Turtle Island experience in defining their identities, visibility, and representation. Their mission is to operate from an intersectional, anti-oppression framework to empower Asian youth to develop critical art practices and build activist spaces that challenge dominant culture after decades of collective silence, to celebrate Asian identities and achievements, build capacity for Asian-identified youth, and connect diasporic Asian communities so that they can create intentional dialogue that disrupts status quo. “When the co-founders of WAYF first met, we had been working separately towards a shared mission for some time: to use arts-based popular education and community events to engage Asian youth around issues of identity and oppression. After sharing our stories with each other at an Angry Asian Feminists Meeting, we formed WAYF with the belief that joining forces would allow our collective voices to be louder. We began to brainstorm ideas of what projects we could create to address the needs and concerns within our community, and to address our dissatisfaction with the racial discrimination and micro aggressions we faced on a regular basis within the artistic community”. In 2016 they launched their website, developed their programming, and launched their annual zine fair event. Receiving a 2018 ArtReach grant, WAYF ran programming from July 2018 to May 2019 that furthered their objective to empower Asian youth to develop critical art practices; challenge dominant culture by centering the voices and creative expression of Asian artists; and offer tools of engagement for Asian youth that allow expansion of their networks within the Asian community. Team member Rain Chen notes, “ArtReach allowed us to continue to expand and explore our programming through the use of artistic and creative expression. Through ArtReach, we were able to offer zine-making workshops, comic-making workshops, and showcase our second Asian Zine Fair that attracted over 300 guests and vendors”. When asked what the biggest change they’ve seen their project make in your community, the team shares, “Many Asian artists have expressed their deep appreciation for having the opportunity to participate in a space dedicated to showcasing artwork made by local Asian artists, and felt a great sense of community and belonging. They feel inspired and motivated to offer their artwork through our Zine Fair. The one piece of feedback that we received repeatedly from a number of participants and community members is that there are no other spaces like this in Toronto, and the Asian Zine Fair made many Asian youth feel seen, heard and celebrated in their artwork, cultures and identities”. So what’s next for WAYF? “We would like to continue to expand our programming and explore other ways to offer workshops that address issues of racial discrimination and marginalization”, says Rain. Keep up to date with WAYF’s opportunities on their website: https://wayfcollective.weebly.com/

Throughout Summer 2019, youth artists Jessica De Vittoris, Samantha John, and Ben Wood lead Melodies & Colour, an interdisciplinary community art program based in Toronto that paired together visual artists with emerging musicians in a joint arts project. Participants of the project were all young emerging artists, aged 16 to 29, that self-identify as navigating poverty, living homeless or on the margins. Through a series of outdoor workshops at Trinity Bellwoods Park, artists explored the creative process of co-designing an instrument that reflected their core interests and told their story. This collaborative approach explored the use of art as a tool for empowerment and community-building for youth living on the margins. When asked where the idea for this unique, multidisciplinary project came from, Jessica shares, “Back in 2018, Samantha and I collaborated in creating illustrations on their guitar that spoke to the images and stories they would want to work with in their music practice. Through this process, we spoke to how we would love to see more workshops that involve musicians and visual artists collaborating and co-creating work in a cross-disciplinary approach. When we about the ArtReach grant, we decided to propose our process as a broader workshop series for emerging visual artists and musicians to connect, be commissioned, and collaborate in”. In exploring how the project was received, we learned that within the participant group, the Melodies and Colour team “saw a lot of enthusiasm and exploration in the sessions. People were really excited by the workshops, but also seemed excited to have a reason to gather and engage in art practice, song writing and skill sharing”. The project was also a success in terms of the community response. “Through conversations and social media, the response was generally very positive. People wanted to know more, they wanted to join in. I think posting process pictures and final images of the pieces [online] was a great way for people outside of the program to engage with what we were doing. And during workshops, onlookers and passersby were curious what we were up to”. Through funding provided by ArtReach and in-kind supports offered by SKETCH, the project was able to successfully engage and pay eight artists, cover the costs of program supplies, provide honoraria for project leads, and ensure that workshop attendance was accessible for participants. So what’s next for the project? Jessica shares, “I know more people are excited to be a part of this, so I'm thinking the seeds are planted for this to make a bigger impact in the community as time goes on. I would love to see future workshops, with different artists, instruments and materials. I would also love to follow up with previous participants and see and hear how they're using their instruments. It might be fun to host an open mic!” Check out Melodies & Colour’s Instagram page here to learn more, see great photos, and stay up-to-date with the project!

From July 2018 through April 2019, The Production Lab supported 10 youth from across Toronto to develop skills in production and audio engineering for music, podcasts, and radio. The Production Lab is a joint initiative of MyStand, a registered not-for-profit organization that provides holistic and culturally-relevant mentorship supports for black male youth, and In Studio Collective members K-Notes and Eestbound, award-winning music producers, audio engineers, and musicians. Over the course of 16 sessions, youth participants were taught key skills in this art form, received mentorship and resources related to the industry, were supported in building up their portfolios, and engaged in networking opportunities to connect with key decision makers in the industry. Recognizing the benefit their knowledge, experience, and connections could bring to others, the project was created to support racialized and marginalized youth 18-29 looking to expand their skill sets and break into Toronto’s music industry but who face barriers in accessing professional training at an industry standard due to financial, educational, or other socio-economic barriers. K-Notes and Eestbound share, “both of us have collaborated together in the studio in the past and it was during these times we talked about how the lack of quality audio engineers and producers is really hurting the Toronto music scene. It was in these conversations that we decided to create The Production Lab and create a space to incubate this heavily needed but highly inaccessible arts training”. They explain, “In a city like Toronto where artists are quickly gaining recognition through the ‘Drake Effect’, many young people are seeing music as a viable career. However, we are not developing a good ratio of quality audio engineers and producers, forcing Toronto artists to continue to seek beats, production, or simply move to the US to support their careers”. Funded by ArtReach to run the project for the first time in 2018, The Production Lab was a great success. Feedback from workshop attendees was extremely positive, with frequent requests to run more sessions and the hope that the project would run again. MyStand’s Mustafa El Amin shares, the project “had a lot of youth wanting to be involved. Participating in the program also made them realize that they don’t have to be able to afford expensive training like the Harris Institute or Metalworks to gain these skills and learn this information. It really brought possibilities within reach”. Apart from a small amount of in-kind support from community partners, ArtReach was the sole supporter of the project. When asked what ArtReach helped make possible, the team shares, “this funding brought the program to life and allowed it to actually be implemented. It brought people in and allowed us to make a real impact. It sounds cheesy, but it helped our idea blossom a seed that can grow into a tree”. So what’s next for The Production Lab? Expansion! The team is keen to continue running programming in local communities, but are also hoping to extend into local schools, reach younger participants, and develop curricula in the artforms of DJing and podcasting, all while ensuring that they’re connecting with the youth who could benefit most from the opportunity to participate in this free training program. Future goals also include forming partnerships with post-secondary institutions and the Ministry of Training, and eventually expanding into correctional facilities. Follow K-Notes and Eestbound to stay up-to-date with In Studio Collective offerings!

Founded in 2015, Project 40 Collective (P40) is an interdisciplinary artist collective that incubates and produces collaborative projects by emerging Asian-Canadian creatives. P40 features artists working in mediums such as literature, visual arts, fashion, music, film, and performance art by those who identify as South Asian, East Asian, Southeast Asian, Central Asian, West Asian, Asian-Diasporic (e.g. Indo-Caribbean) & Mixed Asian. The goal of the collaborative is to build a safe and inclusive space that centers and supports lived experiences, offers a reliable community network, and platforms and amplifies the work of its artists. In 2019, Project 40 Collective received a $10,000 ArtReach grant to run the project, Diasporasian Futures. The program was a month-long incubator delivered through summer 2019 that featured two streams: art-making (text, film, image, tactile) and space-making (arts management), and offered breakout sessions, mentorship, designated studio time, and guest speakers. On August 3rd, 2019, the incubators culminated in an art exhibition and showcase at community space, 187 Augusta that featured the work of participants. The showcase saw more than 100 people visit over the course of the day, engaging with participants about their projects, and spending time in the space. When asked how youth participants responded to the project, P40 staff tell us, “They loved it! The Spacemaking cohort continues to hang out, and are often merging their programming together in various collaborations. The Artmakers really enjoyed having time and space to ideate and vision. This freedom to be creative is something that is lacking in a lot of communities, and I think the experience of that freedom was very positive to most of them”. They continue by describing how incredible it is getting to watch “all these community leaders and artists emerge with stronger visions, and more confidence in their craft practice. It’s been so wonderful to have conversations with all our participants, to see how some intentionality and support can really enable people to tackle their own problems”. Beyond the incredible impact the project had on its participants, project leads noted that they too benefited greatly from the skill-building experiences the program afforded. “This project also allowed us to examine our own ongoing assumptions about programming, our gaps in equity and our biases in interpersonal relationships. We learned a lot from just being in community with so many other wonderful human beings, listening to their stories, journeying with them in their struggles and accomplishments, and dreaming together about what our work could mean for the futures of our communities”. So what’s next for the program? P40 staff tell us that “many folks have asked when the second round of our incubator will be opening!”. With that feedback in mind, they share, “We aim to run this program again, applying for ArtReach’s Phase 2 funding and looking for a partner community organization to run this program with in order to ensure continuity”. Follow the incredible work of the Project 40 Collective on their website at http://p40collective.ca/ or on Instagram at @projectx40c

From February to July 2019, Art Fusion ran Where I Stand, a photography project for youth living in the Kingston-Galloway-Orton Park neighbourhood of Scarborough. The project was lead by Art Fusion, the youth leadership group at Healthy Living for Arts (HLA), and supported by Diana Nazareth, the founder of Project Kids & Cameras. Through the project, youth were mentored in PhotoVoice, a research method which combines photography, dialogue, photo exhibits, and social action to address community issues. When asked where the idea for the program originated, the Art Fusion team tells us, “in May 2018 we received Cultural Hotspot Spark funding to begin collaborating with Diana. That first project, entitled the ‘Scarborough Youth Photo Voices Project’, was a 3-day intensive youth photography mentorship project. The training allowed us to work with high quality photographic equipment meanwhile introducing us to technical skills of photography. From there, the project eventually evolved into this current project, ‘Where I Stand’, which allowed us to have more time to harness the technical and creative skills of photography. By using the skills that we learned, we aim to promote photography and similar artistic forms as vehicles for community building, creative self-expression, and leadership building”. The response from youth to this incredible learning opportunity has been fantastic. Art Fusion shares, “throughout the sessions, youth became actively involved in group discussions and learnings under the guidance of Diana, while juggling time for self-directed learning and discovery. This process allowed youth to learn a lot about themselves and each other through photography”. Looking at how receiving funding helped support the project, the Art Fusion team explains, “ArtReach assisted us financially by investing in this pilot project and putting trust into our hands to ensure that we developed our own capacities. We wouldn’t have been able to reach out to as many youth in the community or develop such deep connections with our peers without making this project accessible to those in need”. The success of the project was also supported by the community: “We have developed a solid relationship with our community partners, our peers, and with our mentor. Our adult allies believed in our project and have supported us by providing several in-kind donations such as food, equipment, and space. We have learned so much, from project management to the creative and technical skills of photography, that we feel confident using the skills that we developed to make a substantial impact in our community”. Reflecting on where they see the project going next, the Art Fusion team notes that the project has been a launch pad for other youth initiatives, “A handful of youth have aspired to take the skills they learned in this program and brainstorm ways to make an impact with their own lives. For example, we have one youth who works for a charitable organization that works with children with special needs, and she is looking to pitch an idea of facilitating a photography workshop with the organization”. Learn more about and stay up to date with Art Fusion on their website, here!

Looking inside the box of beads was like staring into an eye-catching, rainbow-hued kaleidoscope: some shiny, some matte, some opaque, and some translucent, varying shades of blues, greens, purples, reds, yellows, pinks, and oranges. Once the group decided on which pattern to create, we dove into the rainbow to create our beautiful masterpieces, and one couldn’t help but feel awe-inspired watching the different colours chosen for the day’s art piece marry into a colourful and systematic design. All looked up to Leslie, the leader of The Dalli Collective, as she directed the group’s focus: guiding participants along the pattern and preventing works from becoming tangled balls of string, beads, and ribbon. Run from July 2018 through winter 2019, Leslie VanEvery lead The Dalli Collective, a group for Indigenous youth ages of 18-29 who came together to learn the traditional Indigenous art of beading. Bead work in the Indigenous community is a direct reflection of oneself, and is an art form that also teaches many lessons. This project gave participants the opportunity to reclaim a part of their identities through cultural workshops, meetings with elders in the community, and storytelling. Leslie tells us that through this grant, “ArtReach helped to bring community together to learn and reclaim a traditional Indigenous art form”. When asked where the idea program originated, Leslie shares that it was “from my experience as a young mom when I made my daughter’s first regalia. After completing the dress, I decided to bead her a belt to match. At that time, I had never beaded and did not have any family or friends that could teach me. I bought the materials from the local art store and started to figure out the techniques myself. Things went well, and I ended up making hair accessories as well. As time passed, I taught myself different techniques and discovered new materials, and my beaded pieces started looking better and better. I am really proud to be a self-taught beadwork artist and appreciate the journey, however I think that it is important to share my knowledge with others”. As much of her own work had focused on the creation of beaded medallions, that’s where she decided to dedicate her teaching. Medallions are complex and time-consuming to make, requiring knowledge of various techniques such as the flat stitch design, edging stitches, and peyote stitching for the chain. Because of their intricacy and beauty, medallions are something that can be traded sold to others, and teaching youth how to bead them is both an entrepreneurial skill and an opportunity to build community. When asked how the program and learning the art of beading has been received by participants, Leslie tells us, “There has been a huge transformation in their beading skills, and they’ve learned to apply their skills in new ways- merging beading with other art forms, and going on to create additional beading projects on their own after the program ended. Participants are taking the skills that they learned and hosting their own beading circles, passing on these skills and creating community”. Already turning her own beading skills into opportunities to teach additional workshops and take on custom orders, in the future, Leslie hopes to expand the Dalli Collective into a social enterprise in which she can hire other young people to facilitate beading workshops for organizations and schools, and take on more commissioned pieces. She shares, “through this I hope to teach my daughter and other young Indigenous people entrepreneurial skills”. Connect with Leslie via Instagram at instagram.com/lvanevery/