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On December 14th, 2013, ArtReach hosted BAZAAR BAZAAR BAZAAR- curated and hosted by Miracle Thieves and Singhnature! This event was a pop-up market, located at Toronto's The Great Hall, with an array of Toronto artists bringing all kinds of fashionable, hand-crafted one-of-a-kind goods. - View photos from the event here - - View video from the event here - Photography credit: Tai Bah Videography credit: Alex Punzalan This event was part of ArtReach's Cultural Careers project, wherein ArtReach delivered six workshops and six mentorship sessions for young artists in Toronto. These workshops were designed to support diverse young artists in gaining the knowledge, skills, networks and resources to further their cultural careers. Participants then had the option to be a part of our holiday marketplace, and were able to receive one-on-one mentorship from workshop facilitator and curator of the Bazaar, Natasha Singh. Vendors included La Vela Bella; Carte Blanche Creations; Asha Arabia Makeup, Nails & Medical Aesthetics Services; Worn Fashion Journal; Dolorous; Nubi Trading Co; In Love With Excellence; Cris Saliba Photography; Tala Kamea; Shoppalu; SIX.; Fitzroy Boutique; Asikere Afana; Lillian Mason; Robbie YaSure; Walk-in Closet by Singhnature; Ahomerun!; Champstiles; UNITY Charity; Love Thy Fitteds; HeartBeats T.O.; Santa Isla; MNFSTO; Uplifted Society; Uncarved Block; Laura Carwardine; Ron Ruiz; Raf Ruiz; Michelle Ross Jewellery Design; Coven; Milk Glass Co.; Ayisha Jamal; Screvvface; EFUA and 1LOVETO This project and the Bazaar were funded by the Province of Ontario (Cultural Strategic Investment Fund) and the Betty Averbach Foundation. - See Profile of Cultural Careers Participant Domanique Grant Here -

NEW ARTREACH GRANTING PROGRAM DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2018! 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 here! We are currently accepting applications from young people running projects in Toronto that: Increase access to quality arts opportunities that encourage creative expression and involve meaningful engagement of youth (ages 13 – 29) in Toronto Promote social inclusion and provide opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills, capacity and opportunities within their communities and the initiatives they lead Provide opportunities for youth to benefit from both the intrinsic (e.g. enjoyment, creative expression) and instrumental value (e.g. community engagement, skills development, social change) of the arts Involve youth in project development, implementation and evaluation Involve artist(s) with relevant experience and reach into participating communities To ensure that you are eligible to apply and to confirm the correct funding stream for your project, please click here to review our program guidelines. Further information and application instructions can be found on our website . GRANT WRITING AND ACCESSIBILITY SUPPORTS Click here to access resources, videos, and toolkits to help you develop your grant writing skills and put together a strong application. 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 (exclusively focused on the ArtReach grant application) on December 5th, 2017 (RSVP here) and a second workshop in January 2018. More information on this workshop to come. Have questions or concerns? First time applying for a grant? Accessibility needs? Want to set up time to talk with a grants manager? Email grants@artreach.org!

MEET ARTREACH'S NEWLY FUNDED PROJECTS! ArtReach is pleased to announce the 33 groups that were awarded funding for their art-based projects for youth in our 2017 granting round. This $300,000 in funding is available thanks to ArtReach's partnership with the Toronto Arts Council - click here for more info! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NEWLY FUNDED ARTISTS For project descriptions of previously funded groups, see our website here. Aliyah-Suvannah Burey - Reading Black Canada $5,080 Reading Black Canada is a program designed for racialized high school youth of the Jane & Finch area to explore expressions of spoken word poetry, painting, and drawing. Workshops will be held at the TD Engagement Community Centre, and a culminating written/ visual arts book of the work produced by the youth will be published and launched. A youth committee will be put together before the program beings to partake in decision making positions of the program such as, interviewing the lead artists, and helping to organize the book and launch. Anishinaabe Community Spirit Dancers - Anishinaabe Community Spirit Dancers $10,000 Anishinaabe Community Spirit Dancers is a youth-led grassroots project providing Indigenous youth ages 13-29 opportunity to learn Traditional Powwow Ceremony, Powwow Style Dance, Regalia Making (traditional dance wear designed and created by members) allowing inclusion and healthy community relationship building while connecting with Cultural Roots. The program will run at Sketch Working Arts. BABAE - BABAE $3,998.43 BABAE will serve as a safe space for young Filipino actors within the GTA to create and perform pieces that they can culturally identify with. BABAE is for young women between the ages of 13-24 who show a great interest in exploring theatre. The program will run at Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts & Culture and the Factory Theatre, and will culminate in a final performance at the 12th Annual Kultura Filipino Arts Festival. BAM! Youth Slam - BAM! Mentorship Program $13,500 BAM! Youth Slam’s BAM! Mentorship Program is a spoken word artist development plan for youth throughout Toronto. This program will focus on building young spoken word artists’ talent and portfolios by providing access to workshops, teaching artists and performance opportunities. Workshops will focus on writing, performance and business strategies to prepare youth for a professional artist career. Youth who complete the BAM! Mentorship Program will have priority access to compete alongside the team at large youth competitions, receive a paid feature at a BAM! live show, and become a BAM! Mentorship Program Graduate. Black Artists for Black Lives - Seventy-Two $4,720 Seventy-Two is a series of arts-based workshops that open up access to activism movement building through art and encourage social and political movement, provide direct-action insight and training, and develop community connections for Black queer and trans youth age 18 to 29. These workshops will be co-designed with participants and will encourage non-hierarchical, collaborative building. The structure of the workshops will be inspired by and will draw on the experiences that the collective has had as Black, queer, gender-variant, *disabled artists in the fight for Black lives and liberation. The project will run out of Sketch Working Arts and Children’s Peace Theatre. Canadian Roots Exchange - Tkaronto: Stories of Home (Phase Two) $15,000 This project connects 140 Indigenous (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) and non-Indigenous (majority racialized, newcomer, refugee) youth aged 16 to 29 in an arts-based facilitation training program that increases skills in mural arts and creative writing. These two art forms are powerful tools to unify diverse youth and promote reconciliation in Toronto. Growing on Phase One’s success, the project increases youth employment opportunities and deepens the level of arts practice by focusing on mural arts and creative writing. The program will run at Canadian Roots Exchange and the University of Toronto. CANVAS Arts Action Programs - Speak On It $10,000 Speak On It is a 12-week spoken word poetry and photography program at The 519 Church Community Centre for LGBTQ2S+ youth, allies, and young people with gender/sexual diversity in their families. Youth explore gender, sexuality, consent and body image, creating empowering personal narratives through the arts. The project is led by youth, for youth, and provides young people with vital mentorship and support from LGBTQ2S+ artists, familiarizes youth with a variety of affirming spaces, and inspires social action through the power of the arts. The program culminates with a poetry showcase and exhibition for family, friends and community members. Cecília Garcia - Next Stages $5,000 Next Stages is a series of free theatre-focused workshops that will work with 10 newcomer youth participants that have basic and intermediate English communication skills. This program will target youth that would like to become more comfortable in speaking the second language in front of people and hopes to hone stronger interpersonal and communication skills. For six weeks, youth will be mentored by performing arts professionals to work through personal challenges related to the acquisition of a new language and the adaptation to the new culture. Hanan Hazime - Poetry ReRooted: Decolonzing Our Tongues $5,000 Poetry ReRooted is a series of workshops aimed at young Muslim women whose familial roots originate from non-English speaking countries. The workshop will give these young women a chance to explore their roots, and express themselves beyond the limits of Standard English by encouraging them to use their mother tongues to create meaningful poetry. Beginning in early September there will be six three hour workshops (one per week). The workshops will culminate with a launch of the chapbook and poetry performances to showcase the poets’ polished work to the public. Ismailova Theatre of Dance - Leaders In Arts $15,000 Leaders In Arts will engage 15 to 18 newcomer youth and youth with financial need for a series of skill building workshops in all aspects of independent show production (creation, technical aspects, design, booking venues, planning and implementing of the outreach). Leaders In Arts will culminate in the final showcase created and produced by participants. This project will contribute to the integration of newcomer youth into the new city and give them art and leadership skills to create their own art pieces and art projects. JAYU Festival Inc. - iAM 2017 $14,000 The iAM project explores the vital relationship between arts mentorship and the creation of safe spaces essential to sharing our personal stories. JAYU will facilitate leadership training to empower professional artists and youth participants from previous years to become arts educators for youth from communities facing barriers. As artistic skills will begin to develop, so will trust in one another, creating an environment where participants will feel comfortable sharing their own personal stories. The project will culminate in a rotating exhibition where the participants’ stories and photography will be displayed with profits going back to the youth. The program will culminate in a final event at JAYU’s 6th Annual Human Rights Film Festival. Let the Silenced Be Heard - Let The Silenced Be Heard Program $9,218.57 Let the Silenced Be Heard is an 8 week intensive workshop series for 15 youth from marginalized communities, where participants will learn to express their experiences artistically through storytelling, music and poetry. This series is aimed at positively influencing the development of self, and helping youth understand the impacts of using their voices to implement change. Participants will create their own works, learn effective performance techniques, and will show their work In a final showcase. Limitless Designs - Aesthetics Program $10,000 Limitless Design’s Aesthetics program offers youth ages 13- 18 a concrete platform to start their exploration in the world of aesthetics. This program will give youth the opportunity to explore and develop technique and skills in henna and nail designs. Limitless Designs’ mission is to create a program that will provide opportunities to explore new skills and improve upon current skills. The Limitless Design team of skilled artists will be working one-on-one with youth, to guide them through each workshop. Many opportunities will be open for those who would like to turn their artistic skills into a part time job or service. Lolita Richards - Wee Bake $5,000 “Wee Bake” will be an eight week summer program serving youth in the West Hill area. The program will allow ten young aspiring bakers, ages 13-16 to learn basic baking and pastry art skills. Wee Bake will combine baking and basic financial education into fun activities. The program run at the East Scarborough StoreFront. Youth that participate will receive free baking supplies upon completion of the program. Mashed Collective - The Living Room Residency $13,500 The Mashed Collective and The Torontonians, two powerhouse youth collectives, are collaborating for The Living Room Residency, a site-specific youth residency initiative. Youth will work together in teams to create the seven day Living Room Festival, hosted out of seven of their parents living rooms. Over 6 months youth will create projects to present at the festival- youth will start from project ideas and develop them through peer skill sharing sessions into full fledged multi-disciplinary creations. Youth will bring their parents into this process, to show them why art is important  while expanding Toronto's definition of where art can be made and who can see it. Moonlight - Moonlight $9,835 Moonlight is an arts-based program for youth 29 and under who trade or have traded sex services for work and/or survival.  Moonlight focuses on storytelling through the arts. Throughout the program, Moonlight participants will create zines, podcasts and explore a number of additional arts mediums. In addition to arts programming, Moonlight also has guest speakers on legal rights, health and wellness, taxes and healthy relationships. Moonlight strives to be anonymous, non-judgemental and trauma-informed; all-gender and 2SLGBTQIA+ positive; anti-oppressive and anti-racist; anti-violence); and follow a harm reduction approach. The program will run through Sketch. Patrick Walters - Under the Banyan Tree $9,145 “Under The Banyan Tree” is a 6 week writing and performance workshop series that will explore the history of poetry and storytelling in the Caribbean and help youth connect with their Caribbean identity and heritage through poetry and stories that have been orally passed down through generations, and literature that has lasted throughout our history. It is a celebration of youth newly connecting with a part of their identity that is imperative for their growth not only as Caribbean people, but as people in general. Plate It Up Collective - Plate It Up $10,000 Plate It Up is a 10 month mentorship program serving youth, ages 14 to 19 years in the Scarborough East community. The project fuses culinary and ceramics arts together towards a culminating exhibition. Youth will increase their food literacy and skills in order to formulate constructive dialogue on food related issues affecting their community and using ceramics production as their artistic medium to respond to these challenges. The project will run at the East Scarborough StoreFront. Rice Roll Productions - Invisible Footprints $10,000 Invisible Footprints is a multi-generational art exhibition that aims to showcase the impact and limitation of Toronto’s LGBTQ Asian movement in the 80s and 90s by engaging youth artists who identify as Asian LGBTQ to experience the process of historical and artistic research, art curation and creation, and inter-generational mentorship. Through facilitating meaningful dialogues among different generations of Asian LGBTQ artists and activists, this project will also provide valuable opportunities for youth to develop a sense of belonging by learning about their own history, which is often misrepresented or erased in the mainstream community dialogues. Rinchen Lama - Made in Exile $10,000 Made in Exile is a theatre program for Tibetan youth to explore the stories of living in exile and navigating through our lives in diaspora. The program will consist of 6-12 Tibetan youth who will come together for three months of programming in Parkdale. Participants will get the opportunity to gain knowledge and exposure to theatre, work towards creating their own performance piece and at the end of the program will get the chance to share their work with their family and friends. San Romanoway Revitalization Association - Can-Caribbean Dance Tour $5,000 Can-Caribbean Dance Tour will help guide youth-led, culturally appropriate, arts-based leadership programs for years to come. Thirty participants will be led through socially conscious performing arts workshops that culminate in a community performance and wellness event. Wrap-around supports will ensure healthy engagement through the arts. Wellness events will increase community capacity in accessing health and education systems in Toronto. Youth will co-design activities based on their interests and talents. The program will run in 2018 in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood. Sounding Out! - Sounding Out! $8,095 Sounding Out! is working with women, gender non-conforming, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth to produce a science fiction radio play, resisting the narrative that radio has been succeeded by visual communications, and is now ‘dead’. The project will begin by teaching participants how to use equipment, encourage creative experimentation with writing and sound, and collectively produce a piece of radio/sound art. Influenced by speculative/science fiction, this project aims to provide a platform from which youth can creatively navigate the complexities of their lives and re-envision social political change through creation, imagination, and storytelling. Street Voices - Street Voices Workshop Series and Magazine $15,000 Street Voices unites underground communities of artists and leaders to create new media networks shining light and giving voice to those who wouldn’t otherwise have an outlet. Street Voices aims to be the unifying source that connects the shelter system and youth services that exists in the City of Toronto all under one platform. The project will use writing, poetry and performance for homeless youth to feel comfortable to operate in an open learning environment. This round of the project will include a workshop series as well as the production of four issues of Street Voices Magazine. Tasneem Dairywala - Bring to Light $5,000 Bring to Light is a stencil light painting workshop for 8 Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute students. During 12 weeks of workshops, the participants will design stencils inspired by images that they feel close cultural connections to. These stencils will be used to create light paintings in Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park, the neighbourhoods that they reside in. The neighbourhoods will be lit with the students’ stencils. This will both integrate the concept of the students’ place in the city and in the artistic expression of the city. The Heard - Boom Bap $11,500 The Heard (formerly Spoke N Heard) serves young artists of color from throughout the GTA. The Heard will be hosting a program called Boom Bap, which offers weekly arts and entrepreneurship workshops, live jam sessions and monthly artist showcases to develop and serve Toronto’s underground music scene. In addition to holding accessible public workshops and events, The Heard, in partnership with the TDSB, delivers alternative in school art-based mental health programming. Their in-school workshops are aimed at re-engaging at-risk youth with academia and empowering them with tools to encourage leadership through community engagement. The PATCH Project - PATCHwork Portfolio Development Program $13,500 The PATCH Project and their community partners are offering unique learning opportunities for young artists along the Eglinton Corridor - from Mount Dennis; Oakwood Village; Lawrence Heights; Thorncliffe/Flemingdon Park; to Kennedy. “PATCHwork” is a more accessible expansion of their Portfolio Development Program that draws inspiration from the rich textile history of these diverse communities while speaking to connections that the future Eglinton LRT will weave amongst them. The program offers unique skill development, exhibition, cultural entrepreneurship and civic leadership opportunities for youth living in areas in transition or touched by gentrification, resulting in cultural landmarks that will be celebrated by all. The Truth & Dare Project - The Truth & Dare Project- 35MM $13,500 The Truth & Dare Project provides free visual arts workshops for young Muslim women in the GTA. The workshops aim to strengthen identity through exploration and engagement of the visual arts, build confidence, and create a sense of belonging amongst excluded youth. During this workshop series, participants will learn to shoot and process 35mm black and white film as well as create prints in a wet darkroom, with the intention of creating a conceptually developed final body of work. Youth leadership team members will gain experience in coordination, lesson planning, facilitation, curation, artwork installation. Tianna Boswell - I Am My Sister’s Keeper $5,000 I Am My Sister’s Keeper is an empowerment residency that will use poetry, painting and makeup artistry as a gateway to confidence and emotional wellness for girls ages 16-18, residing within the Malvern community. Over eight weeks, youth will explore programming centered in an art space to include: painting as a form of self-exploration, self-care through poetry sessions, healing through music ministry and an artistic makeup tutorial workshop that will help to cultivate self-love and leadership. Timaj Garad - Stellar (R)EvolutioN $5,000 Timaj Garad will lead youth through a workshop series focussing on an exploration of self-awareness, belonging and identity through spoken word poetry and monodrama playwriting and performance. Participants will examine how spoken word poetry can help unearth and process lived experiences that shape identity. Monodrama playwriting will be integrated into the series, allowing participants to design a more cohesive and multi-layered story using both theatrical and literary arts mediums. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to publish their work in an anthology and perform their pieces at a series end community production celebrating participants’ achievements. Varna Media Management - Varna Media Management Film Project $5,688 Varna Media Management strives to provide underserved youth with a hands-on environment covering a number of departments involved in making a short film and exposing them to basic components of filmmaking and video editing. The project will cover the basics of using cameras, proper lighting, sound and digital editing. The project will culminate in a community film screening of the students work. Visions of Science Network for Learning - The STEM Makers Project $8,900 Visions of Science Network for Learning’s STEM Makers Project focuses on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) communication through mixed/new media, film and photography. Our project will serve youth living in within Toronto Community Housing communities. Meaningful engagement in STEM is important to the economic, social, and academic development of youth, yet youth from low-income communities are often faced with both structural and sociological/ psychological barriers to engagement. This project hopes to break these barriers. Young Diplomats - The Ililta Project $9,970 The Ililta Project is a vocal training initiative for Ethiopian-Canadian youth living in the Greater Toronto Area. Youth in our community have huge amounts of potential but often come from low-income families that do not value the arts. As a result, most have no opportunities to engage in formal musical training. The Ililta Project fills this gap with a program that consists of weekly vocal technique and songwriting lessons, a series of community performances to showcase and practice skills as they grow, and studio sessions to gain some exposure to music production. Youth Action Network - Mobilize Through Art $5,850 The Mobilize Through Art project draws on artistic expression to empower youth as artists and foster their community engagement through 3 phases: youth empowerment through music and poetry training, thinking critically through visual arts, and learning to mobilize through art. The project will serve youth ages 17-25 who face social and economic barriers and will run through The Spot in the Jane and Finch community. Stay updated on their activities as well as future funding deadlines, other workshops, events and job postings by joining our mailing list

In partnership with the City of Toronto’s Cultural Hot Spot, on Thursday October 12th, 2017, ArtReach  presented the Youth Arts Pitch Contest. Over 80 people gathered to support 8 young creative entrepreneurs and community artists as they pitched their dream projects for a chance to win up to $5,000 in financial support. This year the Hot Spot shined its light on East York, and the Youth Arts Pitch was hosted by the Riverdale Community Hub, a hidden gem located just East of Greenwood on Gerard Street East. - View photos from the event - - Watch video from the event- Photography and videography credits: Corex Youth Arts Pitch Contest: Winners’ Profiles 2017 Youth Arts Entrepreneur Category: Zubaida Zang Community Arts Projects Category: Sage Willow The north gallery space of the hub was filled by 6:30pm with contestants, staff, volunteers, judges and most importantly, a strong community of onlookers who  supported each contestant throughout their pitch. Hosted by the ever whimsical Britta B, the energy in the room quickly rose as each community creative worked hard to impress a lineup of judges who pushed each contestant with a strong line of questions and suggestions. This year’s panel of judges included expert brand strategist Pauleanna Reid; Founder of MyStand Mentorship Organization, Mustafa El Amin; MLSE Foundation Coordinator for Programs and Outreach, Letecia Rose; Project manager, artist, and entrepreneur Leandra Legendre; and Program Manager at CEE and previous Torontonian of the Year nominee Shereen Ashman. The Youth Arts Pitch incorporates 8 contestants who compete in two different categories. For the Community Arts Project and Production category, Cola Bennet opened the pitch with a passionate and heartfelt project around forgiveness and how she was planning to expand her community work (which is grounded in forgiveness via her work with the F-You: The Forgiveness Project) into prison systems to support young men who are incarcerated through her own book while encouraging these men to write and share their own stories. Following Cola, Pitch coordinator Lola Lawson verbally narrated the pitch of Sage Willow, who signed in ASL alongside her. Sage's dream project is focused on developing a film project working with deaf youth called “Privilege, Power, + Oppression in the Deaf Community.” She was met with audible and silent applause alike from the audience. Following these two powerful presentations, we had the energetic Synergy Dance Crew, a group of 8 students from O’Connor Secondary School who shared their passion for dance and the way it has worked to connect them as a family. Their project offers a seasonal dance camp for under-served youth who have a passion for dance and may have barriers to accessing these kinds of classes. Not only was their presentation energetic and fun, transitioning seamlessly between tableau scenes, they wowed the crowd with an amazing dance number at the end. Finally we heard from Zubaida Zang, who’s powerful visuals helped her share her passion for bringing together the art of weaving, drama and music to support young people in African countries to stay connected to their culture, remain empowered and create real economic opportunities for themselves with her powerful brand clothing brand Zubaida Zang. The Business Development category opened with Igho Itebu who introduced us to E.G.O (Ebony Girls Obsession) Initiative. Through her initiative Igho hopes to create beautiful experiences for black women and promote black women investing in themselves. Her Self Care in Sisterhood workshop series is a monthly opportunity for up to 25 black women to come together in a curated and safe space to engage in mindfulness,  conversation, networking, and simply celebrating black woman joy. The incredible Huda Eldardiry followed Igho’s presentation, with her clothing line of basic wearable clothing, each with a unique and personal design that was inspired by the different experiences in her own life. Judges received samples of high quality pieces while they listened to Huda explain how each unique piece is made and her processes for design for her company, Held By Huda. Following Huda, the Pitch was closed off with Balu presenting the audience with his idea for SWEETEA Consulting, a social enterprise that provides emerging artists and social justice practitioner’s capacity building and mentorship opportunities. And unfortunately due to circumstances beyond control, our fourth contestant Femi Lawson, presenting his project Tantalization Wave, was unable to attend. However with so much talent, he undoubtedly will continue to create and engage in successful opportunities in the future. Once presentations had been completed and judges were deliberating behind closed doors, DJ Kobi J set the vibes with a mix of tunes and got folks in the space dancing out of their chairs. After a very tense deliberation period, ArtReach Director Paulina O’Kieffe and her two apprentices (her children- because it’s always a family affair at ArtReach) got prepared to hand out the giant cheques for winning contestants. The room sat in silent anticipation as winners were announced for each category, and raucous applause filled the air with each announcement. In the Community Arts Projects and Productions Category, Sage Willow took first place and a cool $5,000, followed up by Synergy who received $1,000 for their project. Cola Bennet received a runner up prize of consultation sessions with Kim Katrin Milan and Yasser Pervaiz. For the Creative Business and Career Development category, Zubaida Zang walked away with $5,000, while Igho Itebu placed second and received $1,000 to support her own brand development and workshop series. Both Balu and Huda also received consultation sessions with Kim Katrin Milan and Yasser Pervaiz. As always, the best thing about the pitch is that every single person walked away a winner. The energy continued long after the Pitch was over, with a dope community-celebrating photo shoot with the Corex Creative team that felt like a red carpet event, while the DJ played great tracks that led to some serious after party vibes. The spirit of art and business entrepreneurship came alive that night and served as a reminder that young people in this city are hungry to pursue their dreams and carve their own path- they just need the support to do so. ArtReach and the City of Toronto’s Arts and Culture Services are both proud to be a part of that support system. Special thanks to the Riverdale Community Hub for their support around providing such an amazing space for young people to spend a night pitching for their dreams.

ArtReach is proud to announce the launch of our newest toolkit for youth artists: Branding 101. In this toolkit, you will learn the basics of branding, how to develop your brand, how to create brand content, how to design your brand identity, how to compile your portfolio, and more! Read the toolkit here! Special thanks go to The Real Sun, Pauleanna Reid, and Rania El Mugammar for sharing their knowledge and expertise, as well as the following partners who provided funding for the workshops, resource guides, and online toolkits: the City of Toronto, the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy, and the Betty Averbach Foundation. You can see more of ArtReach's toolkits here!

When asked to identify their most pressing needs, community-based youth artists most frequently say "more resources" and "more connections to funding". You asked, and ArtReach answered! We're proud to announce the launch of our new resource- the Youth Arts Deadline Calendar! This calendar shows upcoming deadlines for many Toronto, Ontario, and Canada based funding opportunities as related to community arts, professional artistry, social justice, working with underserved communities, and more! See the calendar here: artreach.org/grantdeadlinecalendar If you know of a grant that is missing from this calendar, please email the funder name, grant stream title, and link to grants@artreach.org.

These sessions are for those applying to the ArtReach's February 1, 2018 deadline. Information and grant writing tips will be specific to the ArtReach application. You can read ArtReach's grant guidelines here to see if your idea is a fit. Two Day Grant Writing 101 Workshop and Clinic (for ArtReach's 2018 grant) TUESDAY, JANUARY 9TH, 2018, 6-9PM - GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP This interactive session will explore the basics of preparing a grant application for ArtReach's upcoming 2018 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. The workshop will run from 6:00-9:00pm, with a Q & A session from 8:30-9pm. FACILITATORS: Paulina O'Kieffe- Director, ArtReach and Fonna Seidu- Project Manager, Photographer, Community Artist NOTE: Click here for details and RSVP*This workshop is open to youth (13 to 29 yrs). Space for this workshop is limited so register today! Food and refreshments will be provided. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10TH, 2018, 6-9PM - GRANT WRITING CLINIC This clinic is an opportunity for individuals to have their applications read by a volunteer reviewer, with feedback provided. Each applicant (artist or group) may sign up for one, 30 minute slot. Please sign up for your timeslot HERE. There is no guarantee that a volunteer reviewer will be available to meet with you if you do not pre-book an appointment. Your RSVP on this page does not book you a time slot with a reviewer- this must be done through the link above. NOTE: This clinic will take place at Toronto City Hall, Committee Room #3. More details here. NOTE: This workshop is open to youth (13 to 29 yrs). Space for this clinic is limited to thirty spots, so register today! Food and refreshments will be not provided. If you're not quite ready to have your application reviewed but still have questions or require support, please click HERE to book a phone meeting with our Grants Manager.

ArtReach is pleased to introduce you to the 29 groups that were awarded funding for their art-based projects for youth in our 2018 granting round. This $300,000 in funding is available thanks to ArtReach's partnership with the Toronto Arts Council (click here for more info on this partnership!) CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NEWLY FUNDED ARTISTS
! For project descriptions of previously funded groups, see our website. Art Fusion– Where I Stand $4860.00 Art Fusion will run Where I Stand, a youth-lead photography project that culminates in a community exhibition in Scarborough. Where I Stand is a 3-day intensive participatory photography workshop for youth living in the Kingston-Galloway-Orton Park neighbourhood of Scarborough, running in Fall 2018. This project will be led by Art Fusion, the youth leadership group at Healthy Living For Arts (HLA), and supported by the founder of Project Kids & Cameras, who will mentor youth in PhotoVoice, a method which combines photography, dialogue, photo exhibits and social action to address community issues youth care about. Conscious Minds Co-operative Inc.– Whole $10,000.00 Conscious Minds Cooperative Inc. is facilitating Whole, a multi-arts storytelling project led by young womxn of colour in Tkaronto, that creates healing spaces for people to come together to remember, re-imagine, and embody holistic ways of being. This project will inspire social action through the arts by questioning what it means to be whole during this time of global transformation. A one-week residency in June 2018 will provide leadership training to seven young womxn of colour artists from Tkaronto. Through skill-exchange and mentorship, these artists will co-design workshops and facilitate them for youth from underserved communities. Whole will culminate with a magazine connecting body, spirit, and Earth. CUE– CUE Artist Grants $15,000.00 CUE is an award-winning arts initiative dedicated to providing high-access funding, support, mentorship, employment, and exhibition opportunities for new generation artists who live and work on the margins in Toronto. This project will run from August 1, 2018 to December 20, 2019 and will support the creation of 17-20 individual art projects in multiple disciplines by new generation artists who live and work on the margins, and who face systemic barriers that can preclude their artistic contributions to culture. Dream House Collective– Build A Dream $10,000.00 Dream House Collective will lead Build A Dream, supporting the professional development of marginalized artists, ages 18 – 29, and the mentorship and training of youth, towards the creation and execution of DHC’s annual Music + Arts Festival. From February to July 2019, youth will undergo an intensive 24 week training program that focuses on In-Studio Music Production; including vocal training and songwriting proficiency. Youth will also be mentored in the various elements of Event Coordination; such as artist & venue bookings, contract writing, press-release writing, set design, stage management, marketing, and branding. FYOU: The Forgiveness Project– Look Both Ways $10,000.00 FYOU: The Forgiveness Project will run Look Both Ways, a six episode podcast and quarterly publication for inmates and by inmates of Toronto South Detention Centre. TSDC houses over one thousand individuals, with the majority being marginalized young men under the age of 35. From June 2018 to July 2019, Look Both Ways will empower these young men to develop their artistic and leadership skills, and support their artistic expression through the creation of these podcasts and publications. Hala Sayed– Harvest $5,000.00 Hala Sayed and Virginia Jahyu will facilitate Harvest, a youth-led interdisciplinary arts series offering strength-based creative cultivation to a group of 5-8 Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and youth of colour, communities across the GTA, prioritizing low-income and/or street-based youth. This project will offer access to an anti-violent art space and politically conscious creative exploration to a group of youth participants who are often systemically denied these services. During Summer 2018, youth will gain creative arts skills specifically in the performing arts and creative writing, as well as gain the opportunity to develop a strong supportive network, increasing their sense of belonging, well-being, and creative confidence. Illumine Media Project– The Hideout Media Lab $10,000.00 Illumine Media Project will run The Hideout Media Lab, a community based arts initiative running from September to December 2018, which aims to bring a group of youth together from the Scarborough region to experience both media analysis and media creation. Building on a previous pilot project, this series of workshops will give 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, which will be shared at a culminating showcase. In Studio Collective– The Production Lab $10,000.00 In Studio Collective will lead The Production Lab, working with 10 youth from across Toronto to develop skills in production and audio engineering for music, podcasts and radio. Over the course of 16 sessions, running until April 2019, youth will be taught key skills in this art form, supported in building up portfolios and understanding the industry, as well as receiving networking opportunities to connect with lead industry decision makers. Youth will then be given an opportunity to test the skills learned as part of a internship with local youth led podcasts or artists, where they will support in the production of content or a demo. Jena Alma Singh Herbert– Pretty Wings STAGES $15,000.00 Jena Alma Singh Herbert will facilitate The Pretty Wings: STAGES project, a program for marginalized young people who self-identify as facing mental health challenges, survivors of abuse, BIPOC, or LGBTQ+, and who are interested in pursuing dance as a creative outlet and/or career. From July 2018 to March 2019, youth in the GTA aged 18-29 will be mentored by established youth artists on a one-on-one basis to create authentic dance performance pieces reflective of an aspect of their own lived experience. The program will have an emphasis on storytelling and healing through the creation of performance-art. Participants will also participate in group sessions and the co-creation of a collective piece. Jordan McTavish– City Shorts, New Arrivals $9999.99 Jordan McTavish will lead City Shorts- New Arrivals, where recent high school graduates will design and facilitate free workshops on practical documentary production for under-served new-arrival youths from Parkdale. The workshop series will run bi-weekly for six weeks in July and August 2018, and participants will write, direct and feature in a short documentary about their life in Toronto, or about a quintessential Toronto experience. The documentaries will have a gala screening and will later be hosted online and promoted through social media. JustOverMusic– Grassroots Music $9909.00 JustOverMusic will lead Grassroots Music, a program that will engage youth 15-29 from York South-Weston through artist development and hip-hop music training. This program is comprised of 12-Weeks of workshops, from August 2018 to August 2019, where guest speakers and industry field trips will provide 30 youth with tailored artist development supports and technical training around producing, recording and sound engineering. Youth will be provided with the space to create empowering personal narratives through music, and have their voices heard. The program will culminate in an event where youth are able to perform their songs for family, friends and community members. Kamalayan Konsciousness Kollective– Kamalayan Youth Midya Project $9600.00 Kamalayan Konsciousness Kollective will run the Youth Midya Project, a media training program for youth of Philippine descent, empowering emerging artists with the skills to create new and original radio and television content. This project will be in the context of Filipino history and current events both in the Canadian diaspora and their relationship to the Philippines. Five participants who identify as Filipino will be engaged in meaningful workshops from June to September 2018, with the goal of participants writing, planning, and executing original episodes independently at the end of the program. The Youth Midya Project will prioritize newcomer and under-resourced Filipinos in this training, who otherwise would face barriers accessing this type of programming. Kendra Yee– Davenport’s Speech Bubble $10,000.00 Kendra Yee will partner with the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre to run Speech Bubble, working with 11 young women aged 14-18 to create a Comics Program focused on personal identity. Starting in Fall 2018, the program will be split into eight workshops focusing on identity exploration and how to develop short comics. The final launch party will be held in 2019, with the release of a physical and digital anthology containing comics made in the program. Hard copies will be produced, with copies going to participants, libraries, community health centers, and youth-based facilities. Lance Constantine– Speakers U $9963.00 Lance Constantine will facilitate Speakers U, a program designed to help 10 young black males 18-29 living in the Ward 6 Etobicoke-Lakeshore area learn the art of storytelling. Participants will learn through the framework of public speaking training and communication techniques using the art forms of creative writing, spoken word, poetry and monologues. Workshops running from August to December 2018 will serve the creative expression of allegory and will have a direct, personal and emotional impact on participants self-identity. Through the experience of workshop activities and ongoing weekly training, participants will plan a showcase event to present their allegorical speeches to a live audience. Leslie Van Every– The Dalli Collective $9998.99 Leslie VanEvery will lead The Dalli Collective, a group of 6-8 Indigenous youth between the ages of 18-29, who will come together to learn the traditional Indigenous art of beading. Bead work in the Indigenous community is a reflection on oneself, and is an art form that also teaches many life lessons.This project gives participants the opportunity to reclaim a part of their identities through storytelling and cultural workshops, running from July 2018 to January 2019, and gives the opportunity of meeting with elders in the community. Newly gained knowledge will be the inspiration for the beaded project (medallion) that will be showcased at an event at the end of the program. Lolita Richards- Wee Bake 2018 $10,000.00 Lolita Richards will facilitate a second session of Wee Bake, a 9 week program serving youth in the West Hill area. This program allows 20 young aspiring bakers, ages 14-17 to learn basic baking and pastry art skills. Wee Bake will combine baking and basic financial education into fun activities. Youth that participate will receive baking supplies upon completion of the program. The project will run throughout Summer 2018 from the East Scarborough StoreFront Community Centre, a free commercial kitchen space in Scarborough. National Youth Action Council– If You Ask Me $10,000.00 The National Youth Action Council, in partnership with Workman Arts, launched the pilot project “If You Ask Me” (IYAM) in 2017 as a part of the Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival (RWM). Young artists were invited to create short films inspired by their experience with mental illness. Building on the success of this pilot project, IYAM will again participate in the RWM Film Festival. This new program will offer professional training to the young artists and mentorship provided by experienced filmmakers through workshops running from July to December 2018. P.U.S.H Elite– Bright Lights in the Heights $10,000.00 PUSH Elite presents Bright Lights in the Heights, a music program that will engage emerging artist from the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood of Toronto. PUSH Elite provide artists with opportunities to grow their brand, build networks, and develop their crafts through workshops that focus on songwriting, performance training, studio etiquette, song structure, and understanding industry institutions like SOCAN. Bright Lights in the Heights will culminate in September 2018 with a final mix tape that is professionally recorded, mixed and mastered, as well as an intimate listening session for funders and community residents with artist performing their songs live. Patrick Walters– Under the Banyan Tree, Phase Two $14,494.00 Patrick Walters’ Under The Banyan Tree is an 8 week course designed to immerse participants in Caribbean art and storytelling with a heavy focus on Caribbean literature. The program will also touch on other Caribbean art forms, using various themes such as sustainability, community, and identity. The project will culminate in September 2018 with an online platform where participants and the public can access course work, information and participant pieces. The community will also be encouraged and welcomed to submit their own pieces, information, and events after the course is completed in order to create a platform that is sustainable and helpful to the community. Rice Roll Productions– Invisible Footprints Phase Two: Youth Guerrilla Archiving $15,000.00 Rice Roll Productions will follow up on the success of Invisible Footprints, a multi-generational art exhibition showcasing Toronto’s LGBTQ Asian community histories, Phase Two: Youth Guerrilla Archiving will engage Asian LGBTQ youth to further facilitate inter-generational dialogue through art and storytelling. From July 2018 to June 2019 the project team will create platforms, such as 4 bi-monthly art-based community forums, a knowledge transfer symposium, and a website, to engage the Asian LGBTQ communities in Toronto. Through community organizing and storytelling, the proposed project will foster a sense of belonging, strengthen community support networks, and improve art skills for youth leaders involved. Ryan Dela Cruz- Toronto Krump and Hip Hop Dance Mentorship Program $15,000.00 Ryan Dela Cruz and the BUCC-N-FLAVOR team are a collective from Toronto who utilize dance to engage intergenerational dialogue and build the learning capacity of the next generation youth. The Toronto Krump and Hip Hop Dance Mentorship Program will create a space for youth to learn about and further Toronto dance culture for social change. An 18-month dance mentorship program from July 2018 to March 2020 will involve 25 youth participants from the Kennedy-Eglinton Scarborough community and focus on artist-to-artist development, mental and physical capacity building, local and provincial performances, film documentation and a final recital performance open to the public. SoundCheck- Play Our Sound Too! $15,000.00 Soundcheck will run 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 years old in Weston Mount-Dennis. This program provides music recording and performance opportunities for youth musicians, equipping participants with the skills, resources and mentorship needed to excel as artists and leaders in their community. Through this series, running from July 2018 to June 2019, participants will have the opportunity to develop life-skills and leadership experience through weekly mentorship-sessions led by experienced musicians. Tanya Turton– Adornment: Stories of Transformation $10,000.00 Tanya Turton will lead Adornment: Stories of transformation, a space committed to connecting the intersections of art, beauty and wellness. This workshop series will run from July 2018 to March 2019, and will provide a space prioritizing the healing of Black women and femme identified black folks in the unique ways they relate to art, beauty and wellness. The program will explore storytelling in the forms of digital arts, media, writing, and body adornment for improved wellness, self-care and healing. The BAR Institute- Summer School $4991.00 BAR Institute presents: Summer School, a 12 week music program for youth aged 13-18 designed to create the opportunity to develop as independent artists, while maintaining accessibility through free programming. As educators, the BAR Institute will organize a clear path for youth in an easily manageable manner, focussing on slow, in-depth learning and artist development, promoting present and mindful engagement. The project will run from July to October 2018. The Dirty B-Sides- The Dirty B-Sides: Gatherings $10,000.00 The Dirty B-Sides are one of Toronto’s leading hip-hop music collectives, creating an open door for youth to learn, join, and expand in their own ventures. Called Gathering, this community-based performance workshop series running until December 2018, will work to create a sustainable culture surrounding live hip-hop performance, teaching professional skills, starting with the quality and ethics of artists and musicians to improve relations with local venues as a community. The project will culminate in professionally recording live ensemble arrangements to book performances for six Toronto feature artists, and support ensemble-inclusive live music culture involving new collective participants. The Rebellevations Project- The Rebellevations Project $7730.00 Melisa Prieto and Valerie Chavez will lead the Rebellevations Project, a free, ten week art mentorship and youth leadership development course for youth 13-17 years of age, living in the Black Creek Community. From January to March 2019, youth will expand their technical skills in mixed media mural creation and develop workshop facilitation skills. The focus of the program will be for participants to gain a deeper understanding of their personal creative process through self reflection pieces, incorporate education principles to facilitate workshops to children and their peers, and collaboratively create a community mural. This peer- to-peer learning and multi-level-mentorship process will strengthen leadership skills, creating a closer dialogue between children and youth within the community. Wave Art Collective– Wave Runners Program $11504.02 Wave Art Collective will run The Wave Runners Program (WRP), an arts entrepreneurship initiative for minority youth aged 15-24 in the Scarborough/Malvern community. 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 will operate from September 2018 to May 2019, involving weekly sessions that feature entrepreneurial education, workshops from industry professionals, experiential film/photo/audio training, and internship opportunities. Where Are You From? Collective– Where Are You From? Collective $6950.00 The Where Are You From? Collective (WAYF) is an arts-based activism program for Asian-identified youth. WAYF offers arts-based educational workshops, community events, and an online platform for discussion. This project will run from July 2018 to May 2019 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 them to expand their networks within the Asian community while also critically reflecting on their own identity in relation to other marginalized communities. Yasin Osman– ShootForPeace $10,000.00 Yasin Osman will lead ShootForPeace, a unique learning opportunity for youth in Regent Park to photograph the rapidly changing neighborhood in a revitalization process. In the 9 month project, Yasin Osman will teach the fundamentals of building a photography brand to youth. The program will teach youth how to take photos, and culminate in a community photo album. It will be part a legacy project for Regent Park, and in 50 years, the ‘new’ community will be able to remember the families in photos that once lived in the neighborhood.

Do you have a project idea but just can’t get started writing the grant? Want to write an artist statement but are having writer’s block? Have you been procrastinating on getting your website content, artist portfolio, project management plan (insert your biggest procrastination task here) done? Welcome to the Motivation Room. The Motivation Room is a bi-weekly 3 hour session where ArtReach–SKETCH–CUE, in partnership with various community organizations, invite youth artists (13-29), grassroots leaders and entrepreneurs to come through and get motivated to start working on whatever areas of their artistic or community led practice they wish. The Motivation Room will be facilitated by staff from ArtReach and/or its partners to support you in getting past writer’s block, answering questions or getting feedback for your grants, building a budget or financial plan, putting together an artist statement and so much more. If you feed off the creative energy of others to get yourself started the Motivation Room is for you. Motivate yourself by joining us! Info: For more info email info@artreach.org or head to artreach.org/motivationroom Schedule: All sessions run from 5:00 - 8:00pm; dates and locations are as follows

ArtReach Toronto, in partnership with Manifesto, City of Toronto Cultural Services, and Toronto Community Housing hosted its third Youth Arts Pitch Contest on Monday, September 20, 2010 from 7:00 – 9:00pm at 99 Sudbury, a unique event space located in the artistic Queen West area of Toronto. - View photos from the event - Youth Arts Pitch Contest: Winners’ Profiles 2010 Individual Artist Category: Cassandra "Cassy" Walker Community Arts Group Category: Colour Me Dragg Youth Arts Entrepreneur Category: Adam Zivojinovic Youth Arts Pitch Contest: Video Profiles Individual Artist Category: Cassandra "Cassy" Walker Youth Arts Entrepreneur Category: Adam Zivojinovic The event was hosted by Devon Soltendieck and Matte Babel of CP24 Breakfast, and provided a wide range of youth artists the opportunity to pitch their creative ideas for the chance to win one of three top prizes of $5000 each. Nine finalists competed in three categories – Community Youth Arts Group, Youth Arts Entrepreneur, and Individual Artist – before a panel of accomplished judges. The judges represented a cross-section of the Canadian media and cultural landscape. The judges were: Farley Flex (Canadian Idol judge and President/CEO of Plasma Management & Productions), Gillian Hewitt (Executive Director and CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and avid arts volunteer), Michee Mee (recording artist and hip-hop icon), Nawa Nicole Simon (dancer and 2010 Dora Mavor Moore nominated actress), and Sora Olah (actress and host of StreetEats). The innovative and interactive nature of the Pitch Contest supports finalists throughout the whole process. From workshops on how to create a five-minute ‘pitch’ through to direct and live feedback from industry heavyweights, young people are provided with crucial learning that will assist them in advancing their artistic careers. The money awarded provides much needed resources to emerging artists that are often overlooked by funding organizations. Attendees and participants enjoyed an exciting evening showcasing some of the city’s top young talent in theatre, hip-hop, drag/gender performance, fashion, dance, music and film. During the pitches, the audience was frequently on its feet cheering on the incredible presentations by finalists. 2009 Pitch Contest winner Memo returned to deliver a powerful spoken word set before the winners were announced. ArtReach wishes all the winners and participants of the 2010 Youth Arts Pitch Contest congratulations and best wishes. Contest participants included: UNITeam, Sum of Us Collective, Colour Me Dragg, EFFETTO (MCW), Role Model Records, Adam Zivojinovic, Cassandra “Cassy” Walker, Wolf J McFarlane, and Dominique Grant. The $5,000 winners were: Individual Artist Category: Cassandra “Cassy” Walker (Theatre) Community Arts Group Category: Colour Me Dragg (Drag & Gender Performance Art) Youth Arts Entrepreneur Category: Adam Zivojinovic (Film) Thank you to all of our sponsors: Hightop, Royalz Clothing, WIT Solutions, Urbanology Magazine, Bene-Fete, The Tech Zone, CMANGO DESIGN, Salazar Studios, Laidlaw Foundation and Chris Jackson (Easpark Productions).

On November 14, 2007 all 34 funded-projects of ArtReach Toronto were invited to participate in an evaluation event held at the youth-run Whippersnapper Gallery. The purpose of the event was to gather more information on the experiences and needs of the funded groups, and provide them funding information, resources and an opportunity for networking. - View photos from the event here - Approximately 60 people attended the event, and most were young artists and participants of ArtReach funded-projects. The event began with “funder speed dating” and also involved small group work and larger discussions facilitated by a youth from an ArtReach funded-project. Performances by 3 funded-projects were held in the break and at the end of the day. A networking dinner ended off the session. The first activity was a practice in networking and forming relationships with the Arts and Youth funding community. “Funder stations” were set up with groups of approximately 3-4 youth at each station. Groups moved to each station where the funders had four minutes to describe their programs, the types of projects they fund, and answer quick questions. This activity gave ArtReach funded projects a chance to meet face to face with other funding bodies and start a dialogue on how their ideas and projects could be supported further. The following funding organizations were present: Youth Challenge Fund, Toronto Enterprise Fund, Laidlaw Foundation, Toronto Culture, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The whole group participated in a discussion on their experience with ArtReach Toronto. A learning circle participant and youth leader from an ArtReach-funded project facilitated a discussion with the whole group to explore and document people’s wishes for ArtReach, their experience with the applications process, their contact with ArtReach and their thoughts on the workshop series. Wishes for ArtReach included that it be “self sufficient” and hold a place at major decision making tables. Groups asked that the workshop series be documented and made available on-line. The group was also interested in more events such as the 2007 ArtReach Toronto Pitch Contest, supported by Toronto Culture, and held at the Ignite Youth Arts Forum on June 12, 2007, as well as a showcase in order to reconnect with all the groups present in a setting that celebrated the diversity of art forms they practice. Participants expressed that their contact with ArtReach was personal, open, respectful and authentic. “It’s what it should be like” said one participant, “that support had a huge impact on us because it was genuine and tailored for my needs”. Groups also said that they found the workshop series useful in that it provided information on other kinds of grants, provided printed material and linked them to people working in the youth arts sector with real relevant experience, people who understood the challenges and needs because they had been through the process themselves. The next activity explored the experiences of artists and leaders in the projects that they ran. In small participant-led groups of ArtReach-funded project staff, artists and program participants, everyone wrote down their top high points, the impact they felt their projects had, what they valued the most about them and their wishes for their projects in the future. Each point was posted on the wall and all participants were asked to place a sticker beside the 3 points that were of the highest importance to them. “I loved that discussion” said one participant. “So many people in the room have similar amazing experiences with their projects and really believe in what they were doing. We also faced many of the same struggles trying to make our ideas happen. It’s really validating being part of this community and seeing everyone here together. Straight up, ArtReach is an institution that supports the people and ideas that it says it supports”. So what did people say about their experiences? High points with the most stickers ranged from “performing internationally”, “getting a review in NOW magazine” and “getting the grant” to “learning from and teaching youth”, “getting the chance to be a leader” and “transforming a life”. Groups also saw their impact on their neighborhoods by noting that they had actively encouraged youth entrepreneurship, created a space for expression and really mobilized their community. The things that were marked as the highest in value included “positivity”, “breakthroughs”, “seeing self sufficient youth in the work force actually doing what they want”, “building relationships and developing leadership’, “seeing the youth’s artistic vision physically manifest” and of course, “the youth in our programs”. What do ArtReach funded groups wish for? It all has to do with the ability to keep growing, creating and moving forwards. People expressed the importance of the longevity of their projects and having access to space. Groups want to be connected with active listeners from policy and funding community, and the opportunity to be at the decision making table. Why? More security would mean a chance to be self reliant and have time to do what we do best: ART!

ArtReach Toronto, in partnership with City of Toronto Culture, awarded 3 prizes of $3,000 each to groups of youth involved in community-based arts projects.  The event was part of the Ignite: Youth Arts Forum, held at the Gladstone Hotel on June 12 and 13. A series of young artists made high-energy pitches in front of a panel of celebrity judges, including Canadian Idol’s Farley Flex, and ArtReach grant review team members Sarah DeCarlo, Michael Murray and Nawa Nicole Simon. Youth Arts Pitch Contest: Winners' Profiles 2007 Community Arts Group Category: Manifesto Community Arts Group Category: Phase1 Step Team Community Arts Group Category: Travis A. Blackman The winners of the pitch contest were recognized for their creative and inspiring proposals to develop community arts projects in their neighbourhoods. Each of the winners pitched their own unique projects.  Phase 1 Step Team is an all female step dance group based in Scarborough, Travis Blackman is an individual artist creating a book for youth that spreads a message of positivity, and Manifesto is a festival bringing together youth involved in urban arts form from across the city. According to Che Kothari: "Manifesto was thrilled by the opportunity of being a part of the ArtReach pitch contest, and we were extremely honoured to be chosen as a recipient from all of the amazing groups that presented. We have already put a portion of the funds into a fundraising event for Alexandra Park Community Centre in June and the remaining money will be used towards another fun day in Alexandra Park promoting homegrown music and arts talent during our 4-day festival taking place September 20th-23rd.  We really hope that more pitch contest like this can take place- this is where creative ideas and projects can come to life, where groups can expose themselves to a wide and attentive audience, where people in the audience can get inspired to start up their own initiatives, and where motivated groups and individuals can get the financial support to help see their projects come to fruition....and it's all in good fun!  From everyone involved with Manifesto, BIG UP ARTREACH, it's a blessing for the city to have you." The panel of judges selected the three winners from a short-list of eight, all of whom had five minutes on stage to make a creative and dynamic arts performance for the judges. The winners each received $3,000 to develop their ideas into arts programs in their neighbourhoods that will engage community members in the process and the project. “The arts are a powerful and motivating way that youth are involved in their communities," says Farley Flex, one of the judges on the pitch contest panel. "Whether it's in someone's basement, or through a community program, young people are creating art all over this city.  We want to discover and support some of Toronto's finest artistic talent and encourage community participation through the arts." The pitch contest is part of ArtReach Toronto’s and the City of Toronto Culture’s commitment to support the meaningful engagement of Toronto youth, who have experienced exclusion, through active participation in quality arts opportunities. The lucky winners included: Phase1 Step Team, Travis A. Blackman, and Manifesto. The other finalists were: Jeramy Henry (KB), Josue Maya, Children’s Peace Theatre, Freedom Clothing, rad (random acts of dance).