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In 2016, Kut x Sew, a project developed by Jason Burke and supported by ArtStarts, was awarded $10,000 from ArtReach. The project provides the opportunity for underserved youth from Lawrence Heights to gain skills and experience in both the business and creative sides of fashion arts. [googleapps domain="drive" dir="file/d/0B78mSHNArCYscHpWdFVib1ZLdHc/preview" query="" width="640" height="380" /] During the creation of Jason's company Rep Clothing, young people began asking questions about construction techniques and showed a genuine interest in the fashion industry. A majority of these questions generally derived from wanting to understand how to turn a clothing idea into a physical garment, and a lot of inquisitive youth believed the only required element to the fashion industry was constructing a garment and were unaware of the business operations that play a vital role. From this, Kut x Sew was born. The purpose of Kut x Sew is to establish an inclusive and diverse learning environment that combines the social, ethnic, cultural and business art aspects involved in the fashion industry. Kut x Sew also seeks to provide young fashion entrepreneurs with the necessary information in an attempt to eliminate the trial and error process by providing sustainable knowledge and advice. As an artist himself, Jason wanted to develop a workshop program that could introduce youth to the fashion industry as well as provide him with professional experience. The end goal of the project, Jason says, is to open a store where these creations could be sold to support the artists and make their creative practice legitimate. “I wanted this project to help youth navigate the business,” Jason says of their project. The youth were “100% involved” and he describes Kut x Sew as an ongoing project (although workshops ended in December 2016), as those involved are still engaged in the work. “Kut x Sew showed them what they could achieve” and it inspired them to apply for another round of funding. In partnership with ArtStarts, the Kut x Sew program graduates were able to put on a final graduation event to showcase the work of those involved in the project. Author: Ally Nohos

Nicole Bazuin is a Toronto-based film director and visual artist. She is a recipient of the Universal Studios Scholarship and the HSBC Filmmaker’s Award. She also co-founded Madeleine Co., an organization that creates interdisciplinary art installations and events, often with a focus on audience participation. In 2016, Nicole was awarded a grant of $10,000 from ArtReach, and in partnership with the Ryerson Image Centre, created a video series of child-led conversations in which youth interviewed adults on their fears, failings, and hopes of their inheritance of the earth. “Climate Talks” aimed to take the daunting issue of climate change and spark interest and conversation around it through art- in this case, a workshop series for youth and elders. Nicole saw the curiosity in children about their world today and the future, and wanted to create a process for students (with help from a climate educator) to develop questions to ask adults, from parents to teachers to politicians. Nicole says, “Kids were excited to engage and were inspired to ask questions.” Nicole partnered with a local school to work with students on developing a talk series between youth and adults on issues of climate change. “We had an excellent group of students who grew through the project- they gained a lot of confidence through the video series,” Nicole Bazuin says. The kids rose to the challenge and took control of the situation. Nicole says it was very inspiring to see what they were able to accomplish when they engaged with the subject matter. Even after the videos, the children wanted to keep asking questions. Climate Talks even got in touch with Prime Minister Trudeau’s office. “The kids wanted to ask him questions, and he answered all seven of them.” It was a very positive experience for youth to engage with the leader of Canada. “ArtReach’s support helped us engage more youth and give a wider range of experiences to kids. What resulted was a beautiful series with a high production value,” Nicole says. You can watch Climate Talks at www.climatetalks.ca. Author: Ally Nohos

The project of Beats2Bars, led by Nathan Baya in partnership with PEACH, provides community youth artists from the area of Jane and Finch with the tools to compose their own instrumental tracks. The program assists aspiring young songwriters and artists living with low socio-economic status to develop their talent and ultimately own their music. They believe that making music has a transformative power in helping youth re-imagine their futures. The mission of Beats2Bars is to empower the artists, who own 100% of the music they make, to explore the option of establishing their own music production business. The idea that youth need an outlet for expression was the most important reason for creating this program, with the help from ArtReach. Nathan says, “There are so many talented youth who are going through many emotions and have nowhere to express themselves except through music.” Nathan says that the idea for Beats2Bars came from other community beat-making programs that he participated in when he was younger. “Being an artist myself, the biggest struggle is always finding instrumentals, so I thought it was best to collaborate with PEACH to create a program that gives access to youth to create beats and just further their knowledge on beat making.” After discussing ideas with mentors, they agreed that funding was the next step to creating this idea- they applied to ArtReach and were awarded $5000 to develop their program. This was the first program that Nathan had applied to with ArtReach and it allowed him to have the funding available to run the program, as well as to provide meals and honoraria for the participants. PEACH (Promoting Education and Community Health) partnered with them and gave the group administrative support, and in-kind space and equipment. Youth loved the program and were very eager to create and learn how to better their skills. Nathan says, “Participants have been empowered since [the program and] they are now able to own their music. We hope to be able to run the program again!” Nathan and Beats2Bars will be celebrating their graduation/ album release where the graduates of the program will release their own album on February 19, 2017 at 127 Eddystone Ave. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online here or at the door for $10. You can find more information on this event at www.peachyouth.org Author: Ally Nohos

Rania El Muggamar, an artist and equity consultant for contemporary art spaces received $10,000 from ArtReach in 2016 to support her project, “Womxn’s Work: BIWOC Artists of Toronto”. The project was composed of a web series, podcasts and workshops on media/ artist development to increase media literacy capacities of artists and give them training to improve their craft and better tell their stories. The project gives BIWOC (Black, Indigenous, and Womxn of Colour) mentoring, networking opportunities and skills to engage in the community and build themselves as artists. When it came to podcasts, Rania says “there was a learning curve” for her as well as the people who attended the workshops when it came to technology and digital mediums, but that everyone was able to collectively learn along the way. The podcasts were meant to connect youth artists with people similar to them, and she believes that her project did this. Through her work, Rania supports intersectional feminism, community building initiatives, and anti-oppression efforts. She says that there are gaps in documenting BIWOC artists and their art, and wanted to create a space for the underrepresented. Rania says that normally “there are projects for the underrepresented but not by them”, and wanted to collaborate with ArtReach change that. To do this, she communicated and consulted with these groups in order to change the narrative. With the help of ArtReach and in-kind donations from the community, “Womxn’s Work” was able to give access to meaningful artistic and leadership opportunities to people who would not normally get support, such as youth in the community. She was happy to see people engaging and learning digital communication strategies. I asked Rania what her advice would be for emerging artists in underrepresented communities and youth who want to engage in community arts. Rania says, “Your social capital is just as important as your funding. People are very generous as long as you reach out and are interested on promoting yourself and your craft”. The first step, she advises, would be to attend free workshops, such as the ones offered by collectives and individuals that ArtReach supports and network. As for what’s next, Rania is working on the Inclusivity Committee for Toronto For Everyone, which focuses on looking at contemporary racism and Toronto as a city that can be a global model for inclusivity, community and social innovation. Click here to read more about Rania! Author: Ally Nohos

Pretty Wings has been doing extraordinary things through their engagement of women from various, complex backgrounds. The program director, Jena Alma, operates on the belief that the arts can “heal, empower, unite, break stigma, raise awareness and create social change”. She put these beliefs to practice when she crafted Pretty Wings, a program that utilizes dance as a modality for healing. "Dance was a place that I went to hide, and in it, I found my voice.” Rather than offering only group class, which can be both highly intimidating and triggering, Pretty Wings offers private lessons that provide a safe(r) space for LGBTQ and racialized women to express themselves. Jena explained that “dance was a place that I went to hide, and in it, I found my voice”. Dance acts as a safe haven to foster self-exploration, and the Pretty Wings framework nurtures this. Within the program, participants self direct the entirety of the process. In the initial stages, mentors and mentees work together to co-create the scaffolding of their time together, “we agree on preferred working and learning styles, necessary accommodations, protocols for missed sessions, and maintenance structures for safe(r) spaces”. "Stories are medicine – for authentic transformation to occur, it’s critical to have a space to tell your story genuinely." From there, participants continue to lead their narrative for healing, “Stories are medicine – for authentic transformation to occur, it’s critical to have a space to tell your story genuinely. Over a five month period, women, with the assistance of their mentors, create their own dance performance pieces that reflect aspects of their lived experiences”. Within these sessions, mentors guide participants through a curriculum of various dance types, dance principles (rhythm, timing, musicality, composition), free styling, movement safety, and storytelling through movement. Following the workshop sessions, participants choose a song that reflects the narrative of their story and begin self-choreographing pieces that express their stories through movement. A collective option is also offered for those who wish to join, and I had the privilege of participating in the first gathering. The primary goal of this session was to work towards creating a safe space and community for participants. We started in a circle, cleansed with sage, and began to share our stories. Coming from complex backgrounds, all of the women were able to carry empathy and understanding for one another. We nurtured our spirits with conversation, and filled our bellies with nutritious food. Those who wished to share also had the opportunity to perform their dance pieces for the group. We were all able to release a piece of ourselves, and take in pieces of one another. We truly bonded that day because of the space that Jena and Pretty Wings were able to create. I can only imagine the places that healing can go from here. Jena wrote to us, explaining just how ArtReach has helped Pretty Wings blossom: "ArtReach has enabled me to grow and nourish the Pretty Wings project and continue to broaden my scope of practice as an artist, facilitator and program developer. The impact of the project has grown both qualitative and quantitatively because of the grant we received, and has encouraged us to continue to aim higher going forward. I am deeply grateful to ArtReach for allowing us to continue to do the meaningful work in community that we are so fortunate to be able to do." If you want to check out Jena and the women of Pretty Wings, you can catch them at their showcase on February 9th.  Located at the Peace Theatre, at 305 Dawes Road, the group will be performing both solos and collective pieces.  RSVP to their Facebook page - we hope to see you there! Author: Cassey Andrews

Art is something tangible and in order to be appreciated, it is necessary to get exposure and create awareness of its existence. Think of art as a brand that needs to be promoted not merely created. Exposing Art and Creating Awareness In order for art to get noticed, many artists turn to social media to put up samples of their work in the hope that it will reach a wide clientele. However, it takes time to build a following with any social media. Why not use someone who has already a solid base of followers? Influencers, in this case, can display artwork of an upcoming artist on their site and blogs and at the same time, inject fresh content. To start off, identify possible influencers who are supportive of art and charity causes. To do this, you might have to do a Google search or manually check social media platforms. There are even websites dedicated to influencers on specific niches. Remember, there are influencers in every social media from Facebook and YouTube to Instagram and Twitter. It is a matter of targeting influencers who are a good fit for your art. Pitching your ideas to an influencer can be in the form of a personal letter or by becoming a follower first. You can then start to talk about a possible collaboration. It is actually a win-win situation with the influencer getting something cool to post on their social media from photos to videos. Set-up A Fundraising Event Hosting an event is another way to promote art and even generate funds to support other projects and initiatives. Budding artists can come together and hold an exhibition. Auctions can be held to generate funds to continue supporting promising artists and projects. Influencers can get the word out there for specific fundraising causes such as marginalized youth who are talented and need financial support. An event with or without the fundraising component increases awareness of an artist’s work. By increasing attendance, influencer marketing will generate a larger number of clients for the artists, boost sales, raise money for further projects and shout out the word out there for a specific art experience. The Future of Art and Influencers There is a strong potential for influencer marketing in the realm of arts not only in enhancing awareness, but also to promote art works and actually sell them. In addition, it is possible to tap influencers who can help make a success of a fundraising event to assist artists who are underrepresented or who need exposure. Author: Jenny Holt

NEW ARTREACH GRANT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2017! ArtReach is distributing $270,000 in grants to youth arts projects in Toronto! If this is something that could support your work, we want to hear from you!  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. Application instructions can be found on our website here. Have questions or concerns? First time applying for a grant? Accessibility needs? Click here to book a time to speak to a grants manager or email grants@artreach.org! GRANT WRITING SUPPORTS Check out some resources to help you develop your grant writing skills- videos and toolkits to help you put together a strong application can be found here. If you're planning on applying for the upcoming deadline, and think you could use some extra support, we'll host a Grant Writing 101 Workshop (exclusively focused on the ArtReach grant application) in January 2017. More information on this workshop to come. Not sure if your project is a fit? Have a look at some previously funded projects to to get a sense of what we fund. Click here for the complete list!

Pilot Light is a project that combats real life problems with real life solutions. Pilot Light founders Sasha and Maame were both in film school and highly passionate about issues facing themselves and their communities. They explain, “we were both in a film program, but in different years, and it just so happened that one of the instructors thought we would be perfect to work together. It took off amazingly. We had a blooming relationship immediately.” Maame and Sasha reflected on their relationship and realized they could spread its beauty across their community, “We thought that there must be potential for relationships like this all over the place. So, we had an idea- let’s connect minority youth who are interested in film so they can come together and share their ideas and experiences with each other.” “Nothing can replace experience. You can’t learn these roles out of a book.” The idea was to create connections within the community, while simultaneously offering concrete film experience to young minority film students who might not have the opportunity otherwise. This was achieved through the creation of a broadcast-ready pilot. The women explained, “Nothing can replace experience. You can’t learn these roles out of a book. The only way you learn the role of a PA is by being a PA, the only way you learn lighting is by working with a lighting team. It’s beyond theory.” The women took their time to carefully strategize just what the program would look like, “We thought it would uphold the essence of what we wanted to do better if it was something that was originated and entirely created by us. At every layer we wanted it to help people of colour and females and we wanted it to feature females of colour – we had to address that.” “We wanted to create something that people would have to join because it was gold.” The filmmakers did not take on the task lightly, “We knew it was a big task to take on. We knew it would have to have a solid foundation - we knew that the story had to carry the weight of the task. We didn’t want to write a story and then (network) and ask people ‘can you help us?’ We wanted to create something that people would have to join because it was gold.” And they did. The women crafted a program that would provide fruitful employment for minority youth while simultaneously building a network for people of colour, “We did not position the program as training sessions or workshops – that makes it sound like a drop-in. No, this is your job. We set up an expectation that you are the agent or the production manager. When you put people to the test that this is their job, people take it seriously.” The women explained to us how the collaborative and professional environment nurtured leadership within the participants, “one participant was taking their position too lightly and other members of the team sat them down and said, ‘we are a team and it is important for us all to work and run this as a machine.’ They brought the other person up – that doesn’t happen in weekly ‘sessions’.” By the time it was time to shoot, everyone knew exactly what their responsibilities were, “The actual shoot went AMAZING! Everyone was on point. Everyone understood what their job was: managing props we were using; making sure the shoots were working well. Some of the students never knew what this stuff was before, but once we were shooting they had learned and knew enough that they could relax in their roles. They could think and act very quickly.” “The same way the grant and idea had to be solid – this has to be solid. We want to have a steady evolution.” That momentum has carried into the post-shoot days as well, “Students are asking, ‘when are we doing the next one’? And we want to do so much! But, it’s all about timing, and the first one needs to be done and wrapped up in a pretty box first. The same way the grant and idea had to be solid – this has to be solid. We want to have a steady evolution.” Though, the evolution did not come easy, “When we first applied for a grant, we didn’t get it. But, ArtReach championed for us. They walked us through why we didn’t get it and didn’t make us feel like it wasn’t because they didn’t want us to get it. ArtReach helped us learn the proposal process and helped open our minds into the kinds of thinking that we needed in order to apply. ArtReach made the whole thing possible, and made it feel so much more rewarding when we got it.” Author: Cassey Andrews

On November 7th, ArtReach attended (Mus)interpreted - the incredible showcase of The Truth or Dare Project, and curated by Zahra Agjee and Leila Fatemi. The show was a multimedia exhibition featuring the inspiring work of female Muslim artists from across the GTA. The show was summarized by a description on the wall that read: (Mus)interpreted is a group exhibition showcasing the works of emerging and established Muslim women artists in the GTA.  Using a variety of different mediums, the artists document and reflect on their lived realities, interrogating the motions and spaces in which Muslim women are defined and redefined.  The exhibition, representing a spectrum of identities and realities, provides alternative perspectives through a collective envisioning of individual and communal narratives.  It is an expression of hope for a self-determined, inclusive future. “We wanted to showcase how each represented their stories and how these stories were able to relate to each other on a collective level.” In picking the women’s brains about the creative process behind the exhibition, they replied that, “While thinking about this years show, we knew we wanted to recognize and honour each artists’ individual experience, while featuring different mediums and techniques.  We wanted to showcase how each represented their stories and how these stories were able to relate to each other on a collective level.” The artists expanded further, “when going through submissions we found similar sentiments were shared within the works.  We wanted to highlight certain themes in the exhibition in order to inspire an understanding from our audience and support the diverse voices of the artists.” When speaking of the current show, they told us, “as you go through the exhibition, you will notice how each artist navigates their own identity, whether through: combatting stereotypes; exploring spirituality, body image, cultural symbolism, politics, or creating visions of new worlds and stories of hope.  We are so excited to share the work with you and encourage conversations and questions!” “Each artist navigates their own identity, whether through: combatting stereotypes; exploring spirituality, body image, cultural symbolism, politics, or creating visions of new worlds and stories of hope.” (Mus)interpreted ran at Daniel Spectrum from October 13th – November 13th 2016 Exhibition Artists Included: Samaa Ahmed, Shatha Al-Husseini, Ala’Al-Thibeh, Iman Bhatti, Yara El Safi, Habiba El-Sayed, Manaal Farooqi, Ghada Habbal, farxiyo maxamad cabdullaahi jaamac, Raafia Jessa, Frizz Kid, Zahra Komeylian, Maha Munaf, and Samira Warsame. Learn more about the project here! Author: Cassey Andrews

Saranka was just 15 when she first got the idea for Limitless Designs, “I was sitting in English class and just thinking, ‘I should start a club’. I wanted to be more involved in the school, so I thought, why not a henna and nails club? I asked around, to see if anyone would want to help, and everyone was on board! We found a staff advisor and started a club.” As the club grew in popularity, Saranka believed it could continue beyond the school walls, “we wanted to do something that would benefit society”. The Limitless Design crew had already begun throwing events at the school, “we decided that we should be donating (the proceeds) to the Canadian Women’s foundation. We’ve hosted fundraisers and raised money for two years now.” “We wanted to do something that would benefit society.” Limitless Designs’ expansion was just that, limitless, “with everyone enjoying the club we thought, ‘why not branch out to other schools?’” Saranka applied for a grant through ArtReach and, with that, the evolution transpired. Limitless Designs hosts a weekly program at the North Kipling Community Centre on Fridays. Each week, between 18-20 youth access the program- “there’s vast diversity within the group, as there are not many programs within the community, and it’s great because I get to share my culture amongst the diversity. We strongly believe that art is a universal language that cuts through racial, cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers and enhances cultural appreciation and awareness. We have a tremendously large passion for art and we’d like to share our talents, with the hope that it’ll inspire others to do so as well.” Saranka told us that she grew up doing henna at religious occasions and practiced as a way to relieve stress and get away from her worries - she hopes that she can pass this meditative quality down to participants as they dedicate an hour of their time to learning something new. Saranka and the Limitless Design team work to create a space where this independent tranquility can be fostered, “we don’t just stand at the front of the class and show them how to do it … we have them figure it out themselves … we work with them one-on-one and guide them through the process.” She went on, “I believe that aesthetics are a way of truly expressing your inner emotions, a way to let go and basically to do what you like – there are no restrictions. You are free of mind and can do what you want to do”. But Saranka wants people to know, this doesn’t just have to be a meditative hobby, “aesthetics are a branch of art that many people don’t think of as art or don’t consider a profession. It can actually be a career and turn into something amazing. ‘If you ever want to start doing this to raise a couple of dollars here and there, you can make business cards and portfolios – you can be hired for events.” Just as Limitless Designs has expanded, so can the participant’s skills and career options. Limitless Designs is an amazing new program, and we are so grateful to have been able to offer support. We asked Saranka what exactly we helped make possible and she exclaimed, “You funded the whole thing! ArtReach made the whole venture possible. I didn’t think I could start something like this, and at 15 years old! I didn’t think people would take me seriously. Paulina was so excited to see someone so young start something new. The team always encouraged me and was in constant contact – always supporting me. ArtReach really is the backbone of the project.” “ArtReach made the whole venture possible. I didn’t think I could start something like this, and at 15 years old! I didn’t think people would take me seriously.” Although, we think Saranka and the Limitless Design team (that includes Atsaya Param and Abi Futha) are the true backbone, we’re excited to have lent a little calcium support. Author: Cassey Andrews

Biashara (Noun, Swahili)             Business, trade, commerce BiaSHEara was birthed from a need: a need for fruitful employment for East African women living in Toronto. Karimah, the BiaSHEara founder, and an East African woman and artist, found herself facing multiple barriers when seeking a job in the workforce (racism, sexism, Islamophobia). With few opportunities arising, Karimah decided to create them for herself. She became an entrepreneur. Starting her business in photography and cinematography, she wanted to expand her knowledge of film, “I entered a program that was actually funded by ArtReach, it was a thirteen week program led by Nayani Thiyagarajah and Muna Ali under Refuge Productions”. Within the program, Karimah was exposed to Thiyagarajah’s film Shadeism. Through watching the film, the thought of BiaSHEara emerged, “I saw the documentary and was inspired to do something that looked into the East African community in some form, in the GTA”. Initially, the program was going to simply be a documentary, “I noticed that there were a lack of resources for East African women job wise and so a lot of them took up entrepreneurship. I wanted to showcase these women.” Karimah pitched the idea to her colleagues and together they decided that the project could go one step further, “we wanted to work with East African youth in the process.” “I noticed that there were a lack of resources for East African women job wise and so a lot of them took up entrepreneurship. I wanted to showcase these women.” It was important for Karimah and the BiaSHEara team to expose East African youth to the entrepreneurs in their community, “we wanted to showcase to youth that this can be done.” Beyond that, the team wanted to mold the youth into entrepreneurs themselves. In order to educate youth on the entrepreneurial aspects of filmmaking, the BiaSHEara team decided they had to educate from two business angles: filmmaking and marketing. As such, the program will begin with four workshops: two on filmmaking and two on marketing. The workshops will holistically engage as much of the community as possible.   Various community members will be leading the filmmaking workshops, with Karimah’s assistance; and, Manar El Mugammar, owner of Candid Consulting, and a featured entrepreneur, will teach marketing strategies. The youth will have an opportunity to network within the workshops and during the filmmaking process; and, the community will have a greater capacity for networking with BiaSHEara’s foreseeable online network. Karimah also has plans for a website that will include the ongoing network of East African business women/men throughout the GTA that she has discovered through her documentary research, “I’m overwhelmed by the outpour of support given to me by my community. I didn’t even know there were so many East African entrepreneurs in the GTA until I started this project.” Karimah exclaimed that she can’t wait to share her connections with her community, “there are no other resources like this out there”. Karimah anticipates the natural evolution of this website into a workshop series where people can meet face to face in order to create more intimate connections. We agree that the possibilities for this project are far expanding and look forward to the future of this project. We are grateful we get to support Karimah and her biaSHEara ambition. If you think you'd be interested in joining the BiaSHEara team, check out their flyer and see if it could be a fit for you! You can also learn more about BiaSHEara here! Author: Cassey Andrews

On October 16, 2016, AVNU was able to host youth arts performances and short film screening for the New Voices Showcase, part of Rutas Panamericanas International Performing Arts Festival.The festival was produced by Aluna Theatre in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts, at Artscape Daniels Spectrum- AKI Studio. The event opened with a land acknowledgement led by Yolanda Bonnell, and words of welcome by Rutas Ambassador Nico Contreras and AVNU staff Joseph Recinos. The audience enjoyed musical performances by Briana Olsen, and Jorge Cantor; readings by Melisse Watson, and Ilana Divertman; a movement piece by Alexandra Barbarena; and a collaborative Traditional and Hip Hop dance performance by Briana Olsen and Jared Robillard. AVNU also premiered the short film, Breaking the ICE, which documents our Spring 2016 province-wide work. Videographer Rainier Bustamante documented the work the ICE crew in Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, Thunder Bay, and Manitoulin, Ontario throughout the course of our Information-Culture-Exchange (ICE) program. The goals of the ICE program are to connect and establish meaningful relationships with organizations/individuals committed to grassroots education initiatives for youth. This involved engaging young activators and organizations from communities outside of the GTA to provide tools and trainings to aid in and further grassroots initiatives already present in these local communities. The project also sought promising practices to bring back to Toronto for AVNU partners to potentially share and use as resources, practices that deliver unique content (community focused, creative, with a mandate for positive social change) through unique methods of teaching (participatory methods rooted in people’s direct experiences). The film also featured ICE workshop facilitators Judi Lopez, Yolanda Bonnell, Jermaine Henry, who all spoke at the October 16th screening to their experiences working with ICE. Key messages from the facilitators centered around positive change through the power of art, and the promotion of learning about the self through interaction with others, and the need to listen to youths’ voices. “The future is youth- we need to start listening” *AVNU is a collaborative of 9 grassroots organizations: ArtReach, Manifesto, Grassroots Youth Collaborative, SKETCH Working Arts, Nia Centre for the Arts, Neighbourhood Arts Network, Schools Without Borders, the Toronto Youth Cabinet, and the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy. The collective ran from 2013-2016.

Living Black Genius is a program designed to illuminate the living Black Canadian geniuses of today.  Created out of the necessity for adequate representations of Black Canadian role models beyond the minimal depiction in the media, Natasha, the founder of Living Black Genius, explained, “the stereotype would be a rapper, musician, entertainer, or athlete … when we asked the kids in our program who a Black Canadian role model (was), we got blank stares – and Drake.” With youths’ aspirations tied to these scarce representations, it was vital to the LBG team to fill in the narrative.  Natasha told us, “When (we) think Canadian, (we) must think all Canadians.  Especially if you’re a Black Canadian, you want to be represented in your country.”  So, the team took on the task of broadening the spectrum.  The program, which happens twice a week, has brought in a variety of professionals, “we wanted there to be a mixed bag (of professionals), because some are going to speak more to others than others”. Youth suggest the types of professionals they would appreciate hearing from, and research the professionals before they come in to the program, “We don’t want the workshops with outside facilitators to be a pinpoint of reference on leadership", Natasha explained. Youth direct the program the whole way through, with some even assisting with workshop facilitation. Natasha talked to us about a West African drummer who came in to discuss the rhythm and meanings behind drumming language, and the connections that have crossed from West Africa, “One of the youth was from West Africa and it was amazing what he could chime in!  He supported the drummer as a secondary assistant drummer and was telling us what he knows.  He even showed us a song that he knew!” “Share your dreams. You are living Black geniuses” Leadership within the program has been carried out by everyone in the room, “We’re learning from the kids, too.  We want them to know that just because you’re young, or just because you’re a young Black youth, doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to contribute.  Share your dreams - you are living Black geniuses.” She went on, “We want to share that you don’t just have to be a leader in your community, but with everyone in your life … you don’t have to stick yourself in a box … leadership is infinite”.  Natasha and the Living Black Genius team, which consists of: Natasha Adiyana Morris (founder); Amanda Nicholls (co-program lead); and, Dennis Langley (media director), have documented the experience through video, and the youth have led the direction every step of the way. She talked to us about how, in January when the program began, preparation, participation, and confidence seemed low.  Now, an atmospheric change has occurred.  Time is utilized.  Each participant has the confidence to share and contribute ideas, and each one ensures that the other has lines within the documentary shorts.  She told us that the youth strongly understand that these documentaries are not just for them to gain skills, but to educate the public who sees them – to fill in the narrative. When we asked her exactly what it was that ArtReach helped fund, Natasha proclaimed, “EVERYTHING! We could pay facilitators an honorarium.  We could purchase the camera, the lens, and the lighting.  We could pay ourselves.  Most importantly, we could extend the program until Christmas and keep these relationships going!”  Natasha hopes that some of the youth leaders within the Living Black Genius program will help assist her in initiating the program in other areas of the GTA, such as Mississauga, “The program has been organically growing and so I want to keep that going”! Learn more about Piece of Mine here! Author: Cassey Andrews

Beautiful Minds is new to the program scene.  Developed in 2016, its intention has been the promotion of self-care and mindfulness paired with the demotion of stigma surrounding mental health.  Nicole D’Souza, the founder of Beautiful Minds, notes, “Negative mental health can be things in normal circumstances, like taking a test - let’s cope with that!”  The program looks for new techniques that foster a positive mental health state, because, well, not everyone just wants to talk about stuff. Beautiful Minds explores ways to transcend the singular way of westernized mental health practices of sitting and talking.  Understanding that they may look different from person to person and culture to culture, “some (languages) don’t have a word for mental health … some cultures are very private and your thoughts are very private … (and) not every culture believes in medication” says Nicole.  Self-care can be done through dance, storytelling, or nature; expression goes beyond the spoken word.   Beautiful Minds aims to dust off, sharpen, or discover the tools that best work for an individual’s self-care. Discovering your tools for expression can be a daunting task; the program acts as a metaphorical map to help youth discover the treasure that works best for them.  Offering various techniques for self-care over multiple weeks, the youth are given tastes of expressive forms without the intimidating obligation of eating the whole thing, “doing things for an hour each week is less intimidating than a six week program (focused on one thing) … we attempt everything!”  It’s not about being the best, or doing the thing that you’re good at, but finding the thing that works best for you. With the help of ArtReach funding, art supplies and artist themselves are brought in to facilitate programs in their craft (such as: dance, yoga, spoken word, rap, and more).  Nicole laughed as she explained to us about how the Beautiful Minds team attempts everything, although “not being that great at anything”.  The hope is that the authenticity of the mentors can create a safe and brave space for the participants. Creating a safe communal space is integral given the current climate of the mental health scene; Nicole explains, “Mental health is becoming predominant in the news and other venues.  Youth get diagnosed more so at childhood and adolescents – wait lists exist.”  By creating a space, on Sundays, when most facilities are closed, the team attempts to promote wellness for folks who are experiencing either mental illness or negative mental health experiences.  Through understanding their personalized self-care, youth can understand their boundaries and needs; as well as multiple means to express them.  Mental wellness is neither singular nor linear, it is a beautiful juxtaposition of every inch of your self; and, Beautiful Minds hopes to illuminate that beauty. Learn more about Beautiful Minds here Author: Cassey Andrews