EDUCATION PROGRAM

Storytelling Through Burlesque is a 6-week introduction to the basics of Burlesque. Starting with answering the question, what is Burlesque? participants will get the chance to learn about and demystify any preconceived notions about the artform through open discussion, questions, demonstrations, and group exercises.

They will learn about the characteristics of the three main Burlesque archetypes and how to use them as the foundation for creating a narrative. The participants will also learn how to use Burlesque as an art medium to elevate their story creation by using movement, musicality, costuming, and props.

There will not be any nudity. All participants engage within their comfort zone and always have the right to pass.

Each class will begin with light movement and stretching followed by a brief recap of the previous class.

The three intended outcomes of this workshop series are:

1. Participants will have a fundamental understanding of Burlesque as an artform.

2. Participants will discover a sense of curiosity and playfulness through the use of movement and props.

3. Participants will learn how to develop a preliminary draft of a narrative-focused act that they could one day perform on stage.

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Storytelling Through Burlesque’s facilitator, Ashley T. is called “Toronto’s flawless gem of Burlesque”. She is a local Burlesque performer and Producer known as Miss Diamond. She has been performing in the Burly community for 5 years, has entertained at nearly 50 shows and headlined for 10 of them, Ashley has also produced and co-produced 4 sold-out productions.

She has delighted audiences from 16 different stages across the city, including Rivoli, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and Sweet Action Theatre.

In terms of Burlesque style, she describes herself as a Neo Storyteller with the characteristics of a Clownish Femme Fatale. Her talents lie in creating imaginative and memorable narratives by using a combination of costuming, musicality, handmade props, and staging to bring her stories to life captivating her audiences

PARTICIPANT MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS:

o Every week: comfortable clothing they can move in and a water bottle

o Optional, but encouraged: Pen and notebook for taking notes and brainstorming

o Week five: bringing in clothing/costuming they feel good in and want to learn/practice how to remove.

Must be 19+ and BIPOC. QTBIPOC will be prioritized. All genders and abilities/neurotypes welcome. No experience necessary.

NO CLASS: May 19

Monday

1PM - 3PM

32 Lisgar

May 12 - Jun 23

Art Workshop Facilitation 101 provides a solid foundation for artists aspiring to become skilled and confident workshop facilitators, ready to share their passion and expertise with adult learners. Through writing, presentation, and collective brainstorming exercises, participants will learn to confidently design and lead art workshops, opening up new opportunities for professional growth and entrepreneurship. By the end of this course, participants will have an introductory teaching portfolio, complete with artist bio, teaching statement, and templates for workshop proposal, budget, invoice, and more. Participants will also have an organized Google Drive to help them easily navigate their documents and templates.

Aside from meeting on Zoom, this course will be entirely conducted on Google Workspace. Participants should have a GMail account that allows them to use Google Drive, which includes Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Folders. Additionally, participants may wish to brainstorm or write in a notebook with a pen/pencil.

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Khadija Aziz is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Toronto. She has taught over 150 art workshops in the last five years, including at the Textile Museum of Canada, Harbourfront Centre, Workman Arts, and Art Etobicoke. Her art and community engagement have been recognized with awards from Volunteer Toronto, the Ontario Museum Association, Craft Ontario, and the Surface Design Association. Khadija is currently an artist-in-residence at the Harbourfront Centre's Textile Studio.

Tuesday

2PM - 4PM

ONLINE

May 6 - Jun 10

This comprehensive 6-week course designed specifically for emerging artists, aims to equip folks with the administrative and writing skills necessary to effectively resource their work. The curriculum addresses practical skills and covers a range of topics including writing artist statements and bios, developing artist websites, CV writing, creating professional artist profiles for granting bodies, grant writing, and budgeting. The goal of the course is to empower artists to present their work professionally, secure funding, and manage their resources effectively, gaining practical skills necessary for artistic entrepreneurship, often often overlooked in traditional art education.

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Camila Salcedo is a Venezuelan-born, Tkaronto-based interdisciplinary artist working in textiles, community art and curation. Camila has extensive experience as an art educator, grant writer, and administration, and has participated in numerous artist residencies and exhibition

NO CLASS: May 20

Tuesday

4PM - 6PM

ONLINE

May 6 - Jun 17

Anti-oppression for artists and cultural producers is a workshop for artists and creatives of all disciplines. The course explores power dynamics and systemic injustice within the art world and beyond. Rooted in liberatory politics, disability justice and mad justice, this workshop explores cultural supremacy, power hoarding, and resource oppression. This workshop centralizes the role of artists in addressing injustice through the content and context of their work, and the role of revolutionary art in inciting, documenting, or imagining political change. An anti-oppression framework is provided to critique institutional dynamics as well as personal artistic practices through group activities, case studies, and discussion.

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Rania El Mugammar is a Sudanese artist, abolitionist, community organizer, and social justice educator based in Tkaronto (Treaty 13). Rania's artistic and community work is deeply rooted in Black liberation, decolonization, transformative justice and repair. She is a published writer, award winning organizer, reproductive justice advocate, speaker, arts educator, and multidisciplinary performer.

Wednesday

4PM - 6PM

ONLINE

May 7 - Jun 11

How do we write ourselves? How do we write in and out of ourselves, and what happens then? How does the practice of writing create another life? And how might this life be shared with others? "I" is the prismatic core around which we will soar in these weeks together.

For six weeks, we will read, reflect, and respond to various life-writing works from poetic fragments to letters to films where the self expands beyond the “I” and into various worlds, languages, and non-languages. Where the “I” is obfuscated, illegible, or abandoned is where we are going.

Each class will begin with a collective reading of a selected text aloud, followed by a discussion around how “I” is made: how it moves and maneuvers, camouflages and carries throughout.

Each session will conclude with a collective writing exercise. The final two weeks will offer participants a space to share and discuss their work, and receive feedback from the rest of the class.

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Ami Xherro is a poet and translator. Her work explores methods of personal archiving in multiple languages (Albanian, French, English), surfaces (paper, screen, text), and forms (poetry, sound, video) to explore the limits of legibility and self. She is the author of the poetry collection Drank, Recruited (Guernica Editions, 2023), which won the 2024 Nelson Ball Prize. Her second book, BED YEAR, is forthcoming with Pamenar Press. With the Toronto Experimental Translation Collective (TETC), she attempts to push the practices of translation beyond the tongue and deeper into the body.

Wednesday

6PM - 8PM

ONLINE

May 7 - Jun 11

In Queer Ecologies, participants will explore interdisciplinary modes of art-making in relation to and in collaboration with the environment. Classes will include presentations, shared readings, hands-on art making, and conversations around sustainable materials and practices.

Participants will experiment with traditional and non-traditional processes, like working with natural pigments and cyanotypes (a camera-less photography and print technique that uses the sun's UV rays), and develop work and thought through queer-feminist practices.

***Note: Masks will be required for this class, to help protect immunocompromised staff and participants.

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Sarah Mihara Creagen is a mixed-race Japanese Canadian queer artist born in Nova Scotia and currently living in Toronto. Sarah received her MFA in 2018 from Hunter College (NYC) and was a 2018 Queer|Art Mentorship Fellow. Sarah has had solo exhibitions in Toronto and NYC, and multiple artist-run centres across Canada (Halifax, Montreal, London ON, Regina), with an upcoming solo exhibition at Artcite Inc. (Windsor) in fall 2025.

Currently working between drawing, performance, and social practice, Sarah's work consists of research into intersecting histories of the medical system and botany, and considers these topics through personal experiences of queerness, chronic illness and disability while living with Crohn’s Disease. Come visit her this summer at the Garden of Repairs, an active bioremediation garden she's co-directing in Hamilton, Ontario!

Wednesday

2PM - 4PM

32 Lisgar

May 21 - Jun 25

ARTS APPRECIATION IS BACK!

Sign up and get the scoop on free tickets to plays, concerts, exhibitions, and more around Toronto. *Limited spots available.

*Most events have a limited number of spots and not all those who register will be guaranteed a spot. When tickets for events become available, we will contact members who have registered for Arts Appreciation. Tickets will be distributed through a lottery system.

Once an event has reached capacity, we may have a wait-list. For events with a wait list, participants are also chosen through a lottery system.

You will receive a confirmation email directly from the Education Coordinator, Teyama, indicating whether you have been granted a ticket or placed on the wait-list.

For more information, please contact Teyama at teyama_alkamli@workmanarts.com

Monday

10AM - 6PM

EMAIL LIST

May 1 - Jun 30

Join Podcasting Audio Storytelling Workshop, a six-week hands-on class designed for storytellers, creatives, and aspiring podcasters. Learn the essentials of audio storytelling, recording, production workflows, and monetization, while experimenting with AI tools, mastering techniques, and multiband compression. This class emphasizes community, creative freedom, and real-world experience, culminating in a final Listening Party where participants showcase their work. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, you'll gain practical knowledge and confidence in podcasting. Plus, your final project could be featured in the Workman Arts Showcase 2025 ! With weekly support and a welcoming, safer-space environment, this course encourages curiosity, playfulness with technology, and cross-promotion within the podcasting community. Sign up today to start your podcasting journey!

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Violette Craig Innes is a multidisciplinary artist, podcaster, and creative educator passionate about storytelling, sound, and community-building. With a background in music, performance, and media arts, Violette explores the intersection of technology, narrative, and identity. Their work spans **podcasting, audio production, and experimental sound design**, fostering inclusive spaces for creative expression. As a mentor and facilitator, Violette empowers emerging artists to find their voice through audio storytelling and digital media. 🎙✨

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU TAKE THIS CLASS

optional :

🔹 Computer or Tablet or smartphone – For recording, editing, and production.

🔹 Headphones– Closed-back recommended for accurate audio monitoring.

🔹 Microphone – USB or XLR mic (optional but improves quality).

🔹Recording Software (DAW) – Options include Audacity** (free), GarageBand (Mac), Adobe Audition , or Logic Pro .

🔹 Internet Access – For research, AI tools, and collaborative projects.

🔹 Notepad or Digital Notes App – For scripting and brainstorming.

🔹 Access to Royalty-Free Sound Libraries – Recommended: Zapsplat , Pond5 .

🔹 Zoom – Used as a multitrack recording studio.

💡 No prior experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to experiment! 🎙✨

Thursday

12PM - 2PM

ONLINE

May 8 - Jun 12

Take control of your online presence and create a professional website with ease!

This hands-on virtual course is designed for artists and entrepreneurs looking to establish a digital presence beyond social media. Participants will learn to build their own website—either with a free version or a paid plan featuring a custom domain.

Through easy to follow guided steps, students will design and develop a site tailored to their unique needs. They will learn how to showcase a portfolio, promote workshops and services, integrate an artist statement and CV, and even start a blog. The course also covers essential skills in website maintenance, search engine optimisation (SEO), and email marketing, enabling participants to manage and update their site independently—without extra costs.

Additional topics include photographing and uploading artwork, setting up online sales, linking social media accounts, and growing a subscriber list. By the end of the course, each participant will have a personalised, professional website that reflects their creative brand and expands their reach.

No prior web design experience is required. This course requires: 1. Computer (desktop/laptop) with reliable internet connection. & 2. Camera or phone that can take good quality pictures to build a portfolio (if applicable).

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Tanzina Amin (she/her) is a visual artist, curator, and Reiki Master with a background in architecture and over 25 years of corporate management experience. Known for her vibrant and expressive paintings, she has curated more than 75 art exhibitions in Toronto. Following a transformative journey, she actively volunteers at a hospice, offering Reiki, wellness, and bereavement support to palliative individuals and their families.

Passionate about sharing her expertise, Tanzina teaches art, wellness, and professional development workshops for all ages. Since 2009, she has designed and managed her own portfolio websites and branding materials for her art, events, and services. She has also developed websites for friends and family, gaining valuable experience in user-friendly web design.

As a self-employed artist, she understands the challenges creatives face in networking and building an online presence on a budget, and she strives to help others navigate this space effectively.

Thursday

2PM - 4PM

ONLINE

May 8 - Jun 12

Join an improv class that is focused on the fundamentals of improv acting. Here you can expect to learn short-form games, the fundamentals of improv performance, and improve your presence on stage. These skills can be applied to all aspects of live performances, and public speaking. Come join us for some fun, laughs, and a chance to break out of the mundane.

Aidan Roy is a skilled theatre artist based in British Columbia, holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of British Columbia (UBC). Since graduating, he has built a diverse career in improvisational theatre, performing with companies such as Tightrope Theatre and founding the Richmond Improv Theatre Society, where he also served as an educator and artistic director. Aidan’s extensive experience and passion for the craft have shaped his approach to both performance and instruction. He is eager to share his expertise and enthusiasm with his new students in Toronto.

Thursday

4PM - 6PM

32 Lisgar

May 22 - Jun 26

Queering Mosaics offers an opportunity to learn traditional mosaic techniques with an emphasis on using unconventional materials and expressing personal narratives and queer identity.

This course will guide you through the entire mosaic making process. Over the term you'll learn direct method techniques to transform small pieces of glass, ceramic, and other materials into intricate designs. You will gain the fundamental skills needed to craft your own unique piece on a flat surface. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your creativity, enthusiasm, and an open heart.

Coley: I am multidisciplinary artist and performer constantly creating in Tkaronto. My work is largely process-oriented, and I have ongoing an interest in syzygy, identity, and place. I primarily work in sculpture and installation, blending traditional glass techniques with collage, drawing, and performance to create abstract works rooted in play, movement, and experience.

Open to beginners, LGBTQ+ members priority but open to all.

Friday

4PM - 6PM

32 Lisgar

May 9 - Jun 13