CALL FOR WINTER/SPRING COURSE PROPOSALS
DEADLINE EXTENDED:
NOVEMBER 13

Art Cart is a partnership between Workman Arts and Gifts of Light, which pairs established Workman Arts member artists with CAMH client services to provide peer-to-peer arts instruction with an emphasis on skill development and creative exploration. These art workshops connect artists with lived experience of mental health and addiction issues with those currently in recovery through structured 10-week workshop series exploring a specific art medium in-depth and building a body of work. Each season of workshops concludes with an exhibit of work produced across all of the classes, and participating artists are given the option to select works to exhibit and sell. Art Cart engages participants in a process of creation that not only provides recreational richness, expressive agency and quality of life, but allows them to create pieces that are theirs to showcase and keep.

Art Cart classes are deeply treasured and appreciated by the participants and provide something really special in clinical settings. Teaching in the Art Cart program can be a bit different than teaching in the Workman Arts community or with community partners. Some things that an instructor might expect include:

• Materials restrictions: many participants may have certain arts materials that they cannot use during recovery. We often need to be adaptable in the materials participants will use. Common materials restrictions include scissors or sharps, carving tools or long strings. Note that some groups have no restrictions at all, so you are still welcome to propose courses that include these materials.
• Shorter class time: Art Cart classes are 45 minutes to 1 hour in length, depending on the group. This time can fly by very quickly, so classes well suited to the program will be able to set up rather quickly, get folks into the practice and wrap up on time.
• Participant turnover: Some clinical partners will allow for a consistent group of participants across 10 weeks to really allow your group to build a practice and work on some longer term projects. Most groups, however, will have some turnover – either having new participants each time, or some new and some returning. Classes well suited to the program will be able to suit both new and returning participants.

If you are interested in teaching as part of the Art Cart program, please indicate that in your proposal. There will be a field that will allow you to comment on how your course would be flexible for these differences.

Workman Arts instructors have collaborated and hosted courses and workshops with the following organizations:

Homes First

Hong Fook Mental Health Association

Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)

Recovery College

Tangled Art + Disability

The 519

Toronto Community Housing

Trinity Square Video

• Paid teaching opportunities during the Winter/Spring term(s) at Workman Arts, Art Cart, and/or partner sites
• Free access to training and professional development opportunities
• Community-based peer support from artists who have mental health experiences
• Access to Zoom Pro for planning and running courses
• Access to equipment and/or gear for teaching, temporary digital storage space

Click here to apply online.

Workman Arts also invites applicants to submit their applications in the following format:

• Paper sent by mail
• Oral format*
• ASL

*This includes: an interview by phone or video conferencing (Zoom, Skype, or Meet), a voice recording (MP3 or WAV), or a video recording (MP4, AVI, or MOV)

Applicants who would like to apply by mail, orally, or with ASL services can get in touch with the Education Manager by October 14th to make arrangements. Workman staff or a peer support may be assigned to help the applicant complete the submission process.

Applications will be assessed on the content itself and not be judged based on the format of the submission.

• Apply by the deadline (Sunday, November 13, 11:59 pm)
• Workman Arts staff will review all applications and create a shortlist (by end of November)
• Final decisions will be made by Workman Arts staff (by early December)
• Instructors will be confirmed (by mid- December)