Thanks to a $1 million investment over four years from the Slaight Family Foundation, Workman Arts is expanding its art training programs throughout the GTA by partnering with Scarborough Arts, Urban Arts, North York Arts, East End Arts, Arts Etobicoke and Lakeshore Arts. The expanded program tackles the prevalence of social isolation in individuals with mental health issues and the lack of opportunities to build lasting social connections through meaningful engagement outside of the mainstream mental health system. Workman Arts’ art training programs are unique in the mental health sector because they do not treat the art class as secondary to the mental health benefits. High-quality art classes across all disciplines are facilitated by instructors with lived experience of mental health and/or addiction issues.

With Arts Etobicoke we are specifically looking to add programming in North Etobicoke this includes the area bound by Hwy 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north, the Humber river to the east and Dixon Road to the south.

Reconnecting with the Joy of Art

Join us for Nathalie Very B’s course ‘Reconnecting with the Joy of Art.’ 

Registration begins September 16th and closes on October 2nd.

In this 8-week course, I will lead the participants through a series of 1.5h wellness art making sessions to foster personal creative self-expression, deepen insight, enhance social connections, familiarize themselves with a variety of experimental mixed media techniques, and learn new art-based coping strategies. In each workshop, the participants will be guided through a mindfulness practice and offered time in a safe-enough space to make themed art without judgment or expectation of its aesthetic outcome. Sharing will take place in the latter half of the session, and while optional, it will aim to increase social connections and confidence levels around individual expression.

Dates: Wednesdays, October 4th – November 22nd, 2023

Times: 2:00-3:30pm

Location: Cloverdale Common at Cloverdale Mall,  250 The East Mall, Toronto, ON M9B 3Y8 (next to Service Ontario)

Questions? Contact John Del Rosario at john@artsetobicoke.com or 647-806-8731.