CREATIVE MINDS NORTH YORK SATELLITE

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.

Workman Arts North York Satellite is specifically looking to add programming in North York.

Have questions?
RAINE LAURENT-EUGÈNE
Membership & Hospital Programs Manager
416-583-4339, ext. 9
Raine_LaurentEugene@workmanarts.com

OPPORTUNITIES

Introduction to Needle Felting – Creative Minds

Introduction to Needle Felting is an in-person course happening at the Meridian Arts Centre in partnership with North York Arts and Workman Arts. Registration will be open from Sept 11 to Oct 3, at which point accepted registrants will be contacted. Please note there is a 15-person limit of participants.

Felting is a process of mechanically bonding fibres to create garments and household objects that predates knitting. Through exploring felting together, we will discover ways to soothe the nervous system while learning the forgiving medium of fibre art. Kat encourages learners to connect to the materials they are using as well as each other, listen to their bodies, and approach creative challenges with curiosity and compassion.

In this class, you will:

– learn about felting tools, materials & safety practices for 2D and 3D design & embellishment
– harness focus, planning, and creative problem solving skills
– develop a soothing arts practice with repetitive hand movements and quiet tactile sounds.

 

Dates: Tuesdays Oct 10, 17, 24, 31 & Nov 7, 14, 21.

Time: 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Where: Meridian Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge Street, North York. The lobbies of Meridian Arts Centre are barrier free for patrons using wheelchairs or similar assistive devices, with the upper lobby accessible via elevators on the main floor. Accessible washrooms are located on all levels.

Price: Free

Program Lead: Kat Singer

Kat Singer (they/them) is a multimedia artist and educator living and working in Toronto. They are passionate about social justice and equity, maker culture, and sustainability. They are a textile enthusiast with a passion for felting. For Kat, the softness of the material, the repetitive motion of the needle, and the gentle rhythmic sound this activity produces combine to induce a relaxed, mindful state.

In collaboration with TO Live.

Memoria: Photography and Digital Scrapbooking – Creative Minds

Memoria: Photography & Digital Scrapbooking is a virtual course happening via Zoom with Workman Arts and  North York Arts. Registration will be open during the duration of the course. Please note there is a 15-person limit on participants.

What would it feel like to be nostalgic for our present, not just our past? Memoria is a beginner-friendly digital media program for those with no formal training in photography.

Participants learn referencing and the basics of dissecting art direction, and with journal prompts and discussion reflect on what themes resonate with them based on the images they are intuitively drawn to. Using this as a framework, participants will document elements of their environment via photos, videos, and/or soundscape recordings and leave with an assembled digital scrapbook memorializing a period of being.

Dates: Tuesdays Oct 17, 24, 31
Time: 6:00PM to 8:00PM
Where: Online via Zoom. Please note that we will have closed captioning and transcriptions available to send to participants.
Price: Free

Program Lead: Pam Lau

Pam Lau is a photographer, director and educator. Recipient of the Applied Arts Young Blood Photography Award and named a photographer to watch in a 500px spotlight on Asian Heritage Month. Co-founder of Ecru; a grassroots educational initiative for those facing cultural, financial, and institutional barriers to entering creative industries. Past clients include PUMA, American Express, General Motors, Microsoft, Shopify, Refinery29. Ambassador for Canon Canada.