End of summer update -ArtBridges / ToileDesArts

photo by naserke

Bonjour à tous!
La fin de l’été approche à grand pas, et ici à la ToileDesArts nous avons hâte de voir ce que nous réserve l’automne! Après un été reposant et régénérateur, nous sommes de retour à pleine force pour continuer à souligner les dévéloppements en arts communautaires dans tout le pays, et d’approfondir d’avantages les liens entre organisations, resources, programmes et projets qui facilitent l’accès aux arts au Canada. Mettons-nous au travail!

-Alli Melanson
Assistante de recherche francophone

Soon enough, the summer heat will be making way for the fall breeze and we here at ArtBridges/ToileDesArts can’t wait! While we’ve taken some time off and had a bit of time to relax in summer slumbers,  we’re rejuvenated and now back in the office–ready to bring you more stories and developments in the Community Arts field in Canada! Please be patient…

We’re most excited and looking forward to be artbridging with you all! So give us a call or send us an email, we’d love to hear about what your Fall schedule looks like for community arts projects, programs, events, workshops, and more.! If we haven’t reached out to you or your community arts initiative yet, please get in touch with us!

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

-Lisa Tran
Social Networking and Communications Assistant

Une conversation avec Luc Bihan (LucSculpture; Toronto)

J’ai récemment eu la chance de jaser avec Luc Bihan, directeur de l’école LucSculpture au 663 Danforth où il ne manque certainement pas d’activité. De nombreuses soirées culturelles, camps d’été, cours d’arts bilingues, vernissages, et bien sûr le festival Art of the Danforth, ne sont que quelques-uns des projets qui se déroulent aux environs de LucSculpture.

Mr. Luc Bihan a partagé avec moi son besoin d’aider les gens à travers la créativité. Un artiste lui-même, il a pour but de transmettre de son expérience et sa passion, ainsi que ses connaissances dans le domaine des arts communautaires puisque son école fleurit depuis déjà cinq ans. Autant en art visuelle qu’en danse et musique, le centre privilégie la diversité culturelle. Dernièrement, le centre a organisé un soirée de poésie multilingue, fournissant un milieu où multiples voix et langues ont pu s’entretenir.

Luc m’a aussi parlé d’un de ses ateliers préférés, la fabrication des tambours Udu. Au mois de septembre, les participants auront la chance de créer des instruments en argile, qui selon l’opinion de Mr. Bihan produisent un son très thérapeutique. Ce cours me semble une concrétisation parfaite de la philosophie de Lucsculpture: la santé émotive à travers la créativité, toujours en mettant l’accent sur une fidélité à la nature.

Luc comprends bien les bénéfices enrichissantes de la création, du mixage culturel et d’une conscience écologique, et sa passion est contagieuse! Beaucoup d’élèves maintenant trop vieux pour participer aux camps choisissent de revenir comme bénévoles. Ainsi, la communauté continue à croître. Tout de même, l’école est toujours à la recherche de personnes enthousiastes qui ont de quoi à offrir.

C’est un rare plaisir de retrouver sous un seul toit un si grand nombre de services, et surtout qu’ils sont aussi disponibles à la communauté francophone de Toronto!

Vous voulez en apprendre d’avantage? Écoutez ces vidéos où Mr. Bihan explique sa vocation, et visitez son site: lucsculpture.com

– Alli, ToileDesArts

-affiché avec la permission de Luc Bihan

Lisez notre profil de LucSculpture ici.

Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.

Re-Opening: All Nations Healin’ Thru Artz Re-Opens in September (Regina)

ArtBridges is thrilled to announce that Regina’s All Nations Healin’ Thru Artz will be resuming operations this coming September after closing their doors earlier this year when their federal funding was cut. With funds from the City of Regina’s Aboriginal Community Grant Program and the Province of Saskatchewan’s Community Initiatives Fund, ANHTA will be able to reinstate their Multi-Media Artz After School Program for the 2012/13 school year.

Throughout the school year, First Nations, Metis and non-Aboriginal youth from Regina’s high-risk neighbourhoods will attend hiphop dance and film-making classes every evening for two weeks of each month. Participants will also receive a meal and have a variety of life skills programs available to them, including suicide prevention, anger management, healthy relationship-building, addictions counselling and First Nations cultural teachings. At the end of the school year, ANHTA will produce a year-end performance show celebrating what the youth have accomplished over the past 8 months.

Monica Fogel, GM of Artistic Programming at ANHTA says:

“The more after school programming made available to the youth, the better off the community will be. Just watching the current events unfolding in North-Central Regina its obvious that there is a disconnect between our young people and their sense of belonging in the community.

All Nations Healin’ Thru Artz acts as a platform to advocate the hidden issues some youth/young adults face within their inner-city communities.

ANHTA aims to promote change and influence opinions, thoughts, direction and general ignorance towards a better awareness and understanding by giving a voice to the otherwise voiceless, a face to the faceless; and an opportunity to change perceptions.

Volunteer opportunities are available to participate in and support ANHTA programs and projects. Partnership opportunities are encouraged with organizations, institutions and groups.

We are always grateful to any financial support that we receive through private and corporate donations.

With the generosity of outside assistance ANHTA will be able to keep the doors open and provide free artistic workshops as well as life skills that empower the youth to tell their stories in their own voices, build skills, develop confidence, pride and self-esteem, achieve success and participate in their community.

It takes a village to raise a child.”

This year, registration takes place Monday, September 10th from 3-6pm at Healing Hearts Ministries, 766 Angus Street (corner of Angus and 3rd Avenue).

Visit www.anhta.org for more info or click here to see ArtBridges’ previous posts about All Nations Healin’ Thru Artz.

Please see ArtBridges’ Google Map for contact information.

Written by Cora-Rae Silk
Indigenous Community Arts Coordinator & Communications Assistant
ArtBridges / ToileDesArts

Posted with permission from Monica Fogel
GM of Artistic Programming
All Nations Healin’ Thru Artz

All photos courtesy of All Nations Healin’ Thru Artz

Profile: 106 and York Urban Arts Festival (North West Toronto)

Profile: 106 and York Urban Arts Festival
Status: Not-for-profit
Community served: Youth
Region served: North West Toronto
Language used: English
Arts focus: All Urban Arts: music, dance, visual, theater, media etc.
Summary of Main Art Activities/Projects: 106 and York is a youth-led collaborative that supports youth in the urban arts through various initiatives. Our most prominent initiative is our multi-disciplinary youth urban arts festival that is presented in collaboration with other youth-led organizations such as Highclass and N.I.S.E. Clothing and larger organizations such as UrbanArts and Manifesto. This festival develops and showcases the talent of emerging musicians, recording artists, dancers, theatre groups, visual artists, film makers, photographers and fashion designers of North West Toronto.

The organization also serves the professional developmental needs of youth by using mentorship to train younger and less experienced youth on the positions required to make the festival happen.

Additionally, the collective offers artist development workshops that train local emerging artists on art and business skills needed for their professional development.

Beyond the festival, 106 and York supports and motivates young people who have been alienated from mainstream institutions to organize and create spaces for artistic expression in meaningful and professional ways.

Mandate: 106 and York is an Urban Arts organization that helps to develop and support Toronto urban artists of various disciplines. While we support artists from all over Toronto, we focus on artists in the North West communities of Jane and Finch, Weston Mount Dennis and Rexdale. These are Toronto’s lowest economic communities and their
location makes the abundant artistic programming, festivals and events of Toronto’s downtown core inaccessible.

Contact: Leandra LeGendre, Coordinator
Phone number: 647-330-9884
E-mail: leandralegendre@gmail.com
Website: www.106andyork.com
Address: 19 John Street

-submitted by 106 and York

Please see ArtBridges Google Map for more information.

Profil: Théâtre français de Toronto

crédit photo: Marc Lemyre

Profil: « Le Théâtre français de Toronto est un théâtre professionnel de langue française, de répertoire et de création. Il s’adresse à tous les amateurs de théâtre en français, tant les francophones que les francophiles : ce faisant, il contribue au développement culturel et pédagogique des communautés qu’il touche. »

Position: Organisme à but non lucratif
Communauté visée pour la programmation d’art: Grand public
Discipline d’art: théâtre
Langues utilisées: français (surtitres en anglais pour certaines représentations)
Région: Sud-ouest de l’Ontario
Objectif de la programmation d’art: De la comédie à la création contemporaine en passant par le répertoire classique et moderne, le bassin d’œuvres théâtrales en français dans lequel le TfT puise les pièces qu’il diffuse est vaste. Compagnie éclectique, le TfT crée, produit et accueille des productions théâtrales d’ici et d’ailleurs. La création occupe une place importante dans la démarche artistique du TfT; elle est source d’échanges, de découvertes et de ressourcement. Les choix artistiques du TfT sont portés par le besoin de raconter, de surprendre et d’émouvoir les amateurs de théâtre en français, qu’ils soient des enfants, des adolescents ou des adultes.

Parce que nous croyons en l’influence que peut avoir le théâtre sur la communauté et les artistes, la programmation du TfT doit soutenir et influencer la communauté artistique et tous les amateurs de théâtre en français. En plus de présenter un répertoire canadien et international, la programmation et les activités du TfT doiventporter une attention toute particulière au jeune public, permettre aux artistes de se développer dans leur art tout en vivant en français, encourager le plus grand nombre de créateurs de Toronto, inclure des textes de création pour donner la chance au public de découvrir des œuvres nouvelles et renforcer chez son public le sentiment d’appartenance.

Sommaire des activités/projets artistiques principaux:

• Pièces grand public classiques ou de création.
• Concours d’écriture pour les adolescents
• Atelier d’impro
• Cours de théâtre pour enfants

Contact:  Guy Mignault (directeur artistique)
Tel.: 416 534 6604
E-mail: info@theatrefrancais.com
Site web: www.theatrefrancais.com
Adresse: Spectacles au Berkeley Street Theatre. 26 rue Berkeley à Toronto (Ontario).
Adresse postale et bureaux : 610-21 rue College, M5G 2B3 Toronto, ON

crédit photo: Dominic Manca

-soumis par Guy Mignault

Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.

Report: “ArtBridging Ontario” Report

“ArtBridging Ontario” Report: September 2011 – April 2012

By Ania Stypulkowski, ArtBridging Ontario Coordinator

“A total of 97 profiles have been posted about Ontario-based community arts initiatives on the ArtBridges/ToileDesArts network since the network started in May 2009. Since starting my p/t position as ArtBridging Ontario Coordinator in September 2011, we have made 45 new community partners based in Ontario. These include community-engaged arts initiatives in inner-city, rural, francophone, northern and indigenous communities.

We collaborated with community arts initiatives and created profiles about organizations, programs, projects and resources that included a range of models and mandates. Some interesting examples were:

• Dixon Hall which offers a range of arts programs from subsidized music classes to a seniors health and wellness program that integrates arts
• North York Community House Digital Storytelling Program works with newcomers and community members from North York and uses storytelling as a way to empower participants and raise awareness about social issues
• ArtsCan circle, based in Newmarket, uses the arts to improve the self-esteem of Indigenous youth
• Sioux Lookout Creative Arts Circle serves artists in Northwestern Ontario, and provides promotion and exhibition opportunities
• Ottawa Inner City Ministries uses art to engage and empower at-risk homeless youth
• SuiteLife Arts for Youth provides the cost of transportation and serves lunch to youth participants so that they can take part in the performing arts workshops

We found community arts initiatives by word of mouth, online searches, and previous research. One contact sometimes led us to the next. The ArtBridges/ToileDesArts network allows information to be spread about the great things that these community- engaged arts programs, projects, organizations, services, and resources do for Ontario communities.

In addition to creating the profiles, we created 37 new posts that served to update the ArtBridges network about goings-on in the field across Ontario and Canada. This was done by asking our community partners to contribute information about their symposiums, toolkits, events, workshops, stories, videos, program updates, announcements and contests.  Our community partners also routinely sent us information to share on our Canada-wide network in order to reach out to others. We call this “ArtBridging: Creating networks and collaborations between community arts projects / programs / organizations / resources with the outcome being positive benefits to communities.” When others see value in our network, they too contribute.

I introduced ArtBridges to the Toronto art and music scene and got an article written about ArtBridges/ToileDesArts in Spontaneous Combustion Magazine, which is created and run by recently graduated Ontario Art College of Design University (OCADU) Art and Music students. This was meant to show how ArtBridges can serve emerging artists and those who would like to work or volunteer in community arts in their area.

When contacting new initiatives, I made a serious effort to increase the amount of profiles that we had outside of Toronto. In 2012, we collected more information about Ottawa, and because I spoke to the Arts Council of Windsor I was connected with arts in rural Ontario and in Windsor.  I had the pleasure of having a presentation by a Canadian Artists’ Representation/ le Front des artistes Canadians (CARFAC) representative to my thesis class at OCADU and I used the knowledge I learned at the presentation to write a post about CARFAC from my perspective as an art student and an emerging artist.

The instances of “ArtBridging” demonstrate our consistent involvement with the initiatives that we connect with. For example, after having a few phone conversations with the founder of Six Ah Wi and posting a profile about their initiative, the founder asked if we could help him find Board Members. This is the sort of thing we often do.”

 - Ania Stypulkowski, ArtBridging Ontario Coordinator

Profile: Heart of the City Piano Program, Montréal Branch

photo credits: Bettina Choo, Heart of the City Piano Program, Montréal Branch

Profile: Heart of the City Piano Program, Montréal Branch
Status: Heart of the City Piano Program is a national organization with branches in different Canadian cities. The Montréal Branch is a University-student led organization affiliated with the McGill Alma Mater Fund and the Student’s Society of McGill University
Community served: At-risk youth
Regions served: Montréal (There are other branches in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Regina, and Ottawa)
Languages used: English and French
Arts focus: Music
Summary of Main Art Activities: The Montréal Heart of the City Piano Program provides free piano lessons to inner city children by bringing volunteer teachers into elementary schools. Our program strives not only to provide the children with a skill, but also to help foster self-esteem and show these children what they can accomplish with practice and dedication. Our volunteers are enthusiastic, community-oriented young adults who serve as excellent role models for the students. Each child receives a private music lesson once a week and is required to practice regularly in a room in their elementary school equipped with headphones and keyboards. The program is completely volunteer-run and is supported entirely by the team’s fundraising events and community donations.
Mandate:
1. To give at-risk children the opportunity to take music lessons which may otherwise not be possible due to financial barriers.
2. To expose at-risk children to a variety of musical styles and help the children develop an appreciation for music.
3. To empower children to make positive life-style choices by increasing their self-esteem and developing discipline.
4. To encourage the development of nurturing relationships between at-risk children and volunteers.
5.  To promote community involvement and social awareness in young adults.
Contact: Bettina Choo, Program Co-Director
Phone number: 514-889-1420
E-mail: montrealheartofthecity@yahoo.ca
Website: www.heartofthecity.ca/montreal/
Address: Students’ Society of McGill University, 3600 rue McTavish, Suite 1200, Mailbox #6, Montréal, QC H3A 0E7 Canada

-submitted by Bettina Choo, Program Co-Director, Heart of the City Piano Program, Montréal Branch

“The Heart of the City Piano Program (Montreal branch) recently became officially affiliated with the McGill Alumni Association ‘Seeds of Change’ Program which allows alumni to choose to donate to grassroots McGill organizations. For the first time, individuals are able to make tax deductible donations to the Montreal Branch at http://aoc.mcgill.ca/give/ways-give/seeds-change/projects/heart-city“

Please look forward to the French profile for Heart of the City Piano Program, Montréal Branch in the future!

Appel aux réalisateurs! (Le Labo, Toronto)

Appel aux réalisateurs!

Le Labo veux promouvoir le cinéma et la vidéo franco-ontarienne! Tous les réalisateurs franco-ontariens sont invités à soumettre leurs oeuvres ou extrait d’oeuvres en vue de faire une compilation servant à promouvoir le cinéma et la vidéo franco ontarienne auprès des coopératives de productions indépendentes du Québec.

À la ToileDesArts, nous adorons tout ce qui est échange, partage et développement dans la communauté artistique, et voici l’occasion parfaite de la faire croître!

Pour plus d’information sur ce projet fantastique, veuillez consultez le formulaire d’inscription, ou visitez: www.lelabo.ca

-affiché avec la permission de Carolina Reis, Le Labo

Lisez notre profil du Laboratoire d’Art (Le Labo) ici.
Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.

Event: The Bridging Festival (Scarborough Arts, ON. August 24-25)

Towers, Trees & Creativity:
Scarborough Neighborhood Bridges Environment & Community with Arts Festival

“The Bridging Festival returns for a third year to the Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park (KGO) neighborhood, presenting free family-friendly arts and environmental activities.  Presented by Scarborough Arts, Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA), Park People, Live Green Toronto, East Scarborough Storefront, City of Toronto and in partnership with the recently launched Tower Neighbourhood Renewal project, this annual festival in Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park is a celebration of arts, environment and community.

The festival kicks off on the evening of Friday, August 24 at The East Scarborough Storefront, 4040 Lawrence Ave East, with an outdoor film screening, free baked goods and communal decoration of the site.  The festival continues on Saturday, August 25 with seven hours of family friendly fun.  In the parking lot of The Storefront and neighboring residential towers, attendees will be treated to a community BBQ, entertained with performances of dance, music and poetry, and invited to join in participatory arts activities organized by Scarborough Arts.

“Art is a great connector that can transcend all sorts of barriers – cultural, language, age, even physical.  We have been thrilled to see the variety of individuals and groups that came together at the first two Bridging events, and can’t wait to see what happens in 2012“. Tim Whalley, Executive Director, Scarborough Arts

Meanwhile, in the green space above and below the bridge, Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) will be leading enviro-themed activities including an eco-scavenger hunt, making wildflower seed balls, and showcasing Highland Watershed Neighbourhood Greening Plans recently developed for three pilot project areas with community members.

“The local ravine, accessible through Morningside Park, is a perfect classroom for environmental education. This festival creates a fun opportunity for raising awareness of local biodiversity and actions we can each take to help improve the health of the Highland Creek and our local neighbourhoods.” – Keri McMahon, Project Manager, Toronto and Region Conservation

Inaugurated in 2010, The Bridging Festival is a community arts and culture festival which aims to bring communities together in this culturally vibrant neighbourhood while celebrating local leadership, creativity and diversity. Legacies from the first two events are still evident in the colorful murals painted on the pillars supporting underneath, and on the long concrete walls along the walkway on top of the Lawrence Avenue Bridge.  Photos and videos of the past events can be found here: http://scarborougharts.com/subtext-festival-2011-2010/

For the 2012 event, The Bridging Festival draws on a number of local resources:  the growing network of local residents involved in neighborhood revitalization through the Tower Neighborhood Renewal project, the vast green space of Morningside Park in the Highland Creek valley and the deeply rooted community networks of participating partners. Capitalizing on the universal appeal of music, art, food and nature, the festival aims to improve community spirit and engagement, create new local networks, support local artists and community members and improve the liveability of the area.

“The Bridging Festival is a great way to engage local community members, which is what the Tower Renewal project is all about –  bringing residents out of their high-rise apartments onto the street, where they can meet each other and get involved” – Jaime Elliott-Ngugi, Coordinator, Special Projects, East Scarborough Storefront

The Bridging Festival is generously supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, City of Toronto, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and Intact Financial Group. TRCA’s Highland Creek Neighbourhood Greening Project has been made possible through funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.  The Tower Neighborhood Renewal project is funded through the United Way.

For more information, call 416-698-7322, email festivals@scarborougharts.com or visit www.scarborougharts.com“

Posted with permission from Tim Whalley, Executive Director at Scarborough Arts

Please see our ArtBridges Google map for more information.

Reminder: Register your Culture Days Activities! (Canada-wide)

Culture Days is less than two months away! Make sure to register your creative activities soon and join the Culture Days movement!

“Want to get involved in the largest arts and cultural public participation campaign and annual event in Canadian history? Check out the Participation Guide and find out how.

Culture Days invites everyone to explore, discover and participate in arts and culture in every community across the country. In 2011, the second annual Culture Days event took place in more than 800 Canadian cities and towns, with attendance topping 1.2 million Canadians.

Last year, more than 1265 activities were presented across Ontario, a 36% increase over the first year’s participation levels This year’s Culture Days weekend will take place on September 28, 29 and 30, 2012. Once again, the event will feature free, hands-on, interactive activities that invite the public to participate “behind the scenes”—and to discover the world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, and designers at work in their community.”

To register a Culture Days activity or to see who has already joined the movement and to find out more, please visit www.culturedays.ca

-posted with permission from Aubrey Reeves, Culture Days

Please see ArtBridges’ Google Map for more information.