Do you have a project in development and need help to make it happen? This Master Class provides a resourceful knowledge-base to refine your vision and direction to deliver on your art project and art practice career goals.

Please note that this class requires an application process. 6 individuals and/or small collective teams will be chosen for a single 2 hour mentorship slot with the instructor. Fill out the following Jot Form by April 16th at 12PM (noon) to apply - https://www.jotform.com/240787846499277

Master Class topics covered:

Fundraising: arts grants, sales, rentals, sponsorships

Opportunities: call for submissions, memberships, partnerships, gallery representation

Artists Statements & CVs: developing and refining a vision, practice and direction

Planning: prioritize goals, set benchmarks, production budgeting and scheduling

Production: techniques, materials, suppliers, studio space

Reproduction: formats, printing, limited editions, certification, licensing, copyright, NFTs

Pricing: CARFAC, market comparisons, sales and price scaling

Commissions: client quotations, contracts and terms

Installation: fabrication, tools, transport, technical, framing, lighting

Documentation: artwork photography, video, site floor/wall plan specs

Promotion: network, artists websites, blogging, social media, print media, publishing & distribution

Invoicing: closing a sale, deposits, billing systems, gallery commissions, GST

Touring: packing, crating, transport, travel, brokerage, insurance

*

Claudette Abrams is a multimedia artist, curator and graduate of the Ontario Collage of Art in Communications and Design. She has instructed at OCADU in New Media Studies, and at the CAMH Partial Hospitalization Program in Mindfulness Art and Photo-based Art. She is the curator of the CAMH Transitions Art Collection, CaRMS Patient Experience Advisor, and has served on Art Policy Development and Public Art Selection Committees. She has produced exhibition projects for festivals and venues such as Workman Arts, Rendezvous With Madness, Nuit Blanche, Luminato, Tangled Art + Disability, the Contact Photography Festival and the Toronto International Art Fair

ONLINE

May 6 - Jun 28

This class is for Intermediate level writers wishing to work on a memoir or related project for publication. Folks can have a memoir started, or come to the class with a project idea. This class will start by reading and discussing a memoir as inspiration for their own project. Students will set weekly writing goals, and outline their project, be it a full length manuscript or a series of creative-non-fiction essays or poems. We will have weekly check in’s about progress. The last two classes will be used to explore professionalization skills, including how to edit and peer edit one’s own work and the final class will explore the steps for publication. The goal is to leave this class with a piece that is closer to publication, and an idea about next steps in moving towards finishing and publishing this work.

*

Emily Gillespie (she/they) is an author, disability activist, and professional daydreamer. She holds a BA in Gender Equality and Social Justice from Nipissing University and an MA in Critical Disability Studies from York University. Recently earned a certificate in Creative Writing from Concordia University. Gillespie’s work as an author explores themes of travel, memory, identity and mental health journeys. Her first novel, Dancing with Ghosts (Leaping Lion Books) was published in 2017 and she is currently in the process of writing a memoir. Their poetry and short-stories can be found in several journals and anthologies, and they are the co-editor of Mighty: an Anthology of Disabled Superheroes published by Renaissance Press in the fall of 2023. Gillespie enjoys working in community spaces and using literature and writing as tools for examining individual and collective experiences. They have volunteered and worked in the disability community as an activist, researcher, facilitator and educator for ten years.

NO CLASS: May 20, Jun 10

Monday

4PM - 6PM

ONLINE

May 6 - Jun 24

This course is for those who have attended Playwriting From Personal Experience Part One OR for those who have something written that they would like to water and grow and transform into a stage piece. This can be a play script but it can also be a short story, song, poetry that you would like to adapt for the stage. This course is for those who have started something and want to see where it can go. Bring your page and we'll set it up for the stage!

Participants require a device with stable internet connection, access to zoom and somewhere to type up their work. Free hand writing in a notebook is also encouraged to inspire creativity and give the eyes a break from the screen

*

Sarah Magni (she/they) is a theatre artist, creator, writer, director, community arts facilitator, educator and researcher. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Thatz Showbiz Theatre Project; which uses theatre to educate, empower and ignite social change and flip the paradigm on whose stories get told by whom. She's a classically trained singer and studied Musical Theatre in New York City. Sarah is the writer of the solo show "Stamped" a show in which she plays 12 different characters that they toured in New York and Toronto. Sarah is a PhD candidate looking at theatre as a tool for sex education in the lives of people who are neurodivergent and/or have intellectual disabilities.

Their work is grounded in theatre as an act of social justice, decolonial theatre and what they call "radical accessibility."

Tuesday

12PM - 2PM

ONLINE

May 7 - Jun 11

A 6 weeks program that will focus on beginner/emergent artists that are interested in exploring Abstract Expressionism. The program will focus on 4 specific artistic elements that should be considered when constructing a well thought-out painting. Additionally we will explore the works of Black and Indigenous artists. The 4 elements are as follows: Colour, Strokes, Textures, Forms

*

Natalie Lowe is a Black, Toronto-based artist that works with acrylic. As someone who is committed to being of service whether through work, her church, in community or in her way of being, she brings that into her art. Her work reflects her ability to see potential everywhere and reminds us of what makes us human. The intention to find beauty in every moment, person and thing is infused into every piece to bring that to anyone who comes across her art.

Tuesday

4PM - 6PM

ONLINE

May 7 - Jun 11

Achieving great shots is one thing. Shooting videos that cut together in an edit is another. The techniques used in professional environments to ensure scenes and movies can be glued together are the heart and soul of filmmaking. Fortunately, they are repeatable skills that can be learned, repeated and improved upon.

Filmmaker James Buffin has worked all around the world on dramatic films and documentaries, holding jobs across the entire spectrum of filmmaking. Since the 1980's he has worked alongside many very accomplished directors and camera people who have generously shared their best practices. Now you too can benefit from this knowledge and apply it with weekly feedback.

Participants need a camera they can shoot video on and bring to class plus the ability to electronically submit or present the footage using their own devices.

*

James Buffin is a multi-disciplinary media specialist with 30+ years in film, print, music and audio production.

His work has been broadcast internationally and featured at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Trauma Research Foundation, universities, churches, school boards and community groups all around the planet.

Tuesday

6PM - 8PM

OFFSITE (180 Shaw Street)

May 7 - Jun 11

Looking for assistance with using the Media Lab? Book a one-on-one mentorship session with Media Lab Mentor Don Vaillancourt (They/Them)

They can assist you with the creation of music, video editing, digitizing artwork, and creating an online presence through website design, social media, digital portfolios and building a brand.

Limited spaces are available. For more information or assistance booking, please contact Don at donvaillancourtworkmanarts@gmail.com

*

Although classically trained in piano, drums, percussion and oil painting, Don is primarily a self-taught sound designer, music producer and multi-media artist.

Wednesday

12PM - 5PM

CAMH

Apr 10 - Jun 26

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

10AM - 6PM

EMAIL LIST

May 1 - Jun 28

This course can help artists to create art from a more supported place providing opportunities for expansion, such as re-imagining one’s creative process.

You will be provided with a chance to re-connect with nature through an Indigenous lens, helping build a sense of wahkohtowin ᐊᐧᐦᑯᐦᑐᐃᐧᐣ - community.

Artist’s statement: “This class is called re-member-ing, because if we go back far enough in time, your ancestors would have been squatted around a fire and have had a deep intimacy with nature. Access to nature is everyone’s birthright.”

There will be ceremony, a nature meditation, sharing of nature experiences, nature images and more. Prompts will be provided although you can create whatever you want and use whatever art medium you choose to create with (poetry, painting, drawing, etc.).

This class is provided online via Zoom audio (and participants can choose to be on camera or not) and it is BIPOC prioritized.

*

Heather Clear Wind is a Two Spirit, Nehiyaw Cree, Métis, Celtic, Published Poet, Writer, Transdisciplinary Artist, Musician, Cloud Talker, Bunny Whisperer who is neurodiverse and seeks to embody their limitless star-beingness.

Their self-expression in art, poetry, music, sound, sharings and ceremony all center around connecting to nature and the elements as their community / wahkohtowin ᐊᐧᐦᑯᐦᑐᐃᐧᐣ (community) and to what an amazing support they are, and how this is accessible to all folks.

As an intergenerational Indian Residential School survivor, they strive to raise awareness about the negative impacts of colonization and the true history of (so-called) Canada as they feel we can’t heal from what we don’t know.

They choose to host gatherings online with audio on (and camera off) as an act of decolonization, for safety and as it helps to reduce one’s carbon footprint. Folks attending her classes may choose to be on or off camera – whatever is most comfortable.

Wednesday

6PM - 8PM

ONLINE

May 8 - Jun 12

Using genuine curiosity and a neutral regard for our bodies, this dance course offers a light and fun exploration of movement through space, with music, and alongside our peers. A variety of activities will shape the creation of our own unique “movement language” for expressing ourselves and even engaging in “dance conversations” with each other. The aim of this course is to reestablish playfulness and self-empowerment in relation to moving around, taking up space, and just existing in our body-homes in general. The devised aspect of this course will build our confidence with responding to prompts, trusting our intuition, and collaboratively building more complex dance pieces out of simpler movement phrases (building blocks).

A gentle invitation to participate is especially extended to individuals who identify with having complicated relationships with their bodies: individuals with trauma, disabilities, neurodivergence, gender nonconforming/trans folks, fat individuals, etc. By the end of this course, each participant will have their own unique physical performance piece as well as experience with a movement machine, prop choreography, silent disco, and dance cascade.

All members welcome but a gentle invitation to folks who identify with having complicated relationships with their bodies: i.e. individuals with trauma, disabilities, neurodivergence, gender nonconforming/trans folks, fat individuals, etc.

Please note that unfortunately, Run The Flex studio is not a physically accessible space.

*

Gabe Gonçalves (he/they) is a trans, queer, and neurodivergent individual of immigrant family experience, settled in Tkaronto. Gabe is also a multidisciplinary artist and peer support worker, actively committed to disempowering interrelated systems of oppression in arts and mental wellness spaces. Gabe’s most sincere and experimental self feels safest to come out when he is dancing, making sculptures, connecting to animals/nature, and during parallel play. He has danced and choreographed with the Movement Market Series and Reflex Collective and his award-winning experimental short films have been featured in the Toronto Short Film Festival as well as the Alternative Film Festival. It is with great compassion and humility that Gabe continues to facilitate spaces for mutual growth and (un)learning between peers. Most of all, Gabe is motivated by the revolutionarily joyous reclaiming of rest and play.

Wednesday

2PM - 4PM

Run the Flex Studio (893 Yonge St 2nd Floor)

May 22 - Jun 26

Discover the transformative power of improv! Through a series of engaging exercises and games, we will foster active listening, agreement, and group cohesion—essential skills in improvisation. Participants will learn to think on their feet, take risks, and collaborate seamlessly with others. Improv is also celebrated for boosting communication skills and is known as a positive tool for mental health, especially for people suffering in anxiety and depression.

*

Model-turned-actress, filmmaker, and mental health advocate, Shreya Patel is the honoree of the Forbes Under 30, Top 100 Most Powerful Women of Canada, Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, Women's Achiever Award - Youth Leadership and Emerging Leader Under 35. She is the graduate of Second City Conservatory and can be seen performing and teaching improv across Toronto with various theatres. She has been featured in publications like Vogue India and Grazia India. She’s the leading actress in Strangers In A Room, Vivid, and The Intersection. Her debut documentary, ‘Girl Up’, about domestic human trafficking was partnered with Toronto International Film Festival and the Civic Action Summit. Her music video directorial debut, Freedom Dance, where she directed personalities like Jim Sarbh, Bani J and many more has over 1.2 million views on YouTube. During COVID, she gathered 66 countries and made a documentary called Unity- #LOVESPREADS Faster Than Virus showcasing the plight of the human spirit. Currently, she is working on a comedy series, Layla is Relevant as well as writing a film about trafficking.

NO CLASS: Jun 12

Wednesday

4PM - 6PM

In-Person: OFFSITE (180 Shaw Street) & CAMH

Jun 5 - Jul 10

These six guided walks through Toronto’s renowned urban parks will introduce you to the idea of exploring creativity in a natural environment as a therapeutic experience. Photographing greenspaces offers us an opportunity to let go of the anxieties of urban living.

Participants will create a small portfolio of nature photography by the end of the course.

Each class will be a two-hour-long guided walk in a TTC accessible park. Each walk will be a slow meandering exploration of an urban green space, with plenty of opportunity to pause and create. While the course will focus on photography, all artists are welcome. There will be an opportunity to share your work online and engage in class critiques. The instructor will be sharing educational and motivational material online as well.

Participants must have a moderate level of fitness and mobility, but no expertise in photography is necessary. The course is intended to allow photographers of every level to improve on their craft. Members will be able to borrow Workman Arts cameras to use on the walks.

Greenspace photo walks is an opportunity to improve your craft while exploring some of Toronto’s beautiful urban parks in the company of like-minded artists.

*

Photographer and filmmaker Rick Miller, MFA, self identifies as a Mad Artist. Having grown up in the wilds of Québec, Rick finds that even brief exposures to nature helps him live with mental illness.

Rick was the 2016-17 Workman Arts Media Artist in Residence and has been instructing at Workman and CAMH since 2018. He has received funding for his nature photography from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Rick’s collaborative nature photography and video project, Ancestral Mindscapes, was shown at Workman Arts, Tangled Arts, and Rendezvous With Madness. In 2023, it had another showing in his home region of Gaspésie, and was published in PhotoED Magazine.

Thursday

12PM - 2PM

Multiple Greenspace Locations in Toronto

May 9 - Jun 13

The personal documentary film course will provide participants with a comprehensive knowledge of the mechanics involved in producing a personal documentary. The attendees will learn the basics of this type of filmmaking through the process of actually making a short film. In order to realize their projects, participants will be taught how to develop their own unique conceptual approach.

Exercises, lectures, demonstrations, and screenings will be a mainstay of the course. With past participants, we found the cinematic equivalent for their ideas, their stories or for the topics with which they were concerned, without fear or shame in the dignity of their language, experience and knowledge.

Intermediate skill level recommended.

*

Since completing his studies in film production at Concordia University, Roberto Santaguida’s films and videos have been shown at more than 400 international festivals. He has also taken part in artist residencies in numerous countries, including Iran, Romania, Germany, Norway, and Australia. Roberto is the recipient of the K.M. Hunter Artist Award, the Chalmers Arts Fellowship and a fellowship from Akademie Schloss Solitude in Germany.

Thursday

4PM - 6PM

ONLINE

May 23 - Jun 27

In this 6-week course you'll learn how to combine different art medias such as graphite, charcoal, pencil crayons, markers, gouache, and watercolour to create bold and expressive portraits. We will explore how to use these materials in combination to our advantage. You'll learn different techniques and approaches that can push the boundaries of creating your portraits. We will examine and discuss different examples of portraiture throughout art history and reflect on how they might influence the art we create. Students will be encouraged to share their favourite artist's portraits with the class. You'll learn how to begin with a line drawing to map out the correct proportions and features of the face. You'll learn how to achieve a likeness and the importance of composition and colour. You'll also learn how to best select and use photo references. At the end of this course, students will have completed expressive portraits and gained more knowledge about portraiture in the visual arts.

*

Taryn Lee is a Eurasian, neurodivergent artist with lived experience from Oakville, Ontario, Canada. She has a Bachelor of Design from Toronto Metropolitan University in the Fashion Communication program. Her art focuses on colourful, representational figurative works, portraits, and stylized fashion sketches. Her works are created in mixed medias and oil paints. She has recently started learning Procreate to create digital portraits. Her arts practice involves a weekly untutored fashion illustration drawing class which are live streamed on Zoom from a studio in the UK with a group called Drawing Cabaret Couture. She’s had illustrations published in Canadian magazines, Martin Dawber’s 'The Big Book of Fashion Illustration’, UK Goldfoil and LAZIN magazines.

Since February 2023 she has been facilitating monthly, in-person art workshops at CAMH with the Patient & Family Learning Space (PFLS) open to patients, families and the community. She is part of the CAMH Collaborative Learning College (CLC) Evaluation Subcommittee which is currently evaluating best tools and practices used in recovery colleges. She is a 2022 Fellow of the Yale CAMH Let(s) Lead Program.

Friday

2PM - 4PM

ONLINE

May 24 - Jun 28