Grant Writing 101 Workshop with the Ontario Arts Council

January 11 / 6:30-8:30pm / Committee Room 2, Second Floor East Side, Toronto City Hall - 100 Queen Street West

PWYC (Suggested Donation $5 to help defray Akin’s costs) / Please RSVP at www.universe.com/grantwriting

Join Akin and the Ontario Arts Council to learn how to learn more about how to get grants from the people that give them! Tickets are selling out fast so reserve your seat online today! 

Writing grants is a significant part of many artist's careers- so let's learn how to do it properly! This interactive workshop will explore the process of planning, writing and submitting grant proposals to different governing bodies. As a major funder themselves, the Ontario Arts Council provides clear examples of the grant writing process and the various the dos and don'ts of everything from creating your budget to organizing your support material and work plan. Following this, there will be an extensive Q&A period.

Toronto City Hall is fully wheelchair accessible. Please let us know of any other accessibility needs so that we can assist you. Email michael@akincollective.com by January 3, 2018 and we will do our best to accommodate you! Thank you. 

About the Presenter:
Maya Bedward is a filmmaker, arts educator and community-engaged artist from Toronto, ON. She is also the Information Services Coordinator at the Ontario Arts Council, where she helps artists and arts professionals navigate OAC’s many funding programs.

Forge Professional Workshop Series: Documenting & Archiving Artwork

Wednesday July 5 / 6:30-9:00pm / Akin Lansdowne - 87 Wade Ave, studio 302 / $30 per person / limited seating - get your ticket at www.universe.com/documentart

In this workshop, artist and curator Jessica Thalmann will discuss the importance of clear, accurate and striking documentation of artwork. Various technical and logistical issues will be broached while photographing paintings, ceramics, sculptures, installations, performances and various print based media. Artists and creatives will be informed about best photographing practices including, lighting, placement, camera techniques, digital workflow, editing, export settings, and scanning. Archival and cataloguing practices will also be discussed; focusing on data management software, long term storage, preservation and creating and easy catalogue of current inventory to find and locate items.

After providing advice on each of these topics, Thalmann will offer a demonstration on techniques for photographing 2D and 3D media. This workshop is ideal for artists and makers of all skill levels but should have some experience with a digital camera and tripod. Workshop will be followed by a Q&A.

We regret that the building is not wheelchair accessible / Please let us know of any other accessibility needs by emailing michael@akincollective.com at least one week before the event and we will do our best to accommodate you. Thank you.

About the Instructor:
Jessica Thalmann is an artist, curator and educator currently based in Toronto and New York City. She received a MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College and a BFA in Visual Arts from York University. She has worked at the Doris McCarthy Gallery, Toronto International Film Festival, C Magazine, the Art Gallery of York University and Yossi Milo Gallery. Thalmann has taught at the International Centre for Photography, MacLaren Art Centre, Gallery 44 and City College of New York. She has shown at various venues in Toronto, Vancouver and New York City including the Art Gallery of Mississauga, Flash Forward Festival, Gallery TPW, Hashtag Gallery, Whippersnapper Gallery, Nuit Blanche, the Artist Project, VIVO Media Arts Center, Aperture Foundation, International Centre of Photography, Photoville, Camera Club of New York and Printed Matter’s New York Art Book Fair.www.jessicathalmann.com

Forge Professional Workshop Series: Financial Planning for Artists

A step-by-step beginner’s guide to making and spending money as an artist

Friday June 23 / 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. / Toronto City Hall, Committee Room 1 - 100 Queen St West / Pay-what-you-can ( suggested donation $10 ) / Please register to attend at www.universe.com/artmoney

Building is wheelchair accessible. Please let us know of any other accessibility needs so that we can assist you. Email michael@akincollective.com one week before the event and we will do our best to accommodate you. Thank you.

Many artists wonder if they can afford to do what they love. You can with a plan! Join us for an evening full of financial strategies that will help you make the most of your money, so you can make the most of your practice.

This workshop will cover:

Making Money:
- Creating Financial Goals
- Finding Income
- Saving

Spending Money:
- Tracking Expenses
- Making (and sticking to) a Budget/Spending Plan
- Reducing Debt

Putting It Together:
- The Plan

The workshop includes:
- Presentation with activities
- Short break
- Q&A period at the end
- Printed copy of the presentation
- Free worksheets and resources to take away and guide you through each step of your financial planning process

Participants should bring:
- Pen/pencil/device for note-taking if they wish
- Their creativity and questions!

About the instructor:
Diana Bahr is an OCAD U graduate in Drawing & Painting (2016), and former OCAD U staff from the Financial Aid department where she provided financial literacy and professional practice workshops to student artists and designers for five years. She has a master’s degree in education from the University of Toronto, and is an emerging multi-disciplinary artist based in the east end of the city. Diana has exhibited her work at various locations including a traveling show in New York, the Ontario Science Centre, the Brain Project in Toronto, and Mercedes Benz in Mississauga. She is currently co-organizing and participating in a six-month artist residency program, creating work for a show in the fall.

Forge Professional Workshop Series: Art Writing 101 - Only 5 tickets left!

There are only 5 tickets left for our Art Writing workshop on April 8.

Tuesday, April 8, 2017 / 10:00am to 1:00pm / Studio 302, Akin Lansdowne- 87 Wade Avenue
$ 30.00 CA - get your ticket at www.universe.com/artwriting

Learn essential art writing skills including approaches to writing and formatting your artist CV and artist statement before exploring a more creative approach to writing about art.

A workshop designed for artists, writers, and curators wishing to improve their practical art writing skills but also develop a more creative approach to writing about art, and/or writing for artists, and/or writing as artists. Writing is approached as a tool for deepening the connection between viewer, the written word, and the art ‘object’. As writers, we see and learn through our writing. If we can approach art-writing in a similar way to art-making, we will eliminate the possibility of producing tedious or unnecessarily didactic statements. Instead, we will learn to look at writing as a companion to art, one that enriches the experience of viewing and can even become an object to be viewed in and of itself.

‘The text you write must prove to me that it desires me’ – Roland Barthes

About the Instructor:
Alex Bowron is an artist and freelance writer based in Toronto. She holds a BFA in sculpture/installation and an MA in critical cultural theory. Bowron’s art takes the form of text, performance and image. Her writing ranges from academic to experimental and has appeared in numerous publications, galleries and collaborative art projects.

FORGE: Surrealist Collage Workshop with Danielle Cole

October 13 from 6:30-9:00pm at Akin Lansdowne: 87 Wade Avenue
$25 (includes materials). Limited tickets available, get yours at www.universe.com/collageworkshop

What will we cover?

• We will begin with collage based on the Surrealist activity Corpse Bizarre

• Techniques for seamlessly cutting material to be used in collage

• Going beyond the glue stick – techniques for gluing fine and large pieces of collage without causing the material to bubble or tear

• How to source and combine collage materials in order to create a unique piece of art

What’s it all about?
Michelangelo said of his art ‘every block of stone has a statue inside and it is the task of the sculpture to discover it.’ This quote holds true for the construction of the collages. Sorting through hundreds of images, from magazines and books both new and old, until the magical moment when all the pieces come together to create a perfect piece of art. Collage is the perfect medium for creative thinkers, artists and crafty people. This is a hands-on workshop where you will be shown strategies for creating collages that are seamlessly built and helped towards creating a unique piece of art to take home at the end of the evening. All materials will be provided.

Who will be teaching?
The collage workshop will be taught by Danielle Cole, a Toronto-based collage artist and teacher. Her college work has most recently been featured at the Timeraiser show at the Powerplant and can currently be found in several restaurant bathrooms in Toronto and across Canada thanks to winning a New Ad competition back in March. She believes that everyone is capable of making a truly great collage but few people are capable of spending years gathering the materials and know how to make it happen. You can view her work at: www.daniellecole.ca Danielle has her BFA from York University, a degree in Advertising and Graphic Design from George Brown, and 13 years experience teaching art to high school students in the TDSB.

Call for Expressions of Interest - Akin Projects: FORGE Collaborative Workshop Series seeking Artist Facilitators

DEADLINE: Monday, September 5, 2016

FORGE 2016 WORKSHOP SERIES!

FORGE connections. FUEL your practice. RESHAPE your creative process.

Returning this fall, FORGE is AKIN Project's creative incubator for practicing artists and designers focused on both creative and professional development. Alongside a series of professional development workshops, our creative sessions will allow participants to learn and share skills, discuss, debate, bust creative ruts, stretch their abilities, brainstorm with peers and be challenged to step outside of their practice.

Workshops can be thematic in nature, and should provide an opportunity for advanced skill building with a strong emphasis on collaboration and knowledge transfer among members of AKIN's community. Past workshops have included everything from tote bag making to video game design to movement based wall drawing, from scientific art experiments to body awareness workshops.

Workshops should focus on exploring unique and unconventional processes or modes of expression. Take us places we've never been before!

Workshops will be a one time, 3 hour session, and facilitators will be paid a CARFAC recommended fee of $289. Depending on the nature of the workshop, material costs may be covered by AKIN.

Expression of Interest should include:
+ A brief bio of yourself and your practice, and any relevant professional experience
+ Documentation of your work and/or any related links to your work online,
+ A short summary (one page max) of the workshop(s) you'd like to conduct,
+ Ideal number of participants, required materials or space, the best time of year to hold the workshop, and any other technical or safety considerations that may apply.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Submissions and inquiries can be sent to michael@akincollective.com

Please make the subject of your email ‘Forge 2016 Submission’

Forge: DIY Tote Bag Screenprinting w/ Alicia Nauta

Join us for a fun evening of screen printing with artist Alicia Nauta. Learn new (or improve) screen printing skills and techniques (screen preparation, ink mixing, printing and clean up) to create your own unique designs on two tote bags using fabric ink!

$25 per person.

Purchase tickets here:
www.universe.com/forgescreenprinting

*Materials and two tote bags included!*

June 22, 6:30-9:30pm.
AKIN Collective Dufferin- 444 Dufferin St. Unit E

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Alicia Nauta is a Toronto based artist whose practice is made up of collage, art prints, bookworks, posters, screenprinted wallpaper and installation, costumes and a growing collection of found oddities for a future museum. She is a member of Punchclock, a Toronto screenprinting studio and has taught DIY workshops, including screenprinting, at the AGO.

www.alicianauta.com

FORGE: Workshop - Free Legal Advice for Artists & Creatives

FREE- Must Reserve Seat- https://www.universe.com/freelegaladvice

When is a lawyer necessary? How do protect my images? Is this contract binding? Is this agreement fair?

In this workshop participants will discuss the various legal concerns or issues artists and creatives should be informed about- ranging from copyrights, consignments, trademarks, patents, agreements and more.

After providing advice on each of these topics, Matthew Wiens and the Pro Bono Ontario team will offer specific advice to participants about any questions or concerns they may have and help you get find free legal help.

**Have something you'd like to make sure is discussed in the presentation? Let us know on our Facebook Event Page**

April 18, 6:30-8:30pm, City Hall, Committee Room 2

Presentation, Discussion & Q+A

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1005961709474374/

FORGE: Artist's Health: Stress, Self Care and Studio Safety

A huge thank you to everyone that attended our FORGE workshop on Artist's Health: Stress, Self Care and Studio Safety at the Al and Malka Green Artists’ Health Centre (AHC) at Toronto Western Hospital.

Akin Collective gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Follow Akin Collective on Facebook to stay up to date on future workshops!

AKIN FALL GALLERY CRAWL- THANK YOU!

A huge thank you to everyone that attended the gallery crawl on Saturday and to COOPER COLE, Angell Gallery and ESP for showing us their new gallery spaces and current exhibitions.

Please see photos below and follow AKIN Collective for upcoming programming news!

FORGE Workshop: Grant Writing 101 with the Ontario Arts Council

FORGE IS BACK!

FORGE: Grant Writing 101 with the Ontario Arts Council 

September 2, 6:30pm
Ontario Arts Council- 151 Bloor Street West, 5th Floor Toronto, ON

FREE


Writing grants is a significant part of many artist's careers- so let's how to do it properly! This interactive workshop will explore the process of planning, writing and submitting grant proposals to different governing bodies

As a major funder themselves, the Ontario Arts Council provide clear examples of the grant writing process and the various the dos and don'ts of everything from creating your budget to organizing your support material and work plan.

Afterwards, participants will form a 'mock jury' and look at real examples of successful (and unsuccessful) grant applications. Join us and learn how to get grants from the people that give them at their own office!

Bio:

Janice Lambrakos is Information Services Coordinator with the Ontario Arts Council.
Janice Lambrakos takes pride in having worked for the Ontario Arts Council for the past 25 years. She has provided administrative support in a number of program offices, including Community Arts, Film, Photography and Video (now Media Arts), and Literature, giving her an in-depth knowledge of many of the OAC’s granting programs. In 2000 Janice was promoted to Information Services Coordinator within OAC’s Outreach and Development section. This role has taken her to communities throughout Ontario, where she conducts information and grant application-writing sessions with individual artists. She also maintains relationships with other funders and business enterprise centres. Janice very much enjoys helping artists and arts organizations access OAC programs to support their activities. She is also a member of the OAC’s Disability Arts Committee.

Reworking the Common Knowledge #2

Free! Join the Facebook Event

Facilitators: Sona Safaei & Janna Brown
Wednesday July 09, 2014
7-10 pm

Akin Collective, Unit # 302, 87 Wade Avenue
Just north of Bloor & Lansdowne

Pre-register by email: reworkthecommon@gmail.com

Join us for a second free performance/workshop to share stories and have an art chat.

Our program will have three parts:

1) Introductions and sharing stories
2) Presentation on Project Background/Context, Social Practice, and, some visions for a workshop series
3) Group Brainstorm + Activity

To get you thinking ahead, you could think of a story to share with the group. This could be a story from adolescence, childhood, etc. that stands out because it’s different than your experience now.


We would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

www.akincollective.com

FORGE Workshop Series: Reworking the Common Knowledge

Tomorrow!

Free!

Pre-register by email: reworkthecommon@gmail.com

Join us for a free performance/workshop to share stories, make new connections, learn from each other, have an art chat, and rethink ideas around 'common knowledge' and community.

Forge connections. Fuel your practice. Shape your creative process. FORGE is a creative incubator
for practicing artists and designers.

Akin Collective, Unit # 101, 87 Wade Avenue
Just north of Bloor & Lansdowne

Facilitators: Sona Safaei & Janna Brown
Wednesday May 14, 2014
7-10 pm

This project is supported by the Ontario Arts Council.

FORGE Collaborative Workshop Series: LIVED BODY Movement + Multimedia

Wednesday, April 9: 7-10pm.
Akin Collective- 444 Dufferin St. Unit E

Facebook Event HERE

Using simple gestures and postures we'll choreograph creative movements that form a basis for engaging in our own practices. Based on our experience as “movers”, we will create 
collaborative multimedia works that play on the idea of the moving body in space and time to gain a deeper understanding of our owncreative processes.

Lisa Meschino has been making art for over 25 years and works with at-risk youth. Expand your
creative toolkit in this collaborative workshop for artists, writers, designers and performers.

AKIN COLLECTIVE PALS SPECIAL: Bring a member of AKIN Collectiveand get 25% off the advance ticket price by signing up together and using the code "AKINPALS". This means you can get in for $15! WOW DEALS. To receive the discount, be sure to mention the name of the Akin member and which studio they use.

ONLINE TICKETS ARE LIVE! Book your advance ticket atwww.uniiverse.com/FORGE.

Here's Lisa Meschino's description of this practice-changing workshop:

Visual art is as much an embodied practice as dance, yoga, or meditation. This workshop will explore in a collaborative way the expressive potential of movement for creating visual works of art. Through a series of guided group activities, we will examine the questions: What is the embodied experience of one’s sense of self? What does that look/feel/move like? Using simple everyday movements in the form of gesture, gait, and posture, we will choreograph sequences of creative movement. Through these movement sequences, we will gain greater awareness of how our bodies naturally move and build empathy and connection with other “movers”. These movement activities will become the basis for engaging in a creative visual process. Based on our experience as “movers”, we will create collaborative and individual visual art works (using a variety of visual art materials) that play on the idea of the embodied self or the moving body in space and time. The format will be a playful, responsive process of co-creation, easily adaptable to an individual participant’s particular interest and experience level in visual art. Given the interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to this workshop, participants can expect to gain:a deeper understanding of their own individual creative processes; the supportive benefit of shared learning and interpersonal awareness; broadening of their creative toolkit; and opportunities for social/creative networking.

LIVED BODY: MOVEMENT+MULTIMEDIA
w LISA MESCHINO
APRIL 9th 2014 | 7-10PM
444 DUFFERIN AVE – UNIT E- TORONTO
$20 online, $25 at the door

FORGE: BIO-ART AT ACTION POTENTIAL LAB: MARCH 12

BUY ADVANCE TICKETS HERE

AKIN FORGE WORKSHOP SERIES: GAME DESIGN FOR ARTISTS

 

Twine is a highly adaptable video game making tool that's being taken up by artists and storytellers the world over. Melding indie games, zine culture and a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure format, Twine has been lauded for its' simplicity, flexibility and charm. 

Our facilitator, Daniel Murtha, is a British animator and filmmaker working in Toronto. Learn about this captivating new medium from him in this collaborative workshop for artists, writers, designers and performers. 

ABOUT DAN http://danielmurtha.com
ABOUT TWINE http://twinery.org//
PLAY GAMES http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/87314472/twinehub-play.html
FB INVITE

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ABOUT FORGE:

FORGE connections. FUEL your practice. RESHAPE your creative process.

Kicking off this Winter, FORGE will be AKIN Collective’s newest creative incubator for practicing artists and designers. Participants will learn and share skills, discuss, debate, bust creative ruts, stretch their abilities, brainstorm with peers and be challenged to step outside of their practice. Our thematic workshops will provide an opportunity for advanced skill building with a strong emphasis on collaboration and knowledge transfer among members of AKIN’s community and beyond, and will focus on exploring unconventional processes or modes of expression. FORGE new paths in your creative practice.
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