New EAST program links young Scarborough poets in four neighbourhoods through a unique creative exchange“Presented by Scarborough Arts in collaboration with R.I.S.E. Edutainment and the Toronto Public Library, the EAST Spoken Word & Poetry Collective is a new program that helps youth develop their creativity, writing, and performance skills. The free workshops for youth ages 12-18 will take place in four key Scarborough neighbourhoods between May and October 2014. Based on the ideas of “neighbourhood games” and the upcoming Para/Pan Am Games, young poets in the first participating community will collaborate and perform for the poets in the next, who will in turn perform for the next, and so on until the “torch” has passed through and linked all four communities.

The workshops will be led by spoken word artists and community arts facilitators from Scarborough-based R.I.S.E. Edutainment. The mentorship and guidance of educators from this vibrant grassroots organization will help to develop spoken word as a youth-driven local art form. “We’re really excited about this opportunity to foster artistic links between young spoken word artists and poets in Scarborough,” says Angela Britto, Scarborough Arts’ Manager of Youth Programs. “There are so many talented young artists in this part of the city, and this project will help create connections between them.”

Workshops will take place in the following neighbourhoods and TPL branches:

• Steeles-L’Amoreaux neighbourhood: Agincourt Branch (155 Bonis Avenue) – May 13 – June 14 (Tuesdays, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.)
• Malvern neighbourhood: Malvern Branch (30 Sewells Road) – June 21 – July 26 (Saturdays, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.)
• Kingston-Galloway-Orton Park neighbourhood: Morningside Branch (4279 Lawrence Avenue East) – August 2 – September 6(Saturdays, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.)
• Scarborough Village neighbourhood: Cedarbrae Branch (645 Markham Road) – September 13 – October 11 (Saturdays, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.)

Generously funded by the Toronto Community Foundation Vital Youth/Playing for Keeps initiative, the EAST Spoken Word & Poetry Collective is designed to promote youth creative expression, animate communities and public spaces, and inspire collaboration between young performers and their peers across Scarborough. Participants in the program will have several opportunities to showcase their work, receive feedback, and learn about wider youth arts networks and resources.”

-submitted by Angela Britto, Manager – Youth Programs, Scarborough Arts
Read Scarborough Arts’ profile on ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map