Mural Routes’ portrait stenciling program joins the TO2015 IGNITE program to inspire its communities in The Beach, Lakeshore West, and Scarborough

“Mural Routes is excited to announce its new partnership with the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games through the IGNITE community partnership program, which enables individuals, organizations and communities to create their own special Games-themed initiative and increase awareness of existing projects through an association with the Games.

IGNITE and Toronto Arts Council are providing funding for a Mural Routes program called Faces of the Community / Las Caras de la Comunidad. The program is a series of intergenerational workshops in portrait photography, stenciling and opportunities for mural making which focus on community engagement and connecting with local members of Pan Am Cultures.

The workshops series, phase 1 of the Faces of the Community / Las Caras de la Comunidad program, will take place between February and May in three venues in partnership with local arts groups across the City of Toronto. The workshops will be open to all ages, all skill levels, ages 14+. We encourage those who take the program to become leaders and spread the movement of community stencil portraits to their own communities, connecting them to opportunities for printing the stencils onto outdoor spaces throughout Toronto.

Venues for Faces of the Community/ Las Caras de la Comunidad Workshop Series:

The Church of St Aidan: Saturdays and Sundays 1-4pm, Feb 7,8,28, March 7, 8
New Toronto Library (Lakeshore): Saturdays 1:30-4:30pm, March 14 – April 25
Cedarbrae Library (Scarborough): Fridays 5-8pm, April 17 – May 29

IGNITE has already connected more than 450 individuals and organizations to the TORONTO 2015 Games throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. IGNITE is about leaving a social legacy behind after the Games.

All sorts of initiatives that embody sport and cultural qualify for IGNITE, as long as they are “ignited” by the spirit of the Games. For example, a sport program can be as simple as a soccer tournament and cultural programs can vary from a conversation circle to salsa lessons. Initiatives that promote religion, partisan politics or violate any aspect of the human rights code are not eligible.

“It’s great to see the IGNITE program in action,” said TO2015 Community Outreach and Media Relations Manager Fulvio Martinez, “These are the Peoples’ Games and we want to see entire communities involved in our celebration of sport and culture. We couldn’t be more pleased with this new partnership as it will help us make that happen.”

Mural Routes executive and artistic director Karin Eaton reflected on the value of the program:

“Faces in the Community will provide a way for people to get involved and excited about the Pan Am/Para Pan Games by making a creative cultural contribution that is personal and meaningful. It will “ignite” their spirit of pride and better understanding of other cultures … At the end of the project they will take pride of ownership in the work that they have created and will celebrate the legacy of their contribution.”

 

-submitted by Tara Dorey, Mural Routes (source)
Read Mural Routes profile in ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map