The next installment in ArtBridges’ Community Arts 101 audio series comes from Timothy Svirklys, Studio Manager of ArtHeart Community Art Centre!

« Tim has been a community arts practitioner with ArtHeart for over twenty years in a variety of roles. Tim is a self-taught systems administrator. He has acted as an IT consultant for both the corporate and private sector for over 16. He is the founder of ArtHeart’s Digital Arts Lab, where he currently teaches digital arts and website construction to the children, youth, adults, seniors and families. He was one of the original founders of ArtHeart’s Youth Employment Program which provides job skills training and employment for Regent Park youth. Tim also oversees ArtHeart’s “No Starving Artists!” Food Program. »

« For over two decades ArtHeart has been a stabilizing presence in the community of Regent Park. We provide free visual arts education, programs, materials and a healthy snack to children, youth,  as well as a hot nutritious meal to adults and seniors living in Regent Park and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Through the programs, ArtHeart provides participants with a supportive environment in which they can create and learn, build self-esteem and develop life skills. By putting their hands and imaginations to work, our participants are empowered to improve their quality of life.  » (from ArtHeart homepage)

For more information about ArtHeart, visit artheart.ca or read their profile on ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map.

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With funding support from the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, we are producing a short introductory Community Arts video. With the help of videographer and filmmaker Andrea Dorfman from Halifax, we have produced a video for people who would like to know what “community arts” “community-engaged arts” & “arts for social change” are about.

During the videomaking process we’ve unfortunately had to cut a lot of great contributions from the video, but we still want these voices to be heard! We are starting an audio series on our blog that will feature voices from different initiatives that lent their voices. Please look forward to hear what they have to say about community arts and what is means to them.

If you’d like to add your voice, please contact us at info@artbridges.ca!

Click to hear previous voices from ArtBridges’ Community Arts 101 Audio Series.

-compiled by Lisa Tran, ArtBridges Content Coordinator. Content for this post provided by ArtHeart Community Art Centre