The Akin Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the Clark Centre For the Arts! December 3-18

Akin is very pleased to invite art-lovers, artists, and the public at large to an exciting new initiative and collaboration with the Clark Centre for the Arts in Scarborough!

• When; December 3-18, 2022

• Opening Reception: December 3, 2022 from 1-3pm

• Where: Clark Centre for the Arts, 191 Guildwood Pkwy, Scarborough

• What: Arts Market (December 3, 4, 10 and 11) and Group Exhibition (December 3-18)

• Hours, Exhibition: ‘Through 100 Windows’ December 3-18th from 9am-4pm

• Hours, Market Days: December 3 and 4 & 10 and 11 from 11am-6pm

• Admission: FREE!

Akin will be hosting a public arts event at the Clark Centre for the Arts in Scarborough, featuring art by local artists around the GTA. Artists of all levels of experience and expression will be exhibiting and selling work through the Winter Arts Market and Group Exhibition. We hope that you will join us in celebrating their achievement!

Featuring members of Akin’s studios as well as local creatives from Scarborough and surrounding neighborhoods, artists and creatives of all mediums will be participating in an interdisciplinary wall installation of art panel hangings on the walls of a professional gallery, and at the market offering handmade crafts, art and objects to the public over 2 weekends. From paintings and prints, to ceramics and textiles, we hope to present a gorgeous and colorfully integrated expression of artistic talent to warm hearts as we head into the winter months.

‘Through 100 Windows’ is a collaborative art project, aimed to highlight the harmony, beauty and hope of a community of artists who continue to share and exchange their ideas; collectively resilient and active. Taken on their own, each work is a window into an individual experience. Seen together, we are a vision of combined colour, strength and power. 

In conjunction with this event, a selection of art work by  studio members belonging to the Akin Studio Program at Auto BLDG will be featured on the 3rd floor of the Clark galleries, as well as work by Special Highlights Scarborough artists Wandy Cheng and Theresa Hopkins  

Join us for the opening reception on December 3rd 2022 1-3pm, and drop in for live music and a variety of beautiful gifts at the Arts Market on the weekends of December 3/4th and 10/11th, from 11-6pm! The exhibition will be open during regular Clark Centre hours (9am-4pm) during the week as well as weekends (11am-6pm).

Accessibility & Site Address: 
The Clarke Centre has elevators to all three floors, barrier free washrooms on each floor and automatic doors on the bathrooms and the front entrance. Located at 191 Guildwood Pkwy, The Clark Centre for the arts has free but limited parking. By TTC: from Kennedy Station, take the 116 bus to Guildwood Pkwy at the Guild Inn stop.

Thank You:
Thank you to all of our community partners and the many artists and supporters who’ve come together to share this beautiful event, including local musicians Rudy Ray’s Duo and Aaron Ridge, and participating vendors.  Particularly, we are grateful to the talented and friendly staff at the Clark Centre for the Arts, who have contributed a great deal and offer a wealth of experience and grace.

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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. @CanadaCouncil  #BringingTheArtsToLife

🔥 Happy NPD2022! 🔥

🔥 Happy NPD2022! 🔥

We want to wish a happy national philanthropy day to our donor community! Without our donors, our developers, and our supporters we would not be able to continue our pursuit in creating more affordable spaces for our creatives.

This Giving Tuesday (November 29!) we will be fundraising $5000 to go towards our December Winter Arts Market and Exhibition at the brand new Clark Art Centre in Scarborough!

More coming in the next few days ❤️

Financial Planning For Artists

Financial Planning For Artists

Tuesday October 25th 5-6:30pm - Free and online!

As part of a new series on Financial Literacy and Learning, Akin invites artists and the public to join us for the 2nd of 3 workshops happening this fall, hosted in collaboration with a team of facilitators from our partners at Wealthsimple. This month's session will be focussing on Financial Planning For Artists.

Along with a discussion around the following topics (below), we're inviting artists to submit their questions around Financial planning and strategies to erin@akincollective.com. Your questions will support the presentation and may be used during the Q&A period following. In preparation, the upcoming workshop will look at such topics as:

• Understanding sole-proprietorship vs. incorporation

• Taxes & accounting as a small business owner

• Financial goal setting as a business owner &

• How much to save for retirement

Send your questions or ideas for the Q&A to erin@akincollective.com and let us know what else you'd like to see!

Prioritizing and making Financial Literacy learning and resources available and accessible to creative entrepreneurs is one of the ways that Akin can support Artists in their work towards economic independence and stability. From breaking down language and providing clear steps required for understanding one's personal finances, to templates and resources that can be useful tools, Akin and community partner Wealthsimple are pleased to present a 3-month workshop series on Financial Literacy for artists, from September through November.

There will be an ASL interpreter at the event. For more details please register through the link in the @akinprojects bio and feel free to contact erin@akincollective.com for questions or concerns in advance.

Black Lives Matter: Organization Update

In July of 2020, we made a promise to our community that we would continue our work towards combating systemic anti-Black racism at our organization and we’re taking time to provide you insight into Akin’s current progress, offerings, and what we have committed to in the last 22 months along with some of our plans moving forward.  

We want to begin by thanking everyone who has offered their advice, insights, and support in pushing Akin towards creating intentional and proactive changes. In doing so, we have been actively guided by the leadership and consultation with mentorship of local Black artists, advisors and our own members to create foundational changes that endeavour to centre and uplift Black artists in our communities. 

With your feedback, we revised our social media process to create transparency and equity when requesting labour from the Akin community. We began paying CARFAC artist fees to all artists doing Instagram takeovers—while specifically and indefinitely prioritizing Black artists for these and all other programming opportunities. 

In August 2020, we began offering additional support to any individuals harmed by racism in our spaces. We have been mentored by local Black artists and organizations who have been hired towards the goal of creating studio spaces and supports specifically for Black artists in a way that centers around self determination, sovereignty, and self-governance. Akin is actively critiquing our power structures; how an organization can hold power over information, space, and resources. We are cognizant of the systems we exist under, but we are determined to learn and push towards leveraging our position in regards to redistributing access to Toronto’s Black creatives.

In August, we also began a complete reimagining and restructuring of Akin’s Board of Directors which, until this point, did not fully reflect the city and community it serves. We have welcomed 6 new Board Members across various sectors, interests, experiences, and disciplines, with the Board of Directors now comprising a majority of members who self-identify as belonging to one or more of the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups including Black artists and community organizers. Akin has also completely revised its board member search and hiring process which began with these board members and has been applied to three hires that Akin has made over the past year. Part of this revision includes the re-allocation of decision-making power to include Akin’s staff and board as well as Akin studio members in hiring and programming jury processes. This change arose from a collaborative process amongst all parties which determined who would be the best fit for these and future roles, prioritizing equity deserving groups as identified by Toronto Arts Council. 

In the fall of 2020, in an effort to structurally change the organization and redistribute power and decision making, four committees were created to critique and develop our work in these areas: programming, marketing, conflict resolution, and community experience. The committees currently comprise of board members and staff who guide the process of creating more equitable committee structures with a goal of also including Akin studio members on the committees in the future.

We are also offering future plans for our community. In the next six months we plan to:

• Undertake a 2022 Updated Demographics Report to gain insights on changes to Akin’s community since 2018, and create a connected, goal-oriented action plan for addressing the needs of Black artists.

• Revise the Conflict Resolution process used by Akin, and work with community partners in a way that ensures Black artists are heard, safe and supported through the process.

• Assist in the launch of studio supports and spaces specifically focused on supporting Black artists as a result of our ongoing collaborations with Black artists and advisors.

As a collective of individuals far greater than simply our board, staff teams and Akin’s community of artists alone, we are endeavoring to stand in solidarity with Black experiences, leadership and teachings in each step forward in 2022. We have shared this update to be accountable to you, our members and community, and to document and inform you about the work we have done and still have ahead of us with openness, kindness and hope.

While we are aware that these steps are small, we are determined to continue to implement lasting changes in the structures of our organization. We are grateful for your patience, care, and willingness to join us in this journey. We feel a huge amount of gratitude towards the many folks who have supported us through our learning over the last several years as we have grown to try and better support BIPOC creatives—beginning with our 2018 Demographics survey and ongoing community conversations that guide us as we look ahead. A special thank you to BAU Collective, Anique Jordan, Catherine Tammaro, Rania El Mugammar, and Tannis Nielsen for their ongoing labour and wisdom as part of these collective efforts. 

In order to ensure we hear your concerns in a timely manner, we have created a form for your thoughts on the above steps. As always, we are excited by your feedback and appreciate hearing what you’re hoping to see next from our organization as we continue doing this work. We are grateful for your words, questions, and concerns as they allow us to remain critical of the ways we envision the future of Akin.  

With gratitude,

Akin

2023 Akin Studio Program: Call for Applications

⭐Call for Applications! ⭐

Are you an artist, writer, curator? Have you been searching for a community of creatives to immerse yourself in? Look no further than our 2023 Akin Studio Program: Call for Applications! 

The Akin Studio Program at Auto Building (158 Sterling Road) is a unique and publicly open opportunity to lease shared studio space within the historical Auto Building at 158 Sterling Road in Toronto. In addition to a studio space throughout 2023, selected artists will be immersed within a community of peers, offering various opportunities for engagement.

Studio members will be encouraged to develop and expand their individual practices while playing a role in the artistic community within the studios itself.

Deadline to apply: November 7, 2022, 5:00pm EST.

Visit our link for the full application:  www.akin.art/autocall

Open Studios on October 16th

In the summer we had the chance to come together and check out some of the art in Akin Stockyards. We saw the studios, the artists, and the community members which offered lovely moments for us to get to know one another. Interested in checking out the studios yourself? Email info@akincollective.com or join us at our Open Studios on October 16th.

Free Comic Art Workshops

🎉FREE COMIC ARTS WORKSHOPS 🎉  No experience needed + materials provided!

Creative activity is known to boost your health and happiness, and sometimes one just needs a guiding hand to find your own artistic voice! Work with professional artists Sarvenaz Rayati and Erin Candela to learn about different techniques and tools which can develop and guide your creative expression through the world of Comics and Stopmotion Animation. This is a beginner level introduction to comics and participants only need to show up and bring their ideas. This series offers 3 in-person sessions, with 7 sessions online to follow, taking place on Thursdays starting October 6th through December 8th.

Participants will need a smartphone to be able to use the Stop Motion Animation app independently, but otherwise art supplies and access to materials is provided at no cost. Participants at the in-person sessions will also be provided with snacks and beverages on site, and are invited to take home materials to continue working for the online portion of the course.

October 6, 13, and 20th Thursdays 4-7pm - Stopmotion Animation: In-person at Colborne Lodge Coach House (in High Park)

October 27 to December 8th Thursdays 5-7pm - Comics Art : Online

You may register through Eventbrite and purchase your free "ticket" as places are limited. More details will be provided through the registration process and questions or concerns are welcome.

Akin Open Studio Day!

In conjunction with the many arts and culture festivals that are hosted every fall (from the @queenwestartcrawll to @nuitblancheto and @culturedays to name a few), Akin would like to invite the public and its community to visit the place where art and culture is made - the studios! 

This October we'll be opening the doors of two west-end locations: Akin Stockyards (at 2231 St.Clair West) and the Akin Studio Program at the AUTO BLG (158 Sterling Rd. 4th floor). For those of you who are not artists yourself, or for a creative individual who is thinking about getting a studio of their own, this is an excellent opportunity to see what a collective art space looks like, as well as to browse the many artistic creations and meet the artists who make them in person. 

So pop the date in your Calendar and come say hello. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Community Check-in: AREA

Since its inception, Akin's mandate has centered around one main goal: securing suitable work spaces for artists in order to enrich and ensure the stability of artistic practice- in the city of Toronto. Over the course of nearly 14 years, our organization has developed a partially nomadic nature, a necessary reality for us and our community, to endure the challenges of Toronto’s real estate market. Adding a pandemic to the mix, one that forced many of our studio members into difficult financial decisions, Akin has become actively interested in engaging with the broader community to continue developing novel and innovative methods of considering and maintaining creative space in the city. 

Akin collectively asked itself, “How do we help support healthy artists and organizations while reducing barriers to creative spaces in a continuous real estate dilemma?”

Thus AREA was born. AREA stands for Akin Real Estate Advisory, an initiative set up to help ensure Akin evolves in a healthy and sustainable way while continuing to support our growing community long term . Akin has convened experts in Toronto’s development and real estate industry who care to see artists thrive and who share feedback with us as we plan for the future. In recent months, Akin has been focused on stabilizing our administrative processes in order to advance our role, connecting artists and arts organizations in need of space with property developers and building owners eager to invigorate the arts and culture community through activation of space.  

Akin’s founder, Oliver Pauk comments  “It’s exciting to witness how a group of people, with a common goal of enriching Toronto’s creative scene in the long-term, can come together to build language and ideation around mixed use spaces. These spaces are the future of urban growth in Toronto. Building art and artists into the earliest stages of the development process, as a fundamental component of the city’s structure, gives us the ability to ensure the richness and well-being of communities.”

“We are looking forward to continuing to partner with Akin and to support them with their real estate strategy. The AREA committee strongly believes in the work Akin is doing to support the arts in Toronto, and we are proud to lend our expertise to expand their reach even further” said AREA Board Member, Heidi Tibben.

Monthly and on a volunteer basis, Pauk is joined by Jonathan Peretz (JLL), Katie Fong (Slate), Heidi Tibben (Carttera), Liza Stiff (TAS), Ashley Wedlock (Kingsett Capital), Ayelet Klaczkowski (Kingsett Capital), and Joshua Mitchell (University of Toronto) for a chance to strategize around Akin’s recovery and ongoing search for relevantly located, suitable spaces (both short- and long-term). AREA is also advising on the development of a system for creating creative work and exhibition opportunities with property owners, a valuable collaboration building structure for mutually-valuable relationships across Toronto. 

We are grateful for the support of the AREA team and are excited for the insights they will share that shine a light on opportunities ahead of Akin to further our work in advocating for artists and creative spaces in the city of Toronto.

For any questions or concerns, please email us at info@akincollective.com.

Budget Tips & Tricks!

Prioritizing and making Financial Literacy learning available and accessible to creative entrepreneurs is one of the ways that Akin can support Artists in their work towards economic independence and stability. From breaking down language and providing clear steps required to understand one's personal finances, to templates and resources that can be useful tools, Akin and community partner Wealthsimple are pleased to present a 3-month workshop series on Financial Literacy for artists:

Starting with: Budget Tips & Tricks Online on September 20th 5pm

Knowing how to create a budget is an essential skill, not only for personal expenses but for successful grant applications and project management . At the root of creative entrepreneurship and long term financial stability, artists who are able to plan ahead and have a clear understanding of their expenses and revenues may be able to reach and achieve their goals more easily and quickly.

Join us for an introduction to budgeting and understand the basic frameworks of financial planning.

There will be an ASL interpreter at the event. For more details or any accessibility requirements please register through the link in our bio and feel free to contact erin@akincollective.com for additional support in advance.

Our 8th Studio is here: Introducing Akin Bloor-Yonge!

Akin is thrilled to announce the opening of a new studio location in one of Toronto’s most bustling intersections; Akin Bloor-Yonge! This space is located at 717 Church Street, north of the Bloor St W and Yonge St intersection, making it a great addition to a lively and cultural Toronto neighbourhood.

This studio is Akin’s 8th studio in the city, marking a slow but sure recovery from the necessary closures occurring during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. Akin Bloor-Yonge will bring with it 28 dedicated studios —12 private, 10 semi private, and 6 regular studios along with 8 Shared Memberships. 

Our Akin Bloor-Yonge Shared Memberships will be available for $71/month, which includes access to shared working areas, shared storage, kitchen, and bathroom. The 28 Dedicated Memberships available will be ranging from 37sf for $216/month to 179sf for $662/month including 12 completely private studios (four walls that go to the ceiling and a door that closes) and 10 semi private studios (three or four walls that go to the ceiling, but no door - just an entranceway) as well as some regular dedicated studios (partitions or walls). The Private and Semi Private studios range from 95sf for $440/month to 179sf for $662/month. Just like at all of our studio memberships the monthly fee includes HST, 24/7 access, insurance, WiFi, contents insurance, cleaning and maintenance service, and access to all common areas. 

Priority for studios has been given to current Akin members from other studio locations, artists who have been on the Akin waiting lists for 6 months or longer, Akin members from our former Akin studio locations which closed in 2020 or 2021, as well as those who identify as a member of one or more of the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups (Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP). That being said, we will do our best to provide space at this new location to anyone who is interested in the future. 

We would like to acknowledge the support of our partners Capital Developments for making this location available for our community and a special thank you to our community for uplifting our efforts to return our spaces back to the city. 

Akin is looking forward to you joining us in building this space together and carving out more affordable working areas for our artists in similarly appealing spots. This studio currently has a limited number of private, semi-private, and regular studios available ranging from 110sf for $576/month to 179sf for $662/month, as well as Shared Memberships which are $71/month.

Please email info@akincollective.com to learn more.

Let's Have a Summer Party!

🎉LET'S HAVE A SUMMER PARTY 🎉

Summer is here in all of its glory and we want to celebrate the opening of Akin Stockyards with you in this FREE community and family event! Come meet the Akin members in an open studio along with food, live music from Astrosurf, and a community paint wall for you to participate in.

We will also be having a special visit from Councillor Frances Nunziata, and will be hearing from them, our event sponsors from Marlin Spring and some familiar Akin faces.

When: Wednesday July 13th 2022

Time: 4:00PM - 7:00PM

Address: 2231 St. Clair Ave West

We're so excited to celebrate with you 🥳🎊🎈

Invite your friends on social media through our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter posts!

We're Hiring: Administrative Assistant - Part Time

Job Title: Administrative Assistant - Part Time

Location: This will be a remote position.

Compensation:  $21/hour, approximately 5-20 hours a week

The Opportunity

At Akin, we’re excited to bring your eye for detail, your organization skills, and your creative aptitude to our organization. Reporting to the Facilities Manager, Studio Operations Manager, and Director your responsibilities will include: 

• Regular, ongoing administration related to Akin memberships, and supporting ongoing initiatives such as the Akin Studio Rent Relief Fund

• Supporting with administrative tasks related to Akin’s leases, contracts, payment processing, applications, purchases, and accounting

• Studio and Akin community research, file, and data management

• Managing and organizing applications on an as-needed basis for the Akin Studio Program, hiring at Akin, and other special projects

• Managing Akin’s Google listings for all locations

• Managing Akin Membership data in our member management software (software used: Pickspace and Quickbooks)

• Supporting the Studio Operations Manager with Customer Relationship Management data (software used: Streak)

• Occasional administrative support related to marketing and programming (software used: Hootsuite, and Squarespace)

• Calendar management using Google Calendar

• Payment processing

• Studio inventory management

• Note-taking and other participation in meetings with the Akin team members on an as-needed basis. 

• Optional: joining one or more of Akin’s Committees, depending on your interests and experience/skill set (Programming, Marketing, Community Experience, Conflict Resolution, Fundraising) 

• Optional: Participating in community building Akin events and programming. 

Benefits: You will have access to a free shared membership at Akin or a free Dedicated Studio (100sf or less), as well as access to the Akin Office located near Yonge and Bloor. You will also be able to book Akin’s Remote Gallery for 3 days for free ($450 value). 

To Apply: Submit resume and cover letter by email to work@akincollective.com (one PDF preferred) with “[YOUR NAME] - ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT” in the subject line. Please have your file(s) labeled with your name as well. 

In Conversation with TD Arts

💬In Conversation with TD Arts 💬

Join Akin and TD Bank's Senior Art Curator Stuart Keeler on June 22nd for a conversation with Erin Candela about TD Bank's role in collecting and supporting the arts, in Toronto and across North America. From the history of their collection, and the ways the public can access it, to some of the contemporary curatorial concerns and questions faced by large institutions who play an active role in the arts, this is a unique opportunity to understand some of the many ways the Arts & Culture economy functions in Canada.

Make sure you sign up to this online free event in our link as tickets are limited.

We are inviting our community to send us their questions and inquiries before the chat as we will not be able to take questions during the session itself. You can comment, DM us, or email us at erin@akincollective.com for inquiries.

Date: June 22, 4:30PM to 5:30PM

Available Accessibility: ASL Interpretation and Live Captioning

AACT & Asian Heritage Month!

We’re so excited to be in partnership with AACT and their month long programming to celebrate Asian Heritage Month!

To celebrate the 20th Asian Heritage Month in Canada, in May 2022, AACT has an exciting lineup of upcoming exhibitions, workshops, and events. Mark your calendars for a month of free public programming this May for the following dates:

• May 7: Community Care Art Workshop at Tam Cafe

• May 7-30: Gentle Care Exhibition at the Akin Vitrine Gallery

• May 13-22 Travelling Through: Conversation with Elders Exhibition at TIFF Bell Lightbox

• May 14 as Community Mosaic Art Workshop

• May 27-29 as Nostalgia: In Search of Familiarity at Akin Remote Gallery

Stay tuned for the more details on our social media or learn more at their website link.

Call for Submissions: Local Art for New Residential Community

Daniels HR Corporation, on behalf of The Daniels Corporation, invites artists from the Regent Park and downtown East area to submit proposals in consideration for the residential areas at Artworks Tower and Artsy Boutique Condominiums in Regent Park. The installation of the various artworks will take place in phases between late 2022 to early 2023. The proposal process will involve consulting with Daniels HR Corporation on the design and fabrication of the work to arrive at a final concept, as well as the installation of the piece.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

For The Daniels Corporation (Daniels) each new home community is a work of art - literally. From conception through to completion, every Daniels neighbourhood is designed to enhance its surroundings, the community and to make a statement about its unique character. Daniels has pioneered a new approach to décor and art focused on sourcing local art for each of our new buildings. Within each community Daniels looks to source a wide range of art forms from paintings to photography to sculptures and beyond. This addition of striking local art through community engagement has quickly become a cornerstone of the company’s design philosophy.

The community is located at the north side of Dundas Street, between Tubman Ave. and River St., consisting of the 32-storey Artworks tower on the east side and the 11-storey boutique condominium, Artsy on the west, joined by a 4-storey podium with shared amenities.

For this opportunity, priority will be given to artists who self-identify as:

• Having a connection to the Regent Park Community and downtown East area: current or former resident, or works within the specific community identified 

• Emerging and mid-career artists 

• Diverse and equity-deserving individuals including but not limited to members of visible minority groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ people

Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on May 15, 2022.
For any other questions, please contact LocalArt@danielscorp.com.

Akin Stockyards is Here!

We’re incredibly excited to announce the opening of our newest studio space in Toronto’s West end, Akin Stockyards! Akin Stockyards is located at 2231 St Clair Ave West (near Runnymede) and our team has been hard at work to make it ready with room for more than 70 members. Akin Stockyards opened on February 7, 2022 and we are looking forward to welcoming new members to join this budding community. 

There will be Shared Memberships available for $71/month, which includes access to shared working areas, shared storage, kitchen, dining area and bathrooms. There are also 60 Dedicated Memberships available (your own studio) with studios ranging from 30sf for $191 / month - 155sf for $597 / month. 

Akin Stockyards is located on the ground floor. There are no steps to enter the building and no steps throughout the building. There are two bathrooms for all genders, both bathrooms have grab bars, a 5’ turning radius, and 36” wide doors. Aisles and pathways between the studio spaces are between 3’3” and 5’ wide. There are 5 parking spaces for car parking, there is no on-site parking for bicycles. 

You can check out online documentation of the Akin Stockyards studios to get a sense of our space. The images are organized according to the studio code (example: STO-25, STO-26) which can be seen on the floor plan in each image folder. 

Priority for studios will be given to artists who have been on the Akin waiting lists for 6 months or longer, Akin members from our former Akin studio locations which closed in 2020 or 2021, as well as those who identify as a member of one or more of the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups (Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP). That being said, we will do our best to provide space at this new location to anyone who is interested. 

We would like to acknowledge the support of our partners Marlin Spring and Greybrook for making this space available for our community. We’re excited to welcome you into this studio and we can’t wait for you to be a part of this new community.

Please email info@akincollective.com to learn more!

Love Letter to your Art Practice

Do you hold love for your art practice? How do you recognize it? How do you show it? A Love Letter to your Practice facilitated by Yasmeen Nematt Alla, invites artists, makers, and creatives to join us for a writing and meditation workshop to celebrate the love we hold for our art practices. For most of us, our practices have supported our passions, our livelihoods, and our mental health. We hope to spend time together gathering as we discuss ways to show care to the very things that push us forward.

This event will take place online on March 9th at 6PM to 7:30PM.

Please join the event with a writing or drawing utensil and some paper.

You can sign up in our link: http://ow.ly/eERM50I3TwH

Yasmeen Nematt Alla(she/her) is an Egyptian immigrant and settler living in Tkaronto, Turtle Island (colonially known as Toronto, Ontario). Her practice centres alienated collectivist narratives from an immigrant’s and an interpreter’s perspective. As someone who lives between cultures, she deciphers language barriers attached to togetherness through textiles, performance, and reactive sculptures that are often situated in social practice. She wonders how translation, experiences, and visuals intertwine with care, grief, and community building.

Akin Taxes for Artists Workshop

Tax season can be a particularly stressful and confusing time for artists, performers and other creatives. This workshop will help you get prepared! With decades of experience in accounting and taxation, Kelly Ross will spend an hour discussing some of the most important tax topics for artists including: tax preparation, deductions, tax deadlines, HST, how to handle grants, T4s and more. The session is suitable for artists who are new to filing taxes or those who are looking for a refresher. Please come prepared with your questions, or email them in advance to erin@akincollective.com . This session will be recorded, and Closed Captions available. An ASL Interpreter will be in attendance.

Date: January 25th

Time: 6PM-8PM

Place: Online

Accessibility: This session will be recorded, and Closed Captions available. An ASL Interpreter will be in attendance.

Facilitator: Kelly Ross is the Managing Director and CEO of Ross Professional Corporation. She is a member of CPA Canada leading with strength, knowledge and passion, having over 20 years of experience in accounting and taxation. Through her career she worked in a multi-national CPA firm, then moved on to be a subject matter expert for development of an accounting program at a college. Kelly’s interest and passion for accounting came from her mother whose career was in the accounting realm. Kelly has a love for the arts and entertainment industry, which stemmed from having a father who had talent and love for music. Kelly herself played the piano, trumpet and was a dancer through her early years. Now in her downtime, Kelly can be found around the hockey rinks supporting her daughter’s hockey team and following her nephews in their live band performances. She is truly a people person and has a special skill making everyone she meets feel special.