Program inspires children and youth to discover their inner creative potential

March 22, 2018

A group of Georgian students, faculty and community members are ready to awaken the imagination of young people while sharing Indigenous art, dance, music and traditional teachings.

As part of the Gshkoziwin Apprenticeship Program, the group will help facilitate a five-hour art program in schools and camps for children and youth. The program rolls out across Simcoe County this spring.

“The goal is to foster intercultural understanding and empathy, while creating more respectful learning environments,” says Michele O’Brien, co-ordinator of Indigenous programs at Georgian and one of the newly trained facilitators. “I look forward to helping young people discover their inner potential and celebrating their gifts through the joy of making and appreciating art.”

O’Brien attended weekly six-hour training sessions from October to February to prepare to become a facilitator. The sessions explored topics such as styles of teaching and learning, the creative process and ceremony, art and identity, Indigenous voices and practices, and more.

“The magic of the apprenticeship program is that I learned how to reclaim my own imagination – something I lost along the way,” she says. “And now I get to give back to the community and inspire that same sense of wonder and creativity in others.”

The Gshkoziwin Apprenticeship Program responds to Calls to Action 63 and 64 of the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It operates under the Milkweed Collective, led by founding members Austin and Beverly Clarkson.

Members of the collective are dedicated to practising the arts and promoting personal growth in a community context. They include painters and poets, installation artists and photographers, authors, therapists and educators.

Gshkoziwin in Ojibwe means “The Awakening.”