message from our Board of Directors

Dear friends and supporters,

It is a true honour to serve as Co-Chairs of the Art Not Shame Board of Directors, and we are so proud of the heart, wisdom, and skills that our wonderful team has brought to their collaborations. As we reflect on another full year for Art Not Shame, we are struck both by the depth of experience and impact we have generated, and are inspired by the work that lies ahead for our growing organization.

Art Not Shame’s model for creative mental health advocacy and education is distinctive in the region and rare on a national scale. We believe:

1. We are all creative

2. We are all exactly who we need to be, we don’t all have what we need

3. We need to unlearn that we are not enough

4. We can learn to hold ourselves, our stories, and each other

5. Together we can transform systemic injustice into the worlds we envision 

These principles reflect our deeply rooted vision to work at the crossroads of mental health, community arts and social justice, and drive our effort to facilitate the creation of art and not shame. They guide the ways in which we support creative exploration and self-expression, addressing sources of stigma and shame, and working (and playing!) with determination to find and share the beauty in our complexities, and in each other. The by-product has been the cultivation of immersive, supported, healing spaces with grounding impact. 

ANS is rooted deeply in responding to our communities because depth of connection is an integral part of what we do. The past year saw us working hard to grow internally and deepen our networks and presence in our home town, Guelph. Informed by our ongoing commitments to equity and access, and our firm belief in the power of creative self-expression, we continue to deepen and develop our ways of working and of facilitating in order to create programming that is open, accessible, and resonant to the broader communities in which we live and work. 

Our commitment to the growth of this work is strong. It is strong because we know from experience and from the research in our field the amazing ways in which artistic co-creation cultivates connections, improves mental well being, and enriches lives. As members of both the ANS board and the community it belongs to, we are so deeply inspired by the work being done by this organization.  

Sincerely,

Liz Jackson + Jamie Ashforth

Art Not Shame Co-Chairs

our reach

To date, Art Not Shame has engaged with over 1800 youth across 9 different cities in Ontario, working in collaboration with schools, universities, community organizations, and mental health advocates.

feedback

Our workshops created space for courage to show up…

anonymous feedback and responses from participants:

"This workshop is always the highlight of my week"

"I learned that I didn't have to be perfect. That I am good enough as I am. That my voice and my feelings are worthy."

"I can own my story."

 80% of “Fuck Perfect” workshop participants reported:

• an increase in confidence and self-compassion

• having new tools to use when the pressure to be perfect shows up

100% of “Fuck Perfect” workshop participants reported:

• feeling energized and inspired

• that they had gained artistic skills and ideas

let's keep going and growing!

This year, we welcomed a fantastic office administration assistant, a wizard of a grants coordinator, as well as several guest artist-facilitators, into the mix. We finally hung artwork in our new office space just in time to host our first in-house, two-day training event, featuring the internationally-recognized, creative facilitation wonderwoman, Nadia Chaney. We are beyond thrilled by these, and other, organizational achievements and feel good about our steady and thoughtful approach to sustainability.

We are excited to continue with our core, multi-week workshops as well as venture into the research and design of new programs focused on themes that are relevant to our local community, including bereavement and holding space.

We are committed to continuing conversations with other like-minded organizations and individuals, listening to the needs of the community, and finding resources to support the ongoing delivery of programs that centre the connection between creativity and mental well-being, and gently dismantle shame.

let's continue to dream!

We believe that this work is vital, and the more we do, the more there is to do. We have big dreams at Art Not Shame, but we need help! Please consider supporting us through a donation so that we can keep a really good thing going!