WHO ARE WE?
JAYU is a Toronto-based charity dedicated to sharing human rights stories through the arts. The iAM Program program offers equity-deserving youth ages 12-29 free arts mentorship.
iAM programs are free and designed for young artists between the ages of 12 – 29 living in Ontario with no previous experience required. Equity-deserving is inclusive of Black and racialized folks, people with disabilities, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), 2-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer (2SLGBTQ+), newcomers to Canada and people experiencing homelessness or precarious housing.
DURATION
Date: Mondays, Nov 2, 9, 16
Time: 6:30pm - 9pm
LOCATION
JAYU Studio at 401 Richmond Street West
Studio 380, Toronto ON, M5V 3A8
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Creative Recovery for Artists is a three-part workshop series for artists rebuilding their relationship with their craft, their brand, and their career. Across three sessions, participants move from reconnecting with their creative identity, to defining a clear artist brand, to confidently pitching and securing real opportunities. Each workshop stands on its own, but together they're about one thing: treating your art like the sustainable career it can be — not just a passion project on the side.
Participants will leave with:
Tools for creating through resistance and burnout
A clear artist brand, audience, and creative themes
The foundation of a portfolio and electronic press kit (EPK)
A pitch and follow-up flow, plus a practiced elevator pitch
Concrete short- and long-term goals for their artistic career
Learn more about each session below:
Workshop 1: Creative Recovery for Artists
This workshop is for the artist who no longer feels like one. Built for those who've spent time and distance away from their craft, this session is about building the confidence and clarity to create again — not as a hobby, but as a life's work.
Workshop 2: Artist Branding and Establishing Creative Vision
This workshop is where "I make things" becomes "here's who I am as an artist, and why it matters." Whether your practice is niche or multidisciplinary, this session is about defining your artistic identity and building the presence to back it up.
Workshop 3: The Art of Pitching, Networking, and Securing Opportunities
This workshop takes the fear out of pitching. Participants learn how to present their portfolio with confidence, build genuine relationships across their creative community, and follow through in ways that actually lead to opportunities.
NEED TO KNOW
Food, TTC tickets, and writing materials will be provided.
Please Note: Registration does not guarantee placement in this workshop. Confirmation emails will be sent prior to the workshop start.
If you have any inquiries please contact Sam, iAM Level 2 Program Manager at samantha@jayu.ca
MEET YOUR MENTOR
Akilah Walcott (Akilah the Creative) is a Black-Guyanese singer, writer, and multidisciplinary storyteller, creating soulful, cinematic work across music, literature, poetry, and film. She moves fluidly between artistic worlds, creating stories that linger long after you’ve left them.
A competitive pianist and singer from ages 12 to 16, Akilah stepped away from music in 2017 to pursue nursing, believing her artistic gifts had no value in the world. Devastated by artistic loss, she made the courageous choice to rebuild an artistic career from the ground up.
She found her footing writing essays, short stories, and performing spoken word poetry for arts organizations across Ontario, later being published in PITCH and TRAD Magazine, where she also served as volume lead and editor of the Door of Return anthology. Her poems “Dear Black Girl” and “Shadow” were featured in Spoken Word Saturdays with the League of Canadian Poets, and selected for a billboard installation through the Brampton Poetry Project.
In April 2026, she released her debut single “Born to Shine,” a Soul-R&B record about reconnecting with the light within, accompanied by a mini-film, which was selected for screenings at Toronto Indie Fest and Happy Hour Cinema Club’s Short Film Showcase. She then released “Behind the Light,” an intimate documentary exploring what it means for any artist to recover a lost gift.
Akilah is equally devoted to arts education, designing and facilitating programs for artists across Ontario, her own story standing as proof that artistic recovery is possible at any stage.