After a successful pilot program in 2011, Leadership Training in Mural Making returned with the support of OTF funding to provide training opportunities for emerging youth artists. This certificate course gave students a firsthand experience with professional artists and managers familiar with the industry. By addressing these needs and providing the right training and skills needed, youth artists were able to prepare themselves, build networks and gain confidence for the workforce.

In order to be eligible for Leadership Training in Mural Making, applicants had to be between:

Be between the ages of 16 and 26
Have completed the minimum level of Grade 11 Art or equivalent
Have previous experience working in mural art or a similar visual art
Demonstrate an interest in large scale outdoor painting and/or community public art

The program ran for 19 sessions, approximately 60 hours, which covered mural art techniques, equity and diversity training, community and client relations, project management, health and safety, presentation skills, mosaic murals, photo transfer and working with panels.

During the Leadership Training in Mural Making program, participants also had a bus tour which explored a selection of murals in eat Toronto. As the students spent the afternoon inspecting murals with artist Allan Bender and Artistic Director Karin Eaton, they learned the characteristics of outdoor murals. Further on in the program, students received a full‐day mural maintenance and restoration experience. Students worked on a 2 year old heritage mural along Kingston Road: H.M. Schooner, Onondaga, c. 1793 painted by Jeff Jackson. Jackson attended the restoration day to speak to students and provide background on the painting.

In addition to instruction and hands‐on sessions, students of the program created an Independent Study Project where they were required to:

•  Submit a proposal discussing a site (including measurements) for their proposed mural, the concept and design of their mural, as well as the construction and media of the mural
•  Create a maquette of their proposed mural
•  Create a detailed vignette of part of the proposed mural
•  Present the completed pieces, logistics and budget for their mural proposal

You can download a PDF version of the full report here.