VIVA October 27-30

Catalyst is proud to share the exciting news about several days of workshops on community arts projects and an exciting book launch.

See the above flyer for the events taking place on October 27th.

Flyer for September walking conversation

Flyer for June 14th walk

Catalytic Conversations: Labour walks (Summer 2011)

This summer we are trying something new for us. Walking Conversations.

The first walking conversation will be in July. Join us!

David Kidd will be facilitating the conversation as we wander along King Street through the St. Lawrence Market Community. We meet at the North East Corner of Toronto St. and King St. E at 7:00 p.m. on July 14th.

David Kidd, longtime Toronto labour and community leader and co-author or Mapping our Work: Toronto Labour History Walking Tours map, will be hosting a labour history tour of the downtown core. The walk will look at key issues of labour in the late 1800s. The tour offers a reflection of trade union struggles in our city with insight into the issues of workers today.

Catalytic Conversation: Keeping it Real - Living our activism every day

This spring Catalyst Centre is exploring ACTIVISM. Our third conversation of the season focuses on living our activism. All you need to do is show up ready to share, listen and learn.

The next conversation is on June 23 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at OISE on the 7th floor. Follow the signs!

Join us for a World Café!

The World Café format is a creative interactive way to not only share the wisdom that each of us has to contribute, but also create a space for new ideas to emerge. Bring your favourite cause, activity, and / or fellow activist and be a part of putting action back into activism.

For more information contact deborah@catalystcentre.ca

Catalytic Conversations - Exploring Activism

Exploring Activism:

The Catalyst Centre is pleased to be offering a series of Catalytic Conversations that hope to give all of us using popular education in our community work and lives a place to learn with each other and a chance to make some new connections.

For Spring 2011, Catalyst is spending some time looking at activism. How is it changing in our world? What is being done locally to create and sustain activism on projects? What are we committed to doing together?

We hope you find our choices interesting and decide to join us for some conversation.

All you need to do is read the article (or watch the video or check out t

he website) and show up ready to share, listen and learn.

Activism in our complex global community

May 5 from 6:30 t0 8:30 p.m.

(Photo courtesy of John Bonnar)

To participate in this discussion we recommend that you read the article The four faces of activism by Scott Brown. You can get the article at http://www.countercurrents.org/brown260111.htm.

We also would like you to watch Naomi Klein interview on her book the Shock Doctrine. You can watch at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlc9GOhXJZI&feature=related

Creating and Sustaining Activism

May 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Come and hear Laura Rainsborough of Not far from the tree talk about a local food foraging project that successfully engages 100s of volunteers and activists in a variety of activities. Then participate in the conversation.

To find out more check out the website: www.notfarfromthetree.org

Keeping it REAL – living our activism every day

June 23 from 6:30- 8:30 p.m.

This conversation will be a word café. This is a creative interactive way to not only share the wisdom that each of us has to contribute but also creates a space for new ideas to emerge. Bring your favourite cause, activity, or fellow activist and be a part of putting action back into activism.

For more details contact Deborah. Her email is deborah@catalystcentre.ca

Work Play Think Do - Popular Education Workshops

CATALYST POPULAR EDUCATION WORKSHOPS

Writing the Word, Writing the World
Sundays - 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. - March 13, March 27, April 10
Writing is a joy and a grief, a gift and a curse and more. And what it is for you depends a great deal on the context in which you are writing as well as with whom you are writing. The context for this writing group/workshop is struggles for social, environmental, economic and political justice. Whether you are writing poetry, fiction, a dissertation, letters, grant proposals or project reports, you are welcome to join in this popular education writing community. The sessions are open, though limited to 15 participants. Each session will include structured exercises, individual writing time and collective sharing and discussion time. (NOTE: Though only three sessions are scheduled at this time this is an ongoing series and additional dates will be added once the series is underway.)

Facilitated by chris cavanagh
Location: Bathurst & Bloor
Cost is Pay What You Can
(read about the Catalyst Centre fee here)
For more information or to reserve
your spot e-mail courses@catalystcentre.ca
or call the Catalyst Centre at 416-516-9546

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Open-Art-House: A Popular Education Art Workshop
Saturdays – 1:00 – 4:00 - March 19, April 2
‘Zines, art trading cards, mail art, collective murals, community mapping, journal art, books of all kinds and more. These are open space sessions to practice and play with art. Each session will include a variety of options including opportunity to talk about using art in popular education and community development contexts.

Facilitated by J'net Cavanagh & chris cavanagh
Location: Bathurst & Bloor
Cost is Pay What You Can
(read about the Catalyst Centre fee here)
For more information or to reserve
your spot e-mail courses@catalystcentre.ca
or call the Catalyst Centre at 416-516-9546

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Do You See What I Mean?
Friday, March 18 – 9:30 – 4:30
Popular education is a democratic practice of education rooted in social and economic justice struggle. It is philosophy, politics, pedagogy and a diverse and abundant set of tools and techniques. This workshop focuses on using visual techniques – drawing, community mapping, murals, ‘zines and more. We will discuss which techniques are best suited for sharing experience of resistance and oppression, for analyzing power, and collectively learning in the context of community organizing for social and economic justice.

Facilitated by chris cavanagh
Location: Bathurst & Bloor
Cost is Pay What You Can
(read about the Catalyst Centre fee here)
For more information or to reserve
your spot e-mail courses@catalystcentre.ca
or call the Catalyst Centre at 416-516-9546

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Comeuppance – Storytelling & Tricksters: Speaking Truth to Power
Friday, April 8 - 9:30 – 4:30
Storytelling, as one of the oldest forms of learning, is an essential means of passing on the lessons of the past. But some traditions are ever in danger of being lost and forgotten. One such set of stories - found in all cultures - is that of the Trickster Tale. Thieves, fools, clowns, jesters, crazy holy men, clever wise girls, tricky animals of all kinds are each and every one a teacher. Trickster wisdom is an ancient and powerful stream of thinking and doing that holds within it important and largely forgotten means of resisting oppression, avoiding disastrous thinking as well as finding the road to compassion, connection and growth. This workshop will explore this trickster wisdom, practice trickster pedagogy. We will discuss and share stories as a form of popular education in struggles for social, political and economic justice.

Facilitated by chris cavanagh
Location: Bathurst & Bloor
Cost is Pay What You Can
(read about the Catalyst Centre fee here)
For more information or to reserve
your spot e-mail courses@catalystcentre.ca
or call the Catalyst Centre at 416-516-9546

DEMOCRATIC FACILITATION BY DESIGN Friday Feb. 4 and Friday Feb. 25

This popular workshop has been expanded to give you TWO FULL DAYS. Together we will explore some of the principles and practices of good workshop design and facilitation.

While it’s tempting to think that many group problems can be solved through better facilitation, many are better dealt with through effective meeting design. Design is way to ensure that group processes are just, inclusive and effective and facilitation is learning to follow a design with flexibility and imagination.

Through participatory activities you will learn new tools for design and facilitation, share issues and experiences - and have fun in the process!

The added bonus of the two day format is that you will work on designing an activity or event from your own real life experience and benefit from the insight and feedback from other participants and the facilitators.

Facilitators: chris cavanagh and Deborah Konecny

Fee: recommended $300 for the two days or Pay What You Can.

Location:

East York East Toronto Family Resources

947 Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario M4M 1J9

phone: 416-686-3390 ext. 9985

fax: 416-686-8282

website: www.eyetfrp.ca

Please register online or phone 416-516-9546 .