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Latest news (April 09)
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What we are
Updated Dec 13, 2008: TheStoreFront Community has been a completely grassroots social research project in community building. By activating an empty storefront and building a network, Ghazaleh Etezal and the Bloorcourt/Bloordale community started the process of connecting various stakeholders to a shared vision. Older writing (process of defining the project)
Connect
957 Bloor St W
Toronto ON Canada
M6H 1L7
Contact
Ghazaleh, Community Builder / Designer
ghazaleh [at] thestorefrontcommunity.com
1+647.261.5201
Tools
Facebook Group
Ning Portal
Goolge Group
Rent and Expenses Support
thanks for contributing to the 1/4 market rent of the space generously given by Robert Markovits
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| BloorCourt Village BIA |
| CAN Arts Collective (Daily Bread Food Bank) |
| Meow Films Night at the Indies |
| TakingITGlobal |
| Sistering |
| Community Shares meeting (Dec 2) participants |
Network
Calendar of Events
News
Updated May 2, 2009
April 22, 2009
Article written in Hamilton Spectator about Innovation Cafe, with Ghazaleh as a guest speaker. Read here
April 19, 2009
April 2, 2009
Ghazaleh will be attending the Innovation Cafe at Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network on April 22.
March 19, 2009
Hello - I would like to invite you to attend an upcoming event, "The Climate Crisis:
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March 19, 2009
March 18, 2009
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ComeUnity Festival artists open up a Funktion Gallery (January) near Lansdowne at 1244 Bloor West. Our area is happenin'! Art is taking over space! |
March 9, 2009
Carrot City How does a city address food production? Artists, architects, landscape architects and other designers are changing the nature of cities to provide opportunities for food production on rooftops, within unused spaces, at home and work, and in the public realm.
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March 5, 2009
"Hello 'Save the Paradise Theatre ' supporters!
We're happy to announce that we are moving forward with our plan to revitalize the Paradise and we are holding our first public meeting!
Join us and learn more about our vision to create a non-profit community arts organization that will breathe new life into the theatre. In addition to films and festivals, we envision the Paradise as a local venue showcasing a diversity of programming, including live music, comedy, theatre, lectures, film editing, 'town halls', and more.
And since we are all volunteers, we will need lots of help!!
We are looking for people with enthusiasm and/or experience in the following areas:
- film/theatre operations / technical knowledge
- organizational governance
- fundraising
- marketing/design
- community organizing
- and more
Come out and learn how you can be part of an exciting and worthwhile community project!!"
From the Facebook Group: Save Paradise!
March 1, 2009
February 25, 2009
| Long & McQuade is thrilled to once again present L&M University - a series of free career-enhancing seminars, clinics & showcases specifically tailored to the needs of musicians, songwriters, producers & home studio enthusiasts. There is something for all professional musicians and hobbyists of all levels & at all stages of their careers. |  |
February 24, 2009
City of Toronto Celebrates Its 175th Anniversary on March 6, 2009! |
February 17, 2009
February 8, 2009
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
February 4, 2009
Ghazaleh was personally invited by executive director of Golden Horseshoe BioSciences Network, Darlene Homonko, to speak about TheStoreFront Community project at an Innovation Cafe session on April 15 in Hamilton.
February 3, 2009
Received from Diana Giramoldos at Working Women Community Centre.
Di-as-po-ra - any people forced or induced to leave their traditional homelands, the dispersal of such people, and the ensuing developments in their culture.
| The Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) invites youth ages 15-17 who live in the GTA and identify as part of a Diasporic community to take part in a global education and multi-media arts project that will provide you with opportunities to reflect about your personal stories, learn about global justice issues, and use multi-media arts as a tool for social change. |
**Applications due ASAP**
project runs until July 2009
For more information about the project and for details on how to apply see forms attached and/or contact Kris at 416 972 6303 / public.engagement@ocic.on.ca
January 31, 2009
Ghazaleh breaks down the needs after 8 months of directing TheStoreFront Community project:
People want to:
- meet other interesting people
- meet their neighbours
- get more engaged in their community
- learn more about what is going on
- have a neighbourhood hub
- pay for what they like
- promote what they do
- get more business
- have a space to do what they do
- communicate more effectively to others
- empower eachother
- be creative
- be free
- have fun
- collaborate
- share
And with that she will be risking her time and life again until she builds MEconomist.com. But first, she will be treating it like another (art) project. She has the business plan, but she wants you to help her write it. It will look like art at first, not a 20-page document.
She had this epiphany after the Community Shares meeting on December 2, 2008. Thank you to all the participants. The night is documented and a video will be uploaded online shortly.
January 28, 2009
Application form (Word doc)
Flyer (Word doc)
Working Women Community Centre is offering a 7-week training course for individuals who want to increase their leadership skills and confidence to raise awareness of community services, please distribute this information among your volunteers and clients .
Best regards,
Diana Karolina Grimaldos
Community Engagement Coordinator
533A Gladstone Avenue
416-532-2824 Ext: 32
Fax: 416-532-1065
dkgrimaldos@workingwomencc.org
www.workingwomencc.org "
January 26, 2009
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Puppets on Ice - Sun. February 1
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January 19, 2009
"Don't underestimate the power of people who join together to accomplish amazing things,"
"we can't allow any idle hands. Everybody's got to pitch in."
-Barack Obama
January 17, 2009
TheStoreFront Community research project will end with a mural competition at 955 Bloor West with 10 hand-selected jury members. There will also be an announcement for the final presentation at OCAD with the result of Ghazaleh's observations over the last 8 months, trying to make an open and flat, grassroots space to see what was possible. The project hopes to continue through the OCAD ThinkTank curriculum for other teachers and classrooms to take part in working with the city and neighbourhoods to design for change. The inclusiveness of TheStoreFront Community project with a physical location has brought people together. That is already success. The rest resides in the spirit of diversity, creativity and people to inject life to a place. Thank you to everyone for showing interest and approaching the project. It has been quite an experience.
December 30, 2008
Here is a new bus-stop shelter ad designed by Ghazaleh for Bloorcourt Village BIA (Dufferin to Montrose). It is at the Northwest corner of Bloor and Dufferin, with the busiest bus line in the entire city.
December 22, 2008
Toronto is a magical city -- these names proves it:
Marshall McLuhan Jane Jacobs Dufferin Grove Park Alex Ling Richard Florida Don Tapscott Torontopedia TakingITGlobal Torcamp Schools Without Borders Bikes Without Borders Doctors Without Borders Centre for Social Innovation Toronto International Film Festival Nuit Blanche Rotman Artscape Spacing
Looking forward to revealing the connections for 2009! Keep the magic burning Toronto. We're all going to spark the city together.
Dec 17, 2008
Dec 14, 2008
TheStoreFront Community has been a completely grassroots social research project (May - December 2008) in community building. By activating an empty storefront and building a network, Ghazaleh Etezal and the Bloorcourt/Bloordale community started the process of connecting various stakeholders to a shared vision.
The vision itself was simple: to connect people to place, place to projects, projects to programs, and programs to presentations to raise public awareness. Our ultimate goal of building a self-sustaining replicable model for other neighbourhoods was greatly aided by this process. The mission was to design new forms of social innovation and local economic development.
By allowing an organic process to determine the ways in which the project would proceed, our social research agenda was able to first document the ideas that worked best, and second explore how they could be formalised. Our research project also involved observing Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) across the city of Toronto. This effort helped us better understand the common challenges faced by neighbourhoods around the city, and allowed us to propose new and unconventional strategies for surmounting those obstacles.
Dec 9, 2008
The second half of Ghazaleh's BIA Zone research draft report (TheStoreFront Community project) can be seen here as a pdf. This was written November 19, 2008 and is still incomplete. The first part of Ghazaleh's BIA Zone with ThinkTankToronto report is her observations from interviewing Toronto's BIAs and their impact on local communities.
December 5, 2008
December 2, 2008
Community Shares meeting by invitation of those connected to the network. Nearly 40 attended. Click here for Himy Syed's documentation of the night and stay tuned for all the answers you've been waiting for. It's coming together people! This was the agenda for the night.
Hear the people in the room:
December 1, 2008
Monthly online report for rerquests to the website.
Updated November 27, 2008
Globe & Mail article on TheStoreFront in T.O Section, November 22, 2008.
Click here to see pdf.
November 17, 2008
Alchemy Art Jam #1 -- Thanks Leah and Kira for such an awesome event! It was incredible! Photos will be up soon!
November 12, 2008
November 7, 2008
Alchemy Art Jam
Join us as we turn garbage into gold. We provide the tools, you provide your hands and brain and heart and whatever junk you've got and we'll get wildly creative together. No experience necessary.
Jam #1, Monday November 17: Electronic Madness. The more Gizmos, the merrier.
Jam #2, Monday November 24: Hand-me-down day. Bring your old clothes and rags.
Jam #3, Monday December 1: Glass day. Get those jars outta the recycling bin.
Monday nights, 6-10pm, at TheStoreFront.
Donations of trash or cash welcome. Never throw anything away. Make art instead.
Organized and led by Leah Gold and Kira Kastner.
November 5, 2008
Starting October 23, The Daily Bread Food Bank's Community Action Network (CAN) has been presenting a 6 week program to develop individual and group skills in community based art at TheStoreFront.
November 4, 2008
Click below to see the number of hits to this website from June until now. We're getting pretty popular without even having our infrastructure in place! Get excited!
October 21, 2008
We aim to branch off to a social enterprise providing a rental space and network hub dedicated to building community.
This project has proven that inclusive dialogue, engagement and creative expression will organically build a sustainable community that empowers and connects people and ideas. The storefront will be the visible network hub that links collective wisdom, knowledge and power to inspire participation and development. The idea is to replicate this concept to other neighbourhoods around the world like a 'micro'poration: 'space'holders, stakeholders and sponsors turnaround a storefront and re-claim public space. It is sustainability in action.Contact us if you would like to book our space.
We are at the stages of planning the structure for our enterprise launch in the new year. We are providing our space to be used for various activities tailored to art, cultural, social and environmental engagements that will tie into our vision:
If you or your group would like to take advatnage of our reduced rate for November and December, please e-mail us: info[at]thestorefrontcommunity.com
Clay & Paper Theatre promote the Night of Dread show for October 25 at Dufferin Grove Park.
Historic photographs provided by CELOS have been a storefront favourite. Thank you to Michael for providing us with the panels.
October 11, 2008
Saturday's Globe & Mail writes a story on Genoveva Silva, owner of Concord Cafe and her case with city and graffiti removal. Read article here.
Also, today was Bloor By the Park BIA's ComeUNITY festival at Keele Station (under the bridge). Check out the photos by Himy Syed (Torontopedia) here. Main site: ComeUNITY.ca
October 6, 2008
Issues with art murals continue to challenge our city. The owner of Concord Cafe (a lively music cafe near our storefront) has been ordered to remove her commissioned mural. She received her notice after the date that she was told to remove it. Here is her letter of defense.
September 24, 2008
Friday night ARTERY kicked it off with their incredible talent, grabbing the street's attention with their music, food and graffiti. We had an amazing tour on Saturday September 20 by tour-guide Rebecca Higgins who had marked our guide-map for the day. We didn't get around to most of it, but it was fun walking around our neighbourhood in a group. The discussion was great too - quite organic with the subject matter and the conversation kept everyone who attended very engaged. Check the right side bar for some feedback. Photos, videos and minutes from the meeting coming soon.
September 9, 2008
Inorder to continue our conversation and collabortion, we had a meeting to discuss how we can continue in a direction that will benefit everyone including the community. We are hoping for strenghthing our bonds:
ThinkTankToronto
Ontario College of Art & Design
BloorCourt Village BIA
BloorDale Village BIA
Bloor Improvement Group (BIG)
City of Toronto Ward 19 (Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone)
as well as Robert Markovits, property owner of 957 Bloor West who has been the milestone for this venture.
Past Promoted Events
Organized and coordinated by Magda Olszanowski from Gladstone Hotel
Hosted Events
TakingITGlobal V6 website revamp launch
"December 16 from 6-9 PM, you're invited to a special TakingITGlobal celebration launching the new and improved version of our website!
We'd like you to join us as we celebrate the next chapter of the Online Community, hosted by TheStoreFront Community project at 957 Bloor Street West.
You'll get a chance to meet the people behind TIG and learn more about the work we're doing to effect social change. TakingITGlobal.org is the social network that connects you to the global issues that affect us all.
Food & non-alcoholic beverages will be provided
Raffle tickets & Prizes!
Buy an exclusive TIG T-shirt!" event page on TIG website
Community Action Network: Arts Collective
October 23, Every Thursday night from 5:30. Supported by the Daily Bread Food Bank. Organized by Richard Meadows and Smartsckool
Alchemy Art Jam
We turn garbage into gold!
photos of our jamming Monday nights:
Jam #1, Monday November 17: Electronic Madness. The more Gizmos, the merrier.
Jam #2, Monday November 24: Hand-me-down day. Bring your old clothes and rags.
Jam #3, Monday December 1: Glass day. Get those jars outta the recycling bin.
Freedom of Piece
Feedback from from participants in the first issue-based project of TheStoreFront Community regarding graffiti
Friday September 19, Saturday September 20
Opening exhibition by A.R.T.E.R.Y. youth graffiti group with live music by LOFT program at Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre. Also live graffiti and barbecue in the back.
Neighborhood Graffiti tour guided by Rebecca Higgins and community discussion.
Supporting mural on 955 BloorW This page was supportive of our property owner and the Freedom of Piece event, before the mural got buffed.
Interivews with A.R.T.E.R.Y.
Ghazaleh speaks about event
Legal Graffiti Art (YouTube account by Constable Scott Mills)
photos of set-up
photos of opening night:
photos of tour and discussion here:
Supported Events
Delaware Street Festival
This successful grassroots community festival took place on Saturday September 27 from Hallam to Shanly. Design services were provided by Manish and Ghazaleh. TheStoreFront was used as a meeting space for the Delaware residents organizing this event.
photos here:
AfriVillage Festival
The Storefront hosted an exhibition for the Afrivillage Festival on August 23-24, 2008. We were delighted to host Betty from Uganda and Motou from Nigeria in our space.
photos here:
BIG on Bloor Festival
For our opening, we hosted Bloor Improvement Group and the BIG on Bloor Festival June 21, 2008 and provided the design and communication services. It was a huge success.
Check out the pictures:
