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Get Creative

Develop your creativity with Summer Workshops!

OCAD University’s Summer Workshop is a week-long studio experience dedicated to emerging artists and designers ages 15 and up who are considering post-secondary education in a creative industry or field.

In this immersive 5-day program, you will have the opportunity to spend time at our main campus, working in our studios and learning from OCAD U faculty who guide and support you in developing your own unique practice. We are so excited to facilitate your creative journey!  

Registration is now open for the following program date options:  

  • Program Option 1: Monday, July 8th to Friday, July 12th 

  • Program Option 2: Monday, July 15th to Friday, July 19th 

  • Program Option 3: Monday, July 22nd to Friday July 26th 

 

Please note: The same workshop offerings will run each week.

The Summer Workshops are geared toward creatives ages 15-19 who are looking to explore new materials, techniques, and concepts to add to their portfolio.

OCAD U is a place that facilitates community between other like-minded makers and thinkers. Join us to create work that reflects who you are and get excited about possibilities of connecting and collaborating! You will walk away from this program feeling motivated and excited for the creative future that awaits you, no matter where that future might be. At OCAD U, you will learn how to be original, inventive, and a well-rounded artist and designer who can speak, write, and most importantly create work!

In this week-long studio experience, you are invited to explore different methods of art and design making supported by hands-on learning that will introduce you to the programs that OCAD U has to offer. 

 

Your experience will include:  

  • Exploration of 2D and 3D practices, in analogue and digital mediums  
  • Visiting artist series featuring OCAD U alumni  
  • Guided tour of OCAD U’s Onsite Gallery 
  • Demo on how to write about your creative work 
  • How to install and document your work  
  • Discussion of what makes strong concepts, techniques, and materials 
  • Highly developed projects or pieces that can support your portfolio or independent learning 

Course fees are approximately $700 CAD, plus tax. The cost of the workshop includes supplies. 

Inside the studios...

In one of OCAD U’s computer labs, our summer workshop 2023 participant is hard at work creating an imagined album cover for their favourite artist.

Canva, Adobe Illustrator, and other programs were introduced by instructor Darren Lee for this visual design focused workshop.  

Student working with computer and tablet

 

Instead of the traditional methods of a dark room for photography, participants experimented with fixer, developer, and other household materials on photo paper.

Table full of developing photographs

 

Luísa Cruz guided participants in a photo-based process creating a variety of exciting results, both abstract and representational.  

Taught by Par Nair, participants learned how to use a viewfinder as a preparatory tool for painting.

Student sketching in a life drawing studio

 

These participants are pictured working on observational drawings to practice for a large scale still life painting.  

 

Summer Workshops: Registration is open!

We'll be running this workshops three times this summer! Sign up for your week now.

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