Like a great work of art, the Octa Collective Society started with a moment of inspiration. One January evening in 2004, Marilyn Sing and five friends sat down to discuss ways they could make a difference in their Victoria community. Several members worked for an organization that helped unemployed people, many of whom lack communication skills, self-confidence and creativity. "We found it was really hard to help adults develop those skills," Sing says, "so we started looking at how we might create a learning environment where young people could develop them naturally." Her inspired idea was to hire local artists and performers to visit schools to run workshops that would help students develop their creativity. The newly formed Octa Collective Society - the name stands for "only creative thinking allowed" - launched its program, artsREACH, in five elementary schools in 2005. In a typical workshop, a painter or illustrator will get down on the floor and sketch a self-portrait while the kids watch the paper come to life. Then she'll show the students how they, too, can draw faces using simple geometric shapes that anyone can quickly master. Finally, she hands the kids their own art materials so they can start work on their own masterpieces. The artsREACH program grew to 55 workshops in 2005/06 and now reaches about 2,000 kids annually, with a focus on schools that serve low-income families, which often cannot afford expensive arts programs or cultural field trips. None of its success would be possible without Sing's tireless volunteering, which she squeezes in while holding down a full-time job in communications. "She wears so many hats in any given day," says Octa co-founder Natasha Drisdelle. "She's up until midnight filling out grant applications. Marilyn also really knows how to inspire volunteers by putting together great programs for kids who really need them." Sing recognizes that the workshops have the most lasting impact on kids who are struggling academically, and who are used to getting only negative attention in school. Octa volunteers talk of how they've seen students morph in front of their eyes - like the class "troublemaker" who becomes a comic hero after making 25 kids laugh during an improv sketch in a theatre workshop. "A lot of what we do provides children with a boost in their self-esteem and confidence," Sing says. "If they can do something well here, then they can turn around and apply that somewhere else." Chosen charity: The Octa Collective Society |
