Ignite your creativity. Discover your inner artist!
Become part of our arts community.
Due to popular demand – we are offering arts classes for adults interested in exploring their creative muse. Our sessions are fun, hands-on, and designed to make you feel comfortable trying new things and gaining real world skills in songwriting or visual arts. Our instructors are highly accomplished artists with years of professional experience in their art form, and in teaching both professionals and new artists. No matter your skill level – you are welcome here.
Location
TBD
If you have any questions, please reach out directly to our Artistic Director: Sheena@KickStartArts.com
Dates
Registration for our spring classes is now closed.
Next Intake:
Fall 2026
Fee per Term
$395 (+ HST)
All materials and tech fees included.
Because spaces are limited, if you are interested in taking our classes in the Fall, please fill out this notice of interest:
Explore What We’re Offering
Our instructors are highly qualified professionals who are incredible facilitators. They know how to create a supportive, fun environment that will challenge you in the very best of ways.
Songwriting
This workshop series uses musical improvisation, lyric writing activities, peer-to-peer feedback, digital recording, and other techniques to build skills in music and lyrical composition. Participants will develop compositions during and between sessions, that will be shared as works-in-progress and as final pieces at the series end.
Note: Feel free to bring instruments if you wish. It is not required. There will be instruments (guitars, little synthesizers, lots of percussion and a drum) available. You may wish to bring a notebook and pen to jot down ideas as they appear. Phones may be used to record audio as work is created.
Musician-Facilitator
Michael O’Connell has been composing and performing since the age of 13. From early stages opening for Nash the Slash/FM, to the 90s recording and touring with national sweethearts Black Cabbage (Guelph) to his latest project Culture Reject – a moniker he has held as an international touring and recording artist (Specific Recordings/FRANCE). Michael’s musical style has always been in the realm of pop music with deep influences of folk, jazz, americana, hip-hop, punk, post-punk, rock, soul and new wave. Michael is an incredibly gifted facilitator and has done extensive work coaching folks of all ages to tap into their inner musician. Check out one of Michael’s songs here!
Visual Arts – Altered Books
This visual art workshop invites you to use books as the jumping off point for artistic expression while exploring various art forms to explore a theme that’s important to you. Altered books refers to a piece of art created by taking a pre-existing book and altering it through various artistic processes. In the ten weeks, you will use books as the “canvas” to explore painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, and found poetry, all inspired by the written word. Whether you are new to visual arts or experienced in creating, you will feel supported in learning new techniques and expanding your creative practice.
Note: All materials are included in the fee. You are free to bring your own book to alter if you wish, but there will be some available as well. You will be using paint and visual art materials which might get on your clothes – so dress appropriately for the fun of that!
Visual Artist-Facilitator:
Leslie Ashton is a visual artist and puppeteer. She began her career as a performer and theatre artist, creating masks, building puppets, and painting backdrops, throughout Quebec and Ontario. More recently, she has been working on personal projects, creating art interacting with and using books, making collages, painting, photography, printmaking and textiles. She is inspired ever day by nature and the written word. For Leslie, art is the best way to share stories, understand others, and learn about our world. She collaborates with her students using many mediums including; paint, photography, puppetry, collage and textiles. She brings her curiosity, sense of humour, energy and a willingness to every workshop – meeting students where they are, right now. (She’s also working on a little side project, drawing every person in Toronto. She only has about 2.9 million to go.)