School Visits Category: Onsite Program

Students will gain an understanding of Indigenous connections to land and place, while engaging in an experiential learning opportunity as they explore the waterfront community. Following a community walk, students will create an artwork in response to their personal connections to land and place; experimenting with shapes, colours, lines and textures to express their reflections.

Activists unite! Students will be presented with historical and contemporary artworks that advocate for social change and bring attention to local, national and global issues. Students will create a two-dimensional textile work that expresses a ‘call to action’ using recycled fabric, collage, fibre arts and hand sewing techniques. 

Let’s celebrate dance! Students will have the opportunity to explore three different dance styles throughout the day. Each dance style will be a 60-minute session with a scheduled 30-minute lunch break. It’s a fun, active and engaging way for students to experience the art of dance, brought to you in collaboration with DanceWorks!

In this half-day program, students will learn how block printmaking artists draw inspiration from the world around them. In class, students will design a printing plate using foam and print it using a repeat pattern to create their artwork, perfect for cards or gift wrapping.

Through the examination of artists, students will gain an understanding of the printmaking process. With the help of our educators, students will explore printmaking through shape, texture and colour. Students will use their creative expression to think through the composition of their prints.   

Take your classroom outdoors with our seasonal Waterfront Explorations program! Set against the scenic backdrop of our 10- acre campus, students will learn about the habitats, biodiversity and ecosystems surrounding us. Pair one Visual Arts and one Urban Studies program together for a full-day experience. Half-day programs are available upon request. Choose from the following: […]

In this full-day program, students will explore how textile arts have impacted social change across diverse communities. They will use this as inspiration to design and screen-print their own wearable patch, bringing awareness to a social justice issue that is of importance to them.

From washes to mark-making, students will discover the creative possibilities of watercolour and mixed media. Students will be encouraged to build their confidence by taking risks so they can explore the concept of abstraction. An examination of both historical and contemporary works of art will provide context for students to express themselves through their composition […]

In this workshop, students will work with one of our Educators to explore the fundamental techniques of ceramics: slab, pinch pot and coil. Students will be encouraged to combine two or more shapes to create their own clay sculpture.

Using the waterfront community as a model, students will assess the past, present and future manifestations of the community through the lens of sustainability. 

Students enjoy a truly experiential learning opportunity as they explore our 10-acre campus, building connections between the relevant social studies or science curriculum areas. Discover the beauty of Harbourfront Centre’s waterfront community and everything it has to offer!  Kindergarten: Community Helpers  Grades 1–3: The Waterfront Community Grade 1: The Local Community (SS) Grade 2: Global Communities (SS) Grade […]

Textile Arts brings communities together and encourages collaboration. Students discuss contemporary and traditional textile works that have encouraged storytelling. Students create a collaborative piece based on a cherished memory involving friends or family using recycled fabrics, collage and fibre arts techniques.

Students will learn how textile arts can bring communities together and encourage collaboration. Students will be presented with historical and contemporary artworks that advocate for social change. Students will create a two-dimensional textile work that brings awareness to a social justice issue within their community.

Students gain an understanding of the printmaking process and insight into how artists draw inspiration from the world around them. With the support of our Artist Educators, students explore the collograph printmaking process by collaging an imaginary animal using textured materials, then ink and print at least one image!

Students will be supported through the reduction process, carving away their soft linoleum blocks to create colourful, layered prints. Students draw inspiration from examining works by prominent artists, focusing on prints by Inuit artists. Students will learn about editions and leave with their unique prints. 

Your students will be introduced to a brief history of relief printmaking by examining the artworks of prominent artists, focusing on prints by Inuit artists. Students will design, carve and print a series of colourful relief prints. Students will learn the techniques of relief printmaking using a soft linoleum block. 

Students will examine printed artwork by celebrated artists. They will discover texture through the art of collograph – a relief collage used to make prints. Best of all, students will leave with a series of colourful prints. 

The artistic works and automatic drawing techniques of Surrealist artists inspire this engaging program. Students are encouraged to let go of their inhibitions so they can experiment with the concept of chance and accidents and how that can influence their creative process. Your students will explore drawing and painting techniques and gain a deeper understanding […]

Your students will view historical and contemporary representations of colourfully painted creatures as sources of inspiration for their works of art. Your students will transform their ideas into fantastic imaginary beasts by exploring the wonders of colour, shape and expression through various drawing and painting techniques. 

Students will explore the effects of natural light and other elements on the waterfront landscape’s colours, shapes and textures. In the studio, students will rotate through play-based activity centres, experimenting with colours, lines, shapes, textures and space. The students will then combine their colour experiments to create a collaborative landscape mural.

Harbourfront Centre is committed to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. To this end, we continue to provide various educational opportunities to support you and your students in building connections to the cultural and artistic expression of First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures. Students will explore different forms of governance and what […]

Students are introduced to the rich diversity of body percussion across cultures through an exploration of contemporary artists. Students will use their bodies as instruments to discover the potential for musical expression through rhythm and sound.

Inspired by one of Jamaica’s famous storytellers – Louise Bennett-Coverley, fondly known as “Miss Lou” – our storytelling program will begin with discussing the importance of sharing stories to learn about ourselves and others. Next, students will hear a favourite story of Miss Lou to honour her legacy. Students will then create their accordion book, […]

This workshop provides an opportunity for students to explore improvisation techniques, build confidence through spontaneous collaboration and envision creative possibilities.