Festival of the Arts: Bound to Create
Bound to Create: Book Binding Workshop
Discover the art of bookbinding in this beginner-friendly workshop exploring the connection between creativity, craft, and self-expression. Learn how simple materials and decorative stitching can transform loose pages into a handmade book, creating something both functional and uniquely yours.
Then, it’s time to start binding! You’ll learn how to sew decorative stitches along the spine of your book through guided, step-by-step instruction, using watercolour paper to create a hard cover. Once your book is bound, you’ll have the opportunity to decorate and personalize your cover, turning your finished piece into a reflection of your own creative style. Whether you use it as a journal, sketchbook, or home for your favourite ideas, you’ll leave with a book made by you, from the first stitch to the final details.
What You’ll Take Away:
An introduction to decorative bookbinding and stitched spine techniques.
The skills to bind your own book using guided, hands-on instruction.
A handmade book with a watercolour paper hard cover to decorate and personalize.
An opportunity to slow down, experiment with a new craft, and reconnect with your creative side.
No experience necessary. Just bring yourself, your curiosity, and a willingness to stitch something new!
Meet the Artist
Jess De Vittoris
Jess (she/they) is a community arts mentor and visual artist based in T’karonto (Treaty 13). Jess has experience working with community through the arts offering instructional workshops for a range of mediums and art making techniques both digitally and in person. These techniques include watercolour exploration, oil paint, acrylic, resin, book binding, fiber arts and live drawing, as well as career development workshops. With over 10 years of experience in the community arts sector, as a queer mixed-race white latine (Mexican-Italian) artist, Jess is deeply committed to creating programming and strategies centering anti-oppression, continuously countering extractive practices that disproportionately affect communities that have been historically disenfranchised from art spaces. Jess is interested in challenging notions of scarcity within arts and community, searching for ways of connecting with each other with intention and care.
FAQs
- What is JAYU?
JAYU is a registered Canadian charity that equips and platforms equity-deserving individuals dedicated to using art for change. Rooted in community and informed by human rights, we deliver transformative arts programs and mentorship for youth across the GTA, as well as education and employment opportunities for emerging arts professionals.
Our work is guided by a shared belief in the power of art to transform lives. With the support of our staff, artists, educators, and Board of Directors, we create safe creative spaces through our iAM programming, showcase opportunities like our annual poetry slams, the JAYU Festival of the Arts and by partnering with organizations across the city to bring arts into community hubs and public spaces.
- What is JAYU Festival of the Arts?
JAYU Festival of the Arts (JFA) is a 7-day celebration of creative expression rooted in human rights and social justice, featuring films, workshops, performances, an exhibition, and an artist market. We believe art can be a tool for change by sharing human rights stories, building empathy, fostering healing and community, and sparking the conversations that help push the world toward a more equitable, loving place.
- How does ticketing work?
As part of JAYU’s commitment to accessibility, we offer different types of ticketing to every event to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the festival.
Free Admission: Creates access to our space and events for those who may not be in a position to give.
Give-What-You-Can: Builds welcoming spaces for everyone to share their stories. This option is for folks that are able to donate and wish to support JAYU Festival of the Arts and our programming.
- What is accessibility like at your venue?
401 Richmond is wheelchair accessible with gender neutral washrooms. Wheelchair entrances are located:
At the front entrance near the Roastery Café (east of Spadina Avenue)
At the north-east corner of the building, near the Spacing and Swipe retail shops (west of the corner of Richmond and Peter Streets).
Paid parking is available within the area. We recommend:
83 Peter Street (underground lot; card and online payment options available; 5 minute walk)
448 Richmond Street West (outdoor lot; physical card required; 2 minute walk)
Thank you to our sponsors and funders!
As a registered charity, JAYU’s work is made possible by the generous support of our funders and partners. We gratefully acknowledge the Government of Canada, through Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Arts Presentation Fund and Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program Events Stream, for supporting the JAYU Festival of the Arts.
We also thank our year-round supporters: TD Bank, Lead iAM Core Sponsor; Ontario Trillium Foundation; Charles H. Ivey Foundation; Canada Life; TELUS Friendly Future Foundation; The Daniels Corporation; Canada Council for the Arts; Sony Canada; and the F.K. Morrow Foundation.
Our year-round operations are supported by Toronto Arts Council, with funding from the City of Toronto, and the Ontario Arts Council.
Thank you to all our supporters for helping JAYU keep art, storytelling, and community at the heart of everything we do.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
