Picture This

Using arts education to end homelessness

- Ali Amad

PHYLLIS NOVAK MOVED from Wallaceburg, Ont., to Toronto in 1984 with dreams of becoming an actor. When she wasn't working in theatre, she began volunteering at Evergreen, a drop-in centre that supports homeless youth, doing street outreach and helping run Evergreen's acting and art classes for young adults. Soon working with youth became her biggest role. In 1996, Novak and Sue Cohen, a fellow artist, founded Sketch Working Arts, a charity with a mission to improve the lives of homeless and marginalized youth through creativity.

Sketch's programs help participants tap into a power they didn't know they had. Novak believes the arts provide skills to tackle homelessness, as well as the economic and social oppression that often come with it. “You need creativity to navigate these challenges," she says. “The arts give marginalized youth that creativity and the confidence required to survive, thrive and lead in their communities."