FORREC is an experience design company that transforms spaces into smarter, more productive and totally people-centered places to live, work and play. Based in Toronto’s Liberty Village, in their 30 year lifespan they’ve contributed to creative placemaking in over 20 countries.
They’ve also been supporting SKETCH since 2017, as one of our key corporate partners! We spoke with Linda Hung, FORREC’s Vice President, about their commitment to contributing to vibrant communities through their relationship with SKETCH!
Linda Hung – Vice President of FORREC
SKETCH: How was FORREC first connected to SKETCH?
Linda: FORREC was looking to partner with a local charity that aligned with the creative nature of our work and where we could make a difference and have an impact. A group of our staff found SKETCH through our work in the design community, and it’s been an amazing partnership ever since! SKETCH being local, youth-based and home to a diverse range of artists checked all our boxes. We loved their cause and after we met the team behind the organization, we felt we had a real connection and wanted to help right away.
SKETCH: What was your first impression of the organization?
Linda: It truly was ‘love at first sight’. We first visited SKETCH on a cold winter day in 2017. We learned about their story as the team toured us through their warm and vibrant space. We loved the team; their enthusiasm was infectious, their grassroots efforts reminded us of FORREC’s early days of building from the ground up, and their mission of transformation was something we felt aligned with. They were exactly who we were looking to support. We admired their commitment to working with young artists navigating marginalization, many of whom are often overlooked as artists, culture makers, perception changers, and collaborators in building creative communities.
SKETCH: What makes SKETCH’s mission important to FORREC?
Linda: The transformative power of the arts spoke directly to us. SKETCH is different because they are not a service organization, but a place that focuses on fostering youth skills and talents. We liked the artist angle of the organization. We work in a creative field where we create places for people to spend their free time and indulge in their imagination. Through SKETCH, there was an opportunity for FORREC to share our skills in a mentorship role.
SKETCH: What have you learned throughout your relationship with SKETCH and how has it developed over time?
Linda: We immensely value our relationship with SKETCH; we enjoy preparing meals as part of Nourish – their employee engagement program – our staff are always eager to volunteer. We have loved getting to know more about SKETCH through our work whether it has been having artists come to sing and perform at our open house for clients, showcase their talents at our office gallery, or have staff participate in a movement Art Salon while working virtually from home. We appreciate how diverse the artists’ talents are, ranging from music, to dance and movement, to pottery and painting, and so much more. There is so much opportunity to explore all artistic talents at SKETCH.
Interested in hosting a creative arts workshop for your team?
FORREC staff participating in Nourish, SKETCH’s employee engagement program, in 2019
SKETCH: Given the breadth of initiatives you’ve supported at SKETCH, is there one that stands out?
Linda: That is so tough to pick! However, two come to mind. We’ve always enjoyed going into SKETCH’s physical space as part of Nourish. We also are very proud to have connected SKETCH with the Liberty Village BIA (LVBIA), and the bench murals that came out of that partnership. With our office located in Liberty Village it’s uplifting to see beautiful works of art come to life in and around the office.
Bench murals painted by SKETCH artists in 2019, in partnership with the Liberty Village BIA and the City of Toronto
SKETCH: SKETCH is only one of the causes FORREC supports. Can you speak to how else you champion your community?
Linda: Our team works hard but we volunteer even harder. Wherever possible, we like to get involved in different ways, depending on what the community’s needs are.
Sometimes it’s through financial support, or through food donations to organizations like Second Harvest. We have made and distributed meals to people who experience food insecurity in partnership with the Spadina-Fort York Community Care Program. You can also catch us participating in a team charity run or picking up litter in Liberty Village.
We are very involved with the LVBIA, especially the Animated Public Realm (APR). Members of our team have worked on projects big and small; helped with wrapping the signage poles, designing the 20th Anniversary Commemorative Bench, murals, landscaping and maintaining parkettes, while beautifying and animating spaces in Liberty Village.
SKETCH: Beyond making monetary donations to SKETCH, FORREC employees have also contributed their time, expertise, and advocacy by preparing meals in our community kitchen, providing mentorship to young artists, and connecting us to other partners within your network. What makes this kind of giving so important?
Linda: The team enjoys helping in the kitchen and making meals that help to fuel the creativity of those who come to SKETCH. Beyond wellness supports, we partner with SKETCH to give in ways that promote the development of skills with a sense of purpose. This kind of giving is very special; to be able to be witness to, and participate in the transformation of the community.
FORREC staff preparing over 100 meals as part of Nourish
SKETCH: In 2019 FORREC connected SKETCH with the Liberty Village BIA, to transform 20 concrete benches into site-specific murals. Given your line of work, could you describe the role of creativity in community building and place making?
Linda: It sparks joy when we walk through Liberty Village and see the benches. To know that it’s a SKETCH artist’s creation feels powerful and incredibly rewarding because we feel extra connected to the initiative. It has certainly made the area much more colourful and vibrant.
Members of FORREC at the launch of SKETCH’s bench mural project in 2019, in partnership with the Liberty Village BIA and the City of Toronto
SKETCH: Why should other businesses support SKETCH?
Linda: SKETCH is a great organization full of amazing people, with a fantastic mission we are thrilled to support. SKETCH is a motivational place that does an amazing job at inspiring creativity by providing young people with a sense of community, while pairing them with the necessary resources to help them tell their story. We value community and think it’s crucial to nurture the artistic community (something that is frequently underfunded!) We love fueling imagination and creativity – it’s embedded in FORREC’s DNA.
The post FORREC Champions Creative Community Building with SKETCH! appeared first on SKETCH Working Arts.