Elora Centre for the Arts

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS - Youth Outreach. Connecting to Schools Through Art for elementary & high school students
2024-09-15 - 2026-06-21
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS provides free arts programming to youth with intellectual and/or developmental delays in elementary and secondary school in the Life Skills and LRC classrooms. We meet students once a month throughout the school year at Centre Wellington District Secondary School, Elora Public School, John Black Public School in Fergus, Arthur Public School, Victoria Cross Public School in Mount Forest, and June Ave Public School in Guelph.
Led by an ECFTA Arts Educator, these sessions offer guided art instruction and contemporary art ideas to students in Centre and North Wellington.

The program is free to students. Project themes are centered around community building and emphasize collaboration and success through personal artistic expression. The goal is connecting students to the community in meaningful and creative ways!
Why is this program important?
Students with developmental delays experience added challenges in feeling supported within the school system and the broader community. These children and youth also have limited access to arts-based resources within schools due to the continued erosion of arts funding.
This program strives to engage the emotional and social well-being of students through art making that connects them with community initiatives, helping them experience community life beyond school.
This project arose in response to teachers of LRC and Life Skills students in our area and aligns with our goal of supporting community needs through the arts. Our goal is that students feel more connected and included in their community through the art-making process!

The 2019 Vital Signs Report demonstrates the need for this program as follows:

Only 41% of students feel a sense of belonging to their community through school;
Accessibility to the arts continues to be a barrier for many;
Youth mental health is a particular vulnerability; and
Connection to the community is listed as a preventative factor against suicide.

Funding for this program is made possible thanks to the generosity of the Harry E. Foster Charitable Foundation the Johansen-Larsen Foundation and the Centre Wellington Community Foundation. Thank you!

Program Insights
Each year, we discover that as the year progressed, students gained an appreciation for each other’s work. The collective art making environment allows the students to locate their individuality within a larger group context in a very direct way by comparing how they resolved their works, and how their classmates may have made different choices.
This form of communication and introspection is unique to collective art-making, that allows for participants to see themselves in the context of others. It is a wonderful opportunity for those who often find it difficult to connect with groups, to find a common language when looking at and discussing each other’s work.
Students with limited verbal communication are able to be a part of a visual conversation that values the uniqueness of perspective and diverse ways of making.

For more information about this program please contact us at: programming@ecfta.ca
To help support this program by donating today, please click here.

SUPPORTIVE ARTS- ADULT OUTREACH. ART & mindfulness for adults with (dis)abilities
2024-09-18 - 2026-06-18
SUPPORTIVE ARTS is a unique program offering inclusive, arts-based learning opportunities and compelling artistic experiences to individuals with varying abilities. We welcome all adults and caregivers from Wellington County and the surrounding areas to our weekly program, led by ECFTA Arts Educator and Mindfulness Facilitators.
Wednesday & Thursday morning and afternoon classes held weekly September through June at the Art Centre.

Join us for a gently guided 2-hour workshop, specifically designed to support adults of all abilities. Each session, we will embrace diversity and friendship through explorations in art making, movement, mindfulness and music. On Thursdays, we welcome a member of the Elora Singers into the gallery for a music and movement singalong. Every week is as unique as each of our participants!
Please visit our ADULT WORKSHOPS page for more information or to register for FALL, WINTER, or SPRING session blocks.

The 2025-2026 Supportive Arts season is supported by;

WC Wood Foundation
Rotary Club of Fergus/Elora
The Township of Centre Wellington
The Food Family Fund
Lindy Green Family Foundation
Marjorie and Joseph Wright Memorial Foundation
And many generous individual donors from our community

We thank you!

Please contact us for more information or availability on our waitlist.
Visit our Facebook page for photos and updates!
To learn more about the impact of this program, please click here.
To help support this program by donating today, please click here.

SPARROW'S NEST COMMUNITY MAKERSPACE - ADULT OUTREACH. ADULT DROP-IN PROGRAMS
2025-09-08 - 2026-06-19
SPARROW’S NEST MAKERSPACE is a community hub where creativity, collaboration, and kindness thrive. Where opportunities to support the voices of our community groups are nurtured from the ground up.
In the Nest, we believe that creative expression nurtures well-being and connection to others and we understand that healthy communities need inclusive spaces away from home, work and school for connection and creativity!

TEA SOCIAL FRIDAYS WITH STEPHANIE LINES-TOOHILL
EVERY FRIDAY 10.30 am – 12.30pm
September-June. No need to register.
$10 cash. All materials included.
A welcome space for social connection away from a busy world. Optional gently guided crafting with a hot drink. Explore and Make with our materials or bring your own project work. All abilities welcome!
Sessions run every Friday, except for holidays and school PD days and March Break.
For more information, visit the NEST or EMAIL us!

MIXED MEDIA DROP-IN WITH MICHELLE WRIGHT
EVERY FRIDAY 1 – 3pm
September -June. No need to register.
$10 cash. All materials included.
Gently guided by Maker Michelle Wright. Low pressure, small ARTS projects using repurposed materials. Come to explore, nurture and create! All abilities welcome!
Sessions run every Friday, except for holidays, school PD days, and March Break.
For more information, visit the NEST or EMAIL us!

In the Nest, our focus is to reduce barriers to participation for all ages and abilities in an inspiring and welcoming space. Our doors are open to all backgrounds, identities, abilities, and experiences.
Whether you’re a curious beginner, or simply someone looking to connect and create, sparrows remind us that small actions can create beautiful moments in a big world!

SPARROW’S NEST is generously sponsored by a community donor.
To help support this program by donating today, please click here.

Check out the NEST CALENDAR for more Drop-In activities for Adults!
For more information about The Sparrow’s Nest contact us!
Visit our Facebook page for photos and updates!

SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS TO THE ART CENTRE. LEARN DISCOVER CREATE!
2025-09-15 - 2027-06-18
We welcome SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS for Grades K-12!
Morning or afternoon sessions designed to inspire creativity and connect learning with the arts. Experience the power of Art in our art classroom and newly expanded Gallery + Atrium at the Elora Centre for the Arts.

At the Elora Centre for the Arts, we offer a balance of discussion, exploration, and hands-on art-making that supports learning and sparks imagination. Programs are tailored to complement the current exhibition themes in our gallery. Students will encounter fresh ideas and artwork throughout the school year, September to June.

2–2.5 hour sessions
An interactive learning experience led by an ECFTA Artist-Educator
Visit the current exhibition in our main gallery and learn something new about the creative process.
Create a hands-on art project in our art classroom, connecting students to learning and the exhibition
We can accommodate up to 2 rotating classes per visit (dependent on class size)
$10 per student

Book your school visit today and give your students the gift of creativity, discovery and inspiration at the Art Centre!

For more information or to book, please contact Judy

ARTFUL AGEING- SENIORS OUTREACH. CONNECTING TO RESIDENTS IN LONG-TERM CARE & RETIREMENT LIVING
2025-09-15 09:30 - 2026-06-15 15:30 (America/Toronto) | Elora Centre for the Arts, 75 Melville Street, Elora, Ontario, N0B 1S0, Canada
ARTFUL AGEING for Seniors is part of our expanding Outreach program, offering monthly guided art classes, designed especially for long-term care and retirement living residents. Held on-site at Heritage River and Wellington Terrace in Elora and Caressant Care, Fergus, these hands-on art classes spark conversation, promote engagement with others, and remind us all that creativity is lifelong!

Whether residents are new to art making, bring some artistic experience, or just love expressing themselves, we are here to serve our older adult community through the exploration of materials, artists, and ideas in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Led by ECFTA Art Educators, each month offers a new and exciting workshop that is playful and full of learning!
For more information about the Artful Ageing program please contact us!

SPARROW'S NEST COMMUNITY MAKERSPACE - YOUTH & ADULT OUTREACH - NURTURING & GROWING CONNECTIONS
2025-11-04 - 2026-06-25
SPARROW’S NEST MAKERSPACE is a community hub where creativity, collaboration, and kindness thrive. Where opportunities to support the voices of our youth, teen and senior community groups are nurtured from the ground up.
In the Nest, we believe that creative expression nurtures well-being and connection to others and we understand that healthy communities need inclusive spaces away from home, work and school for connection and creativity!

Our focus is to reduce barriers to participation for all ages and abilities in an inspiring and welcoming space. Our doors are open to all backgrounds, identities, abilities, and experiences. Whether you’re a curious beginner, or simply someone looking to connect and create, sparrows remind us that small actions can create beautiful moments in a big world!
Check out the NEST CALENDAR for weekly classes and Drop In activities for Adults!
For more information about The Sparrow’s Nest contact us!
Visit our Facebook page for photos and updates!
To help support this program by donating today, please click here.

ARTFUL AGEING AT THE ART CENTRE - SENIORS OUTREACH. MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH ART!
2026-01-07 13:00 - 2026-03-11 15:00
ARTFUL AGEING! WINTER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS
Celebrate the new year with creativity and connect with community, every Wednesday at the Elora Centre for the Arts!
Beginner-friendly art projects designed for older adults that embrace creative freedom and collaboration in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere!
If you’re looking for connection and CreativiTea, we’ve got it for you!
RECONNECT, CREATE, & CELEBRATE THE ART OF AGEING WITH IMAGINATION!

JOIN US FOR ONE CLASS OR FOR ALL–the choice is yours!
THE WINTER SESSION IS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT. PLEASE EMAIL US TO BE ADDED TO OUR WAITLIST AND TO BE NOTIFIED OF UPCOMING CLASSES.

2-hour Classes are playful, fun and engaging and only $15!

No matter your skill level, these workshops are all about embracing you.

Each week will be a CREATIVE SURPRISE and offer something fresh, fun, and inspiring!

Expect something new, unexpected

explore fresh ideas, materials, and techniques in a relaxed, welcoming space

This program is geared towards the senior community, however there is NO AGE MINIMUM.

ACCESSIBILITY at the Elora Centre for the Arts
The Elora Centre for the Arts is committed to being fully accessible and welcoming to everyone in our community.
We provide accommodations for visitors with mobility and accessibility needs to ensure a comfortable and inclusive experience. Convenient parking is available in our lot, located directly beside the Art Centre off Chalmers Street.

The 2026 ARTFUL AGEING season is supported through the generosity of our community. We thank you!

Please contact us for more information or availability on our waitlist.
