ACCLAIMED CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS CREATE ORIGINAL ARTWORK INSPIRED BY THE DRAWINGS OF STREET-INVOLVED YOUTH FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Auctioned Work Raises Funds for Street Kids International

THIS YEAR’S ARTWORK WILL BE EXCLUSIVELY UNVEILED BY THE GRID STARTING TODAY

TORONTO – Tickets for Drawn To Develop 2011 are on sale as of Friday, September 9 at www.drawntodevelop.com Tickets sold in advance are $75 per person, the amount it costs to put one youth through the Street Kids International program. Special packages, including corporate tickets and bundles are also available. Drawn To Develop is in its fourth year encouraging social change through an artistic collaboration between street-involved youth and Canadian photographers.

This year’s event will take place on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at the Fermenting Cellar (55 Mill Street) in Toronto’s historic Distillery District. It’s an inspiring evening of photography, hope and human connection supporting a universal call to help youth around the world. Since its inception in 2008, Drawn To Develop has raised over $100,000 for the innovative youth programs of Street Kids International. Full event details are available at www.drawntodevelop.com

For 2011, Drawn To Develop has engaged 36 acclaimed Canadian photographers to create original artwork inspired by the drawings and stories of youth in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines, Sierra Leone and Tanzania who are striving to create a better life despite the barriers they face living in poverty.

Starting September 7, 2011 – for 36 days, in an exclusive online reveal, The Grid will upload a new original photo each day. The premiere image is by photographer Dustin Rabin and inspired by 16 year old Innocent, from Tanzania http://www.thegridto.com/culture/arts/drawn-to-develop-photo-1-dustin-rabin-innocent/ This will be the first year that the entire exhibition of original artwork is available to view in advance of the auction on October 13. Each day building up to Drawn To Develop 2011, people will be able to see the street-involved youth’s drawing, read about their personal story and see the inspired finished photographic work at http://www.thegridto.com/tag/drawn-to-develop/

The photographer roster donating their time includes emerging and established talent from the fashion, editorial, commercial, travel, photojournalism and fine art communities. Collectively, they have won countless prestigious international photography awards and have exhibited their work in major art cities throughout Canada, the U.S., Japan and Europe. Their work has been shown on the covers and pages of Canadian Architect, Condé Nast Traveller, Chatelaine, Forbes, French Elle, The Globe and Mail, GQ UK, The Guardian, Interview, Maclean’s, Maisonneuve, Rolling Stone, Time, The Sunday Times, Toronto Life, Vanity Fair, French, Italian and German Vogue, L’Uomo Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, Wallpaper, Wired and W amongst others.

The 2011 Drawn To Develop Photographer Roster Includes:

Alex Albojer; Anthoy Pileggi; April Maciborka; Babar Khan; Brent Lewin; Caitlin Cronenberg; Chris Marshall; Craig Boyko; David Wile; Daniel Ehrenworth; Dustin Rabin; ishi; Jonathan Hobin; Jordan Eady; Kerry Shaw; Kint Quon; Laurent Guerin; Lindsey Drennan; Lise Varrette; Michael Crichton; My Yen Trung; Paul Weeks; Philip Cheung; Raina Kirn; Renata Kaveh; Ryan Szulc; Ryan Carter; Sam Javanrouh; Sandy Nicholson; Shanghoon; Steve Carty; Todd McLellan; Tommy Matejka; Vince Noguchi; Walter Chin; Yuri Dojc

Drawn To Develop appreciates the generosity of this year’s participating sponsors. Presenting Sponsor: Mantella Corporation; Media Partner: The Grid; Gold Sponsors: Hanna Paper Fibres Ltd., Chitiz Pathak LLP; Silver Sponsor: RBC; Bronze Sponsors: Bit Q Studios, Cuisine Priveé, Edit-Undo Design, Fuse Magazine, Kronenbourg, Mango Studios, Navis Pack & Ship, Peace and Cotton, R.E.D., Silent Joe, Toronto Image Works, and Vistek.

Drawn To Develop is an independent project of recently founded, Canadian not-for-profit organization, Drawn To Youth.

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Media Contact: Julie Booth/Freshly Pressed PR /416.536.2698 / julie@freshlypressedpr.com

BACKGROUNDER

ABOUT: DRAWN TO YOUTH & DRAWN TO DEVELOP

Founded by Jo Cutajar in early 2011, Drawn To Youth is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that aims to generate positive social change through artistic projects that engage youth and artists deepen our collective social consciousness and connect audiences to social issues affecting youth in Canada and around the world.

Drawn To Develop is an annual evening of photography and hope that features original artwork that is created by acclaimed Canadian photographers – each piece uniquely inspired by the moving drawings and stories of youth living in poverty around the world.

ABOUT: STREET KIDS INTERNATIONAL

Proceeds raised from the Drawn To Develop photo auction benefit Street Kids International. Street Kids International is a charitable non-profit organization, with offices in Toronto, Canada and London, United Kingdom. Through a worldwide network of frontline non-profit organizations, Street Kids International trains youth workers to deliver their award winning programs using interactive trainings innovative tools, and animated videos. Street Kids International has been recognized by the United Nations as a Global Best practice leader in youth work, and boldly continues to live up to that acknowledgment. To learn more about Street Kids International, please visit www.streetkids.org

DRAWN TO DEVELOP COMMITTEE

Inspired by a desire to support positive change in the lives of street-involved youth living in poverty around the world, Jo Cutajar, Executive Director and Founder of Drawn To Youth has been leading Drawn To Develop with passion and dedication since its launch in the spring of 2008. Volunteer members of the committee who lend their expertise, skills and time to the Drawn To Develop cause, include: ishi, Lead of Photography; Panos Kats, Designer; Chryssa Kats, Designer; Elia Pandeli, Designer; Bruno Sousa, Web Developer; Jeffrey Remedios, Entertainment Lead; Darren Lund, Legal Counsel; Katrina Kyselytzia, Social Media; Drawn To Youth Board members Liz Kohn and Sean Evans also provide ongoing support for Drawn To Develop. www.drawntodevelop.com

ACCLAIMED CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS CREATE ORIGINAL ARTWORK INSPIRED BY THE DRAWINGS OF STREET-INVOLVED YOUTH FROM AROUND THE WORLD AT FOURTH ANNUAL DRAWN TO DEVELOP OCTOBER 13, 2011

Auctioned Work Raises Funds for Street Kids International

TORONTO – Drawn To Develop returns for its fourth year encouraging social change through an artistic collaboration between street-involved youth and Canadian photographers. Thursday, October 13, 2011 at the Fermenting Cellar (55 Mill Street) in Toronto’s historic Distillery District marks the annual silent art auction, a celebration of Canadian photographers and the youth around the world who benefit from the innovative programming of global best practice leader, Street Kids International. Since its inception in 2008, Drawn To Develop has raised over $100,000 for the innovative youth programs of Street Kids International. Full event details are available at www.drawntodevelop.com

Drawn To Develop also proudly unveils this year’s Presenting Sponsor, Mantella Corporation and Media Sponsor, The Grid.

“Each year, the youth who participate in Draw To Develop play an active, empowering role in generating positive social change by courageously sharing a window into their lives, hopes, dreams and fears through their drawings,” said Jo Cutajar, Executive Director and Founder of Drawn To Youth. “The positive circle continues as the photographers who participate in Drawn To Develop inspire audiences with their captivating, original artwork. Through the lens of their imagination, Canadian photographers help connect us to issues affecting youth who strive to transform their lives despite the barriers and challenges they face living in poverty.”

This year Drawn To Develop has engaged 37 Canadian photographers to create original artwork inspired by the drawings and stories of street-involved youth in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, the Philippines, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.

Read the full media release here.

By Amanda Connan-Unda, Culture Editor, Ryerson Free Press