Toronto’s creative community rallies behind POV 3rd Street’s 2017 fundraising auction.
Artwork by TAXI co-founder Paul Lavoie, casting services from Jigsaw Casting and a week at a private residence in Jamaica are among the items in non-profit POV 3rd Street’s 2017 fundraising auction.
Founded in 2007 by members of the film, TV and commercial production industry, POV 3rd Street provides education, training and mentorship for marginalized youth interested in breaking into the film and media industry.
Although POV 3rd Street has held auctions in the past, the organization is hosting its principal fundraising online for the first time this year in order to raise funds for its flagship, six-month media training program.
The auction brings together members of Toronto’s creative community, who donate prizes and services. This year’s auction features more than 120 items.
Items include photographs of late Canadian music icon Leonard Cohen by Chris Woods, a professional photoshoot by commercial photog Mike Parker, a photo by Cannes Lion-winning photographer Shin Sugino and tickets for Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs games.
Bids open on January 25 at 9 a.m. http://pov.auction and closes on February 9 at 6 p.m.
Each year, the media training program teaches participants a mix of soft job skills, leadership and mindfulness, and hard production such working a camera, writing scripts, directing and sound design. The youth also collaborate to produce a film and after completion are given paid internships (three months full time or six months part-time) to get a taste of what it’s like to work in the field.
“Now when they’re creating their reels, the participants can say they’ve directed an RBC commercial,” says POV 3rd Street executive director Agapi Gessesse. “We’re not just training them – we’re helping them launch their careers.”
The program’s 60 volunteers and mentors include a mix of established industry figures and alumni who are a few years into their production careers.
“The program manager is an alumni and we always bring people back as teaching assistants,” adds Gessesse. “The community piece of the program is so important because recent alumni are able to come back and offer the kind of advice that may not be obvious to someone who has been in the business for years.”
The program is aimed at youth who are interested in film production, but are discouraged from pursuing a career by family, racial, economic or other barriers. Each year, organizers ask participants to identify specific barriers so that the program and evolve and gain a clear understanding of barriers that need addressing.
The media training program has a graduation rate of 87%, with more than 71% of graduates still actively engaged with the organization. 62% alumni are working in the film and media industry as a direct result of their participation, and another 13% are working in related fields. After graduation, the organization also continues working with alumni by joining the roster of POV Productions, a social-enterprise production company. Through this program, students will have the chance to produce in-house videos for RBC Wealth Management.
Industry partners include Corus Entertainment, the Ontario Media and Development Corp, Cassels Brock, the RBC Foundation’s Film and Media Division, Buck Productions, William F. White, Radke Film Group, Stealing Time Editing, and Jigsaw Casting.
POV 3rd Street is a Canadian registered charity and a United Way designated charity.
In the video below, POV Alumni and Program Manager of the Media Trainer Program, Dwayne Holness, speaks on his experience and how POV gave him his first shot. Dwayne Holness Graduated in 2011 and now owns his own company, Corex Creative.
The video was created by Marni Luftspring, EP Spy Films and Franca Piacente, SVP, Director of Production, Leo Burnett. It’s edited by David Nakata, Leo Burnett.
About POV 3rd Street
POV 3rd Street is a registered charitable organization that helps at-risk youth break into the entertainment and media industry through training, mentorship, support and job opportunities. POV 3rd Street was established in 2007 by members of the film, TV and commercial production industries who were interested in increasing access to employment in their field and broadening its diversity. As a non-profit organization they are dedicated to ensuring that at-risk youth (aged 18 to 29) gain the necessary skills and experience to secure jobs and build long-term careers in the media industry. They run several different programs for students and alumni, including the Media Training Program, the 3rd Street (Critical Thinking) Program, and the Next Steps Program. http://pov3rdstreet.org
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