For young people trying to break into the arts sector, opportunity can often feel like a locked door. All too often, they are told they need experience to get work in their chosen field — but without that first job opportunity, how do they begin to get the necessary experience?
These kinds of barriers can be even higher for those from underserved communities who often face systemic challenges that can make access to creative careers out of reach.
"For many of our participants, the barriers to accessible education or formal training can make it more challenging to find paid opportunities and secure employment in fields like photography, painting, or film," said Amanda Blair Roberson, executive director of JAYU, a Toronto-based community organization.
JAYU provides programs and offers training and mentorship in the arts for underserved youth between the ages of 12 and 29 to help them build skills, confidence, portfolios, and connections.
"For some of our community members, this is the first time someone has said, 'we see your work and we want to pay you for it,'" Roberson said.
“Usually, for the people who are taking our programs, this is their first paid opportunity in the arts, or one of their first paid opportunities that is paid in a fair manner for their work. It's often the difference between seeing photography as a hobby, and them realizing they can actually do it for a career. It allows them to start their career as an artist or as a young individual who needs work experience in a particular sector.”
The TD Ready Commitment connection
Through the TD Ready Commitment — the Bank’s corporate citizenship platform — TD has been a proud supporter of JAYU since 2019. TD is the exclusive lead supporter of JAYU's iAM Program which provides underserved youth in cities across southwestern Ontario with dynamic arts and social justice workshops led by diverse professional artists in photography, spoken word, filmmaking, collaging, poetry, and more.
Through mentorship and training, iAM connects emerging artists — many from racialized, 2SLGBTQ+, lower income and disabled communities — with established professionals who can help them sharpen their skills, find their voice, and build confidence. It's not just about making art; it's about empowerment, self-expression and helping to open doors that too often remain closed.
As lead supporter, TD aims to help support JAYU to expand its work to connect underserved young people to employment opportunities and help amplify their work and stories. As part of this focus, JAYU worked with TD last year so that JAYU could offer a 10-week photography program, called iAM Photography, to teach these youth the business of professional photography — and help them get paid for their work.
Now thanks to an expanded relationship with TD, those doors aren't just opening — they're leading directly to paid work. Instead of sourcing stock photography from traditional outlets, TD gave iAM graduates the chance to pitch their own photos for use in TD marketing and communications materials, such as for Black History Month. For many, this is more than a gig; it's their very first paid job in the industry.
TD was given the opportunity to choose from a range of visually dynamic and captivating images, just like any other company using the services of a professional photographer.
“The iAM Photography program was our way of creating an intensive program that really taught the fundamentals of photography — and also covered how to work with clients. It was a real-life scenario the photographers had to work on,” said Desiree Mckenzie, the programming manager at JAYU and a former participant in one of JAYU’s programs.
With help from their mentors, the youth worked on interpreting the brief, creating vision boards, setting up photo shoots, casting models, building sets, and completing call sheets.
The result was a series of engaging and dynamic images created specifically for TD.
"At TD, we're committed year-round to helping break down barriers," said Alicia Rose, AVP Social Impact at TD.
"As part of this commitment, we recognize how important it is to change where we source creativity, and ensure we are telling stories that reflect the richness of all of us. That is why, through our corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, we're proud to support community organizations like JAYU and initiatives like the iAM program that help create equitable opportunities for underserved young creatives to develop their skills and help drive progress for a more inclusive tomorrow."
The photos are a departure from classic stock photography, which often shows people pointing at whiteboards or standing awkwardly next to water coolers, Mckenzie said.
“I think what they really made beautiful … is just showing relationships between Black folks, human connection, and people being able to be in community with each other,” she said.
Watching the youth gain confidence over the course of 10 weeks was particularly wonderful to witness, Mckenzie said.
Roberson said she enjoyed watching the bonds between the participants and their mentors grow and professional relationships develop — ones she hopes could last decades.
“The whole purpose of our programming is to make sure that it's cyclical,” Mckenzie said.
“Youth can take our programming and then we can invite them back in a paid capacity as junior mentors. Even as they progress in their own artistic careers, and they're pursuing art outside of just JAYU, we’ll bring them back as mentors to help pass down the knowledge they have.”