H'art Centre’s “Shine A Light On Me” project, funded in part by a grant from Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, exemplified the power of creative collaboration in Kingston.
In 2024/2025, H'art’s artists—50 adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities—teamed up with eight local community artists and welcomed dozens of Queen's students to deliver a series of innovative workshops. These sessions were inspired by the annual Vogue Charity Fashion Show, a student-led campus tradition and its recent theme, “Let the Light In”.
The creative sessions—led by community artists and covering textile design, wearable art, jewelry, self-portraiture, movement, and music—were complemented by additional workshops in makeup, costume design, and “walkshops” delivered by dozens of student volunteers from the Vogue Charity Fashion Show committee. Also, another 150 Queen’s students were introduced to H’art’s MixAbilities Inclusive Arts Training program through the project.
The Vogue Charity Fashion Show student team went on to present three public performances at the Grand Theatre in March, engaging an audience of more than 1,500 people. These performances, an annual tradition, were dedicated to supporting and raising awareness of H’art’s work and mission.
Separately, H’art artists celebrated their own culminating moment through the creation of a live catwalk and five-minute film, Bling!.
Reflecting on the experience, Tracy Ryan, H’art’s Marketing and Communications Manager, shares: “This collaboration did more than spotlight the creativity of H’art Studio’s artists, or the skill of community artists as workshop leaders, or the innovation of the Queen's Vogue Charity Fashion Show team. It showed how coming together across communities can raise awareness, build connections, and inspire a project to become more than the sum of its parts.”
The season’s culmination—highlighted by Bling and the Queen’s Vogue Charity Fashion Show fashion show—captured what makes H’art truly special: art that welcomes everyone, student energy fueling inclusive change, and Kingston’s community spirit shining bright.