Nia Centre Summer 2011 Newsletter

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Summer 2011 news letter.indd 1 11-08-05 2:38 PM

Our Village

Letecia Rose is a youth advocate passionate about empowering youth to become the leaders of their communities. From her experience in community theatre, she uses anti-oppression and popular education techniques to engage the diverse audiences that she works with. Work-ing the area of equity and diversity, community engagement, and social justice for over seven years as a volunteer, program coordinator, and educational director, Letecia aims to create inclusive, youth-centered learning communities where youth can discover hidden potential, ad-vance their leadership capabilities and foster a passion for the arts.

Deon Mars is the new executive/office assistant at Nia Centre for the Arts. She has previous experience working with 88 Days of Fortune, an arts collective, as one of their event planners and member. Recently she’s been working and supporting community social entrepreneurs such as ATO (Against the Odds) and Chips. Deon also takes her creativ-ity to another level through her writing and poetry, which she is most passionate about. Currently in enrolled at Centennial College, Deon studies Legal Admin while aspiring to reach her full potential as part of the Nia Centre team.

We are excited to welcome...Letecia Rose, Programming and Partnerships Manager

Deon Mars, Executive Office Assistant


Our Village

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The Art of Facilitation is a train-the-trainer workshop series that infuses programming art education with presentation and facilitation skills needed to work with diverse youth audiences. Expected to begin in Fall 2011

ME_dia Arts is a collaborative program that allows participants to focus and analyze their personal identities from a holistic and afro-diasporic perspective through the use of media arts engagement. Summer 2011

Nia Centre for the Arts partnered with Gallery 44 Outreach program to train 6 young people in black and white photography and darkroom film de-velopment. The program was a great success and one of our participants won the scholership and another had his image on the promotion flyer.

OurVillage

Gallery 44 Outreach ProgramNia Centre Partnership Program

The Art of FacilitationTrain the Trainer workshops

ME_dia ArtsPartnership Programming

Lost Lyrics Partnership Programming

Outside the LinesEvents and Trips

Nia Centre sent its Admin Coordina-tor/in house photographer to work with Lost Lyrics in facilitating Pho-tography workshops which were then exhibited at the “Live Report Card” event held at the end of programming. Nia Centre cameras were used as part of the training.

Outside the Lines provides youth with the opportunity to experience afro-diasporic art and culture outside of their neighbourhood. Nia Centre will be taking youth to a number of events happening in the city


Reach Out

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Reach Out

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4. Buxton,OntarioThis fall, in Partnership with Ontario Heritage Trust, Nia Centre will be bringing young people to visit Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the historical musesum in Buxton, Ontario. As part of the UN Year for Peoples of African Descent, Nia Centre will be working with local highschools, Redemption Reintegration Services and the Lawrence Heights Ladybugs to culturally ground our young people in Black Canadian history.

5. 88 Days of Fortune 88 Days Of Fortune is a grass roots, queer and straight identified, youth run , music and multi-media collective. With 21 collective members based in Toronto, Seattle and Japan.

They have been hosting and performing to sold out, bi monthly party and performances through out the city of Toronto for the past 2 years. Spaces like; The AGO, Loft 404, ArtScape Gibraltar Point, Drake Underground,The Ossington, Trinity Bellwoods Park, The Gladstone Hotel, Cine Cycle, JangBang, The Annex Wreck Room, and The Ballroom just to name a few.

88 Days prides itself on creating a safe space along with a platform for music and creativity to grow and shine. A hip hop party that is queer and female friendly.

Links:http://88days.ca/http://88days.bandcamp.com/Twitter: @88daysoffortune 6. Project Grounding This July, Nia Centre, in partnership with the Centre for Research on Latin Ameri-can and Caribbean (CERLAC) at York University will launch thier transnational research project, Project Groundings. This two year project explores the relationships between youth identity development, everyday violence and the arts. Jamaican research partners include Jamaican Youth Theatre and the University of the West Indies. The project launched in Kingston on July 28th 2011

Reach Out

1. Afro-Diasporic Arts Festival Kick OffThe United Nations marks 2011 as the International Year for Peoples of African Descent. Nia Centre will commemorate the year with a festival with events from August 11th -21st. Please join us for our Kick Off at the City Hall Rotunda from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Hosted by Dr. Afua Cooper and her daughter Habiba Cooper, there will be Art displays and interactive art demonstrations for the youth.

2. Da Kink in my Hair Five years ago, Da Kink in my Hair took Toronto by storm – it broke box office records, charmed critics and wowed audiences! Now it’s finally back. Set in a Caribbean hair salon in Toronto, this amazing musical gives voice to eight dynamic women who tell their incredible, uncensored, unforgettable stories. Stories that will move, inspire, and delight you! Featuring a new US and Canadian ensemble, a brand new musical score, and a breathtaking new monologue. This award winning, heartfelt play is guaranteed to have you laughing, crying and yelling, ‘you go girl!’

3. Nia Centre IYPAD mini-Film Festivial Nia will be hosting an Afro-Diasporic Film Festival.

Monday August 15 th - West end location: Yorkwoods Library// 1785 Finch Ave. West,Toronto, M3N 1M6 3:00 p.m onwards

Da Kink Documentary- Joel GordonJane- Dameion Royce

Wednesday August 17 th- East end location: Taibu// 27 Tapscott Road Unit 1, Scarborough, M1B 4Y7

Marcus Garvey: Look for me in the Whirlwind - Stanley NelsonRaisin’ Kane: A Rapumentary- Alison Duke.


“Overall an amazing workshop and a great experience! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. This workshop will remain with me for a long time and I was able to come out of my shell and to share my story!”


What’s Good

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Donovan JonesGallery 44 Program Participant

Ebti NgadiGallery 44 Program Participant

I started getting interested in photography about 3 years ago when my mom bought me my first camera for my birthday. It was a Fujifilm s700 point and shoot. From there I went to a couple of workshops, met with other photographers, entered a contest, and my love of photography has kept on growing. The thing that motivates me as an artists are images, capturing images in the moment and the sense that I’ve taken the best shot I can in that moment, and be proud of it. Being a part of the partnership program with Nia Centre for the Arts and Gallery 44 was a wonderful opportunity. I got to meet some great people. The concept really had me thinking a lot about how to express resilience and resistance in a photo and proved to be quite challenging. Having Gallery 44 chose my photo of Idil for the flyer felt amazing and I hope I get more opportunities like this in the future. My advice to up and coming photographers is to make sure you do it because you love it, and not because it pays well! Photography in my opinion is about vision and self-confidence, if you have those 2 things you’ll do fine!

I developed an interest in photography around October 2010. The story telling behind a single image is what intrigued me the most. I would spend a lot of time trying to read what the photographer tried to communicate to the audience through an image. Story telling through portraits in particular is what touched me the most. I’m motivated by my desire to see my creative ideas come alive. I’m always looking forward to seeing that final image that will make others stop and think. Also seeing other photographer’s work and what they have accomplished. I thought Gallery 44 and Nia Centre for the Arts were great in providing the facility and all the necessary materials to make this workshop happen. They also took care of all of our transportation fee’s and food. They assigned a great instructor to the group that was available to us even after class was over. Winning the David Barker Maltby Award was something I did not expect, but now that I did win, I get to work one on one with a mentor, $100 toward supplies, and access to Gallery 44’s darkroom. My plans for the future are to become a pro in film photography and build an amazing portfolio. I want film photography to be what I am known for.

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Contact usNia Centre for the Arts

P: 416 535 2727F: 416 907 4805 E: [email protected] our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/ group.php?v=wall&gid=73495250709

Find out what new with Nia and visit our blog www.niacentre.org/nianewsblogtweet us at www.twitter.com/NiaCentre

Contact usNia Centre for the Arts

P: 416 535 2727F: 416 907 4805 E: [email protected] our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/ group.php?v=wall&gid=73495250709

Find out what new with Nia and visit our blog www.niacentre.org/nianewsblogtweet us at www.twitter.com/NiaCentre

Photography by Nabil Shash and Letecia Rose


Documents

Nia Centre Summer 2011 Newsletter