The Gathering
Celebrating 10 years of showcasing, convening and support
for equity and pluralism in the Arts
Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) celebrates 10 years of working with providing services to and facilitating learning forums for artists and arts organizations in equity, diversity, inclusivity and pluralism. Through centering their work around empowering the arts communities of Ontario with a focus on galvanizing opportunities for Indigenous and racialized professionals and organizations, CPAMO will convene the arts community around a four day event, The Gathering: Celebrating 10 years of showcasing, convening and supporting equity and pluralism in the Arts. The Gathering offers an interactive space where arts organizations, artists and attendees dedicated to advancing equity, diversity, inclusivity and pluralism in the arts can share dialogue on common purposes and strategies in shaping how contemporary intersections in artistic practice influence diverse Canadian cultural expressions.
Schedule:
Please note you need to register for the May 21 session on Eventbrite and for sessions and performances on May 27-29 on Native Earth Performance Arts’ Box office.
The Gathering: Black Arts Mentorships
Tuesday, May 21, 2019 | 1-5pm
Nia Centre for the Arts
524 Oakwood Avenue, Toronto, ON M6E 2X1
Panel General Admission: $10 – Register on Eventbrite
Curated by Parul Pandya in collaboration with Nia Centre for the Arts, Dance Immersion, Coco Collective, City of Toronto Anti- Black Racism Committee, RISE Edutainment
With charismatic community and arts leaders in diverse disciplines, this session will dive into how Black arts leaders and community activists are supporting and enabling Black youth to grow in their artistic and life practices. With perspecting ranging from spoken word, dance, mixed/multi-media and community activism, this session will provide valuable information to those interested in mentoring Black youth and Black youth looking for mentorship and wanting to understand how it can enable them to grow as full artists and beings.
Participants: Vivinne Scarlett, Dance Immersion | Coco Murray, Coco Collective | Aina-Nia Ayo’dele Grant, City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit | Alica Hall, Nia Centre | Dwayne Morgan | Randell Adjei, RISE.
The Gathering: a convening of Choreographers in collaboration with Choreogrpahers’ Network Toronto (CN-T)
Monday, May 27, 2019 | 10am-12pm
Regent Park Film Festival (2nd Floor)
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Panel General Admission: $10 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
Getting Grants: From Application to Performance + Beyond: Geared towards choreographers, the discussion will focus on practical considerations for project granting, using your grants to develop your projects/career strategically and how to plan a career in the arts diversely.
Choreographers’ Network Toronto CN-T is an intentional network composed of choreographers. They meet to discuss issues of relevance to the work and life of Toronto-based choreographers and organize Action Projects to work towards development and change in areas of concern for the group. 165 choreographers have signed on. Several Action Projects are in progress and center around issues with arts funding grants, professional development, developing rehearsal residencies and development for international touring. Choreographers are invited to attend and participate in discussion and learning.
Moderator: Denise Fujiwara
The Gathering: Writers in Conversation
Monday, May 27, 2019 | 2:30-6pm
Aki Studio Theatre
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Panel General Admission: $10 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
A collaboration with Literary Press Group, The Writers Union of Canada, Playwrights Guild Canada, League Of Canadian Poets, Festival Of Literary Diversity, and OCAD U BIPOC Writers.
This session will explore the changing landscape of Canadian literature and what organizations involved in it are doing to increase the presence of Indigenous, racialized and other marginalized writers.
Participants: Siobhan O’Conner, Rebecca Burton, Lesley Fletcher, Jael Richardson, Lillian Allen, and Mandy Bayrami.
The Gathering Readings by Sheniz Janmohamed, Michael Fraser, and Bänoo Zan
The Gathering Performances features Sashar Zarif Dance, Mateo Galindo Torres Dance, Compania Carmen Romero and Adrenalin by Ahmad Meree
Monday, May 27, 2019 | 7:30-9pm with doors open at 7pm
Aki Studio Theatre
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Performance General Admission: $20 | Students $15 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
The Gathering: Staging Change, A Conversation on Diversity in Dance in collaboration with Diverse Dance Initiative
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 | 3-6pm | Please note time change – this session starts at 3pm.
Aki Studio Theatre
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Panel General Admission: $10 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
What does diversity mean to you? What are some misconceptions about diversity? How do we deepen our understanding of viewership? What are some of the politics around creating as a IPOC artist? Why is this conversation still relevant? What are some of the circumstances that continue to fuel the divide in the contemporary dance community in Toronto? Panelists will speak about their various artistic practices and address the continued barriers faced by IPOC artists in Toronto. We aim to put forward some approaches explored by the Diversity Dance Initiative to combat these systematic challenges.
Participants: Kevin A. Ormsby, KasheDance – Moderator | Roshanak Jaberi | Sashar Zarif, Sashar Zarif Dance | Laurence Lemieux, Citadel | Nova Bhattacharya, NovaDance | Carmen Romero, Compania Carmen Romero | Robert Sauvey, Dance Umbrella of Ontario.
Performance by Ronald Taylor Dance
The Gathering: Conversations with Local Arts Services Organizations
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 | 2-6pm
CSI Daniel Spectrum
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Panel General Admission: $10 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
Curated by Parul Pandya in collaboration with Muse Arts, East End Arts, Art Starts, Scarborough Arts, North York Arts, Urban Arts, Arts Etobicoke, Lakeshore Arts, and Jumblies Theatre.
With the involvement of the leaders of local arts services organizations and other dynamic community-based arts organizations, this session will explore the important role such grassroots organizations play in connecting marginalized and other communities in the arts.
Participants: Ruth Howard, Paola Gomez, Shana Hillman, Bruce Pitkin, Lila Karin, Wendy Rading, Kim Dayman, Marlene McKintosh, and Derek Spooner.
Performance by Shaunga Tagore Theatre.
The Gathering Performances features Newton Moraes Dance, The Seat Next to the King, Nova Dance, and Alluvial Plain
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 | 7:30-9pm with doors open at 7pm
Aki Studio Theatre
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Performance General Admission: $20 | Students $15 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
The Gathering: A Conversation on Disabilities and Artistic Practice
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 | 1-4:30pm
CSI Daniel Spectrum
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Panel General Admission: $10 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
In collaboration with Workman Arts and Tangled Arts.
Involving Toronto’s highly regarded arts organizations working with the Deaf and Disabled communities, this session will explore in depth the workings of such artists and the role these organizations play in presenting and advocating for increased recognition of Deaf and Disabled Artists, their arts practices and stories.
Participants: Andrea Thompson, Sean Lee, and Cyn Rozeboom.
Performance by Cahoots Theatre
The Gathering: Indigenous Activism in the Arts
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 | 2-6pm
Aki Studio Theatre
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Panel General Admission: $10 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
In collaboration with IPAA, Native Earth, and Aboriginal Curatorial Collective.
There has been much discussion publicly about the central importance of Indigenous peoples to how Canada sees itself. Much of this has been fueled by Indigenous artists in different disciplines who have been actively engaged in building their arts practices within diverse Indigenous cultural forms and creating some of the most exciting works in contemporary Canadian arts.
Participants: Cynthia Licker-Sage, Clayton Windatt, Camille Georgeson-Usher, Cole Forrest, and Ryan Rice.
Performances by Unsettled Scores
The Gathering Fundraising Event, After Party and Gala Performances Featuring Sampradaya Dance Creations, Red Slam Collective, DFM bassoon quartet, and KasheDance
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 | 7:30-9pm with doors open at 7pm
Aki Studio Theatre
585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Performance General Admission: $30 | Students $25 – Register on Native Earth’s Box office.
Accessibility: Aki Studio Theatre, CSI and Regent Park Film Festival are accessible. Nia Centre for the Arts is partially accessible.
We aim to host a fragrance-free event. Please do not wear perfume, cologne, or other scented products.
In collaboration with:
CPAMOPOC participants:
CPAMO is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto Pearson International Airport’s Propeller Project, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, the Applegath Group, CIBC Wood Gundy and English Testing Canada.
Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) 
You must be logged in to post a comment.