Meet Our Facilitators:

Facilitators: Nico Taylor, Queen Kukoyi, Allison Rolle, Jillia Cato, and Kevin A. Ormsby

Bios:

Nicole “Nico” Taylor is a performance and digital artist, curator, and scholar whose work dissects social constructions surrounding race and representation and highlights Black bodies using cosplay, storytelling, and graphic design. She holds a Masters of Arts from Concordia University. Nico is also a founding co-lead and collaborative member of Oddside Arts, a Toronto-based cultural arts organization that creates immersive, community-engaged projects using design, technology, and public art to explore cultural memory across the African diaspora.

Queen Kukoyi (they/she) is an award winning, Black, Gender-Queer, Neurodivergent creative technology artist with over 15 years of experience in grassroots advocacy and youth engagement as a community justice practitioner. Rooted in Black feminist thought, Queer theory, contemporary Afrofuturism, Igbo spirituality, and noetic sciences, their work integrates pattern, movement, sound, and augmented reality to explore healing, memory, and Black futures. Queen is Co-Founding Co-Lead of Oddside Arts, a cultural arts collective merging art, technology, and wellness through decolonial, black speculative practices centering Afrodiasporic and 2SLGBTQIAP+ communities.

Allison Rolle (they/them) is an award-winning artist, scholar, and program designer specializing in the composition of projects by and for community. As Research and Project Coordinator at Oddside Arts, Allison plays a senior guiding role on initiatives such as Archiving Black Futures, shaping program design and strategic direction. Allison’s work centers on building “infrastructures of thriving,” cultivating projects that respond to the intersectional, evolving, and multidimensional needs of the communities they serve. Partnering with organizations such as Bridges Niagara, Black Owned 905, and Unsinkable, Allison delivers participatory initiatives that integrate anti-coloniality, cross-sector collaboration, and relationship-building.

Jillia Cato-Weiler

Known as a lover of the arts, for her compassion and her positive progressive outlook, Trinidad and Tobagonian Jillia Cato is not only a dancer, singer, actress and Production Manager but also an advocate for artists equality and equity in all of her endeavours.

While based in Trinidad until 2019, Jillia was a international touring dancer for major soca bands Machel Montano and Kes the Band for 12 years, Stage Manager for the National Theatre Arts Company of Trinidad and Tobago and led a Children’s Theatre Camp catering to over 300 children for 3 years under the auspices of the Patrons of the Arts Foundation in Trinidad and Tobago. She also worked in film, featured in numerous music videos and video ads, was nominated for Best Crossover Artist by the Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Music Awards (2017) and released her Debut album ‘Black Cinderella’ in December 2019.

Since moving to Toronto in 2020 she has worked with not only KasheDance and Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) but also as a dance artist with Kaeja d’Dance, Wind in the Leaves Collective (WITL), Jumblies Theatre, Luminato, Hart House at University of Toronto, Sensorium at York University and Etobicoke School of the Arts and Kinetic Dance (Halifax, NS). You can find her most recent digital works in “In Case of Emergency” Kaeja d’ Dance (dance artist), ‘Searching for Eastman Series’ – WITL (dance artist), ‘Covid Creations Film’ – WITL (Production Manager), and ‘Konversations Series’ – KasheDance (Project Coordinator).

Kevin A. Ormsby, Co-Director, Curator of Programming and Engagement, CPAMO

At The Intersections of Culturally Responsive Art, Space / Place Making and Communities, Kevin A. Ormsby animates KOLLECTIVE NARRATIVES centering human interactions into artmaking and advocacy with an authenticity defined by those with whom he intersects.

Arts Sector Focused: Kevin is Co- Director / Curator of Programming and Engagement at Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO), he delivers Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) programming and training for clients including the National Ballet of Canada, Canada’s National Ballet School, and Luminato Festival and others. He’s on the Boards of Dance Collection Danse, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, and previously Canadian Dance Assembly, Prologue to the Performing Arts, and Nia Centre for the Arts, where he was Chair of Canada’s first professional multi-disciplinary centre for African-Canadian art. Dancer, Choreographer and Artistic Director of KasheDance, Kevin A. Ormsby has performed in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. He has been featured in works by Marie-Josée Chartier, Allison Cummings, Patrick Parson, Ronald Taylor, Ron K. Brown, Menaka Thakkar, Garth Fagan, Liz Lerman, Bageshree Vaze, Lemi Ponifasio, Christopher Walker, Denise Fujiwara among others.

Nationally Awarded: Mr. Ormsby is Theatre Centre’s Patrick Connor Award recipient (2023), Nominee for the Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize 2023 and finalist for the Arts Prize 2021, he is a recipient of Canada Council for the Arts’ Victor Martyn Lynch – Staunton Award, a Chalmers Fellowship, and was a Toronto Arts Council Cultural Leaders Fellow.

In Education: Kevin has worked at Centennial College’s Dance Performance Program, has been a Guest Artist at Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts – University of the West Indies (Mona), University of Wisconsin – Madison, Northwestern University, and the University of Texas – Austin and Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (Jamaica). His research and creative practice exist in constant interrogation and navigation of Caribbean and African Diasporic cultural practices towards a methodology of investigation in research, creation and presentation.

Our Funders & Supporters:

Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Sun Life, Azrieli Foundation, Metcalf Foundation, City of Toronto, and Barrett and Welsh.

Meet Our Panelists:

Panelists: Thandiwe McCarthy, Wunmi Idowu, Onika Powell, and Claudia Pensa Bowen

Moderator: Kevin A. Ormsby

Bios:

Thandiwe McCarthy is a seventh-generation African Canadian and a spoken-word poet and writer.  As culture correspondent for Maritime EDIT, he spotlights Black community leaders and artists.  He was a co-founder of the New Brunswick Black Artists Alliance, an advocate for the recognition of August 1st as Emancipation Day, and an organizer for the New Brunswick Emancipation Celebration event, Thandiwe was recognized by the CBC in 2023 as one of the 20 Black Changemakers in Atlantic Canada. His Canada Council-funded Still Here Initiative celebrates fifteen Black New Brunswick families and launches in July 2026 with a national exhibition at Beaverbrook Art Gallery and a book by Goose Lane Editions.

Wunmi Idowu is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, educator, and entrepreneur dedicated to amplifying African, Caribbean, and Black communities. She has led Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc. for 19 years and founded the Black Arts & Culture Council (BACC) in 2021. Wunmi helped inaugurate Alberta’s first Black History Month in 2017 and received a House of Commons Certification of Recognition in 2018. Her work has reached over 22 million people globally, engaged thousands of artists, and supported initiatives raising $3.9 million. She mentors 4,000+ artists and provides equity-focused consulting for Calgary Arts Development and Mount Royal University, while serving on the Calgary Black Chambers board and co-chairing Alberta Black Stakeholders for Social Economy Collaborative.

Onika Powell is an artist, educator, and cultural leader with over 25 years of experience in the arts sector, working across the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Africa. She is dedicated to using the arts for mentorship, civic engagement, and community development. Formerly the Artistic Director of VIBE Arts, Onika is currently the Senior Manager of Outreach & Access for the Toronto Arts Council, leading the Black Arts grant program. Co-Founder of D’LYFE Dance Company and GoLEFT Creatives, she holds a degree in Public Service and Liberal Studies and is currently pursuing a Master of Education. A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Onika’s work continues to reflect her commitment to creativity, mentorship, and community.

Claudia Pensa Bowen, Black Artists’ Networks in Dialogue(BAND) Co-Director, Director of Operations. Claudia focuses on fostering meaningful connections and sustainable practices within the arts community. She grew up with an appreciation for the role of art and creative practices in exploring identity and forming community. She continues a personal practice of moving and making. Claudia holds a BA in Human Relations and Sustainability from Concordia University. Her experience in non-profits and community organizations, including the Riverdale Hub, CP Planning, Harmony Movement, and Regent Park Community Food Centre, informs her approach to programming and organizational growth.

Kevin A. Ormsby, Co-Director, Curator of Programming and Engagement, CPAMO

At The Intersections of Culturally Responsive Art, Space / Place Making and Communities, Kevin A. Ormsby animates KOLLECTIVE NARRATIVES centering human interactions into artmaking and advocacy with an authenticity defined by those with whom he intersects.

Arts Sector Focused: Kevin is Co- Director / Curator of Programming and Engagement at Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO), he delivers Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) programming and training for clients including the National Ballet of Canada, Canada’s National Ballet School, and Luminato Festival and others. He’s on the Boards of Dance Collection Danse, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, and previously Canadian Dance Assembly, Prologue to the Performing Arts, and Nia Centre for the Arts, where he was Chair of Canada’s first professional multi-disciplinary centre for African-Canadian art. Dancer, Choreographer and Artistic Director of KasheDance, Kevin A. Ormsby has performed in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. He has been featured in works by Marie-Josée Chartier, Allison Cummings, Patrick Parson, Ronald Taylor, Ron K. Brown, Menaka Thakkar, Garth Fagan, Liz Lerman, Bageshree Vaze, Lemi Ponifasio, Christopher Walker, Denise Fujiwara among others.

Nationally Awarded: Mr. Ormsby is Theatre Centre’s Patrick Connor Award recipient (2023), Nominee for the Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize 2023 and finalist for the Arts Prize 2021, he is a recipient of Canada Council for the Arts’ Victor Martyn Lynch – Staunton Award, a Chalmers Fellowship, and was a Toronto Arts Council Cultural Leaders Fellow.

In Education: Kevin has worked at Centennial College’s Dance Performance Program, has been a Guest Artist at Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts – University of the West Indies (Mona), University of Wisconsin – Madison, Northwestern University, and the University of Texas – Austin and Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (Jamaica). His research and creative practice exist in constant interrogation and navigation of Caribbean and African Diasporic cultural practices towards a methodology of investigation in research, creation and presentation.

Our Funders & Supporters:

Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Sun Life, Azrieli Foundation, Metcalf Foundation, City of Toronto, and Barrett and Welsh.

About the Festival

Now in its 8th year, the Gathering Divergence Multi-Arts Festival and Conference is a space to gather, diverge, and intersect across disciplines, practices, and perspectives within the performing arts and the broader arts sector. We are invested in the intersections of thought, conversation, and performance.

Our February mini-festival specifically amplifies and supports the advancement of Black artists and Black-led organizations.

Our Funders & Supporters:

Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Sun Life, Azrieli Foundation, Metcalf Foundation, City of Toronto, and Barrett and Welsh.