A Multi-Arts Day Focusing on Black Arts in the Creative Sector
February 24, 2026 via Zoom
The Gathering Divergence Multi-Arts Festival and Conference is a dynamic and supportive convening of arts practitioners, dedicated to sharing strategies that advance the work of Indigenous, racialized, Deaf, disabled, mad, women, and other historically marginalized artists and communities.
The State of Black Arts in Canada Panrl | 1pm – 2:15pm
How are Black artists and organizations coping, operating, and progressing in 2026? This timely conversation responds to the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, extended through 2034, and its call to action around recognition, justice, and development. Panelists will explore the impacts of marginalization and underfunding, while also highlighting success stories and resilient practices within Black art-making communities in Ontario and across Canada. The discussion will foreground Black culture and cultural practices as essential sites of artistic and social value.
Tickets: $10 each panel/workshop or $20 for the full day.
Please note: If ticket prices are a barrier to attending, please let us know and we will provide a complimentary ticket.
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.
Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) 
You must be logged in to post a comment.