Every year, North York Arts partners with emerging and established artists to put on art exhibitions for the North York community. The first exhibition of 2018 is titled “They are Around” by multidisciplinary artist, Azadeh Pirazimian.

Azadeh, who has a B.A. in Painting and an M.A. in Visual Communication, was born in Iran and has been in Canada for almost three years. Her collection “They are Around” explores how she began to develop her artistic voice in Canada. I had the chance to talk with Azadeh and learn a little more about her exhibition and her inspiring story.

Tell me a bit about yourself and where your love for art comes from.

I’m Azadeh Pirazimian and two and half years ago I immigrated to Canada. I remember that as a child I was really interested in art. It was mostly visual art – I was really interested in painting and my teachers were always interested in my artwork. When I finished high school, I went to university and I studied painting. Little by little, I got more interested in visual art. I also did drama; I was working as an actress in a theatre.  So I did both visual art and theatre at the same time. I don’t know where [my love for art] comes from. Maybe it comes from the nature of where I was living at the time; I’m from north of Iran so I was surrounded by beautiful nature. Maybe it comes from that, I don’t know.  All I know is that if I wasn’t an artist, I would be absolutely confused and I don’t know what I would do!

To date, what has your experience as in artist in Toronto been like?

I guess in Toronto I was “born again” as an artist. When I was in Iran, I was mostly teaching art and doing theatre on the side. I wasn’t very experienced in presenting my work. But when I came here, I could see that there was space for me to show my art, even in North York. I started my first workshops here in North York with newcomers. With places like North York Arts, Toronto Arts Foundation, and other organizations in Toronto, I found that I could present my work and even sell my work. Within two years, I sold several of my artworks. That wasn’t really something I could do in Iran. So here in Toronto, I have had new experiences that have really helped me establish myself as an artist and introduce myself as an artist. For me, that was amazing and I’m really happy.

Can you describe your upcoming exhibition and where you found inspiration?

As I said before, it’s only been a short time since I’ve been in Canada. When I arrived here, I was alone. I didn’t really have any friends or family so I was at home for a whole six months. I was confused. I couldn’t really speak English, just some daily phrases. At first, I was afraid to communicate because I didn’t know the culture.

One day, I was at home and I was looking outside the window during the summer and the nature was so beautiful; I remember the wind between the leaves. I was inside and I was feeling a little depressed because I am usually a sociable person and so I thought, “Ok – You can’t communicate with people but you have your art. You are an artist. You studied this…” I didn’t have many art supplies but I said, “I have my notebook, I have my pen, so just get out of here and even if you can’t communicate with people, you can communicate with nature.”

So I went outside to the nearest park from my building and I started to sketch and connect with the nature, trees, and animals all around me. And then the project just happened. Now I have a collection of black and white drawings that are all about my first days in Canada where I didn’t have people to communicate with, so nature helped me.

Then, people came and they talked. The first window helped me to open another window to talk to people – that was the motivation for this series of drawings that I did for over a year. It was healing for me at that time. It took shape and now it’s a collection that I can present.

What do you hope people take away from this exhibition?

I hope that people who are like me, even if they are not newcomers (I know that there are some people who have lived in this country for a long time but still feel alone), know that they can do the same. They don’t have to wait for something really big to happen. They can start with something small to get out of their loneliness. Even if it’s with a butterfly, or the leaves- if they just get out and communicate, they will see that big things will happen. I believe that big things always start from small steps. If they find inspiration inside, they should work on it and see that something really amazing can happen.

You can see Azadeh’s exhibition “They are Around” from March 15-23, 2018 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge St.) in the Lower Gallery. Opening Reception will be held on March 15 from 6-8 pm. For daily gallery hours, please visit www.northyorkarts.org. For more information on Azadeh and her work and career, visit http://www.azadehpirazimian.com.

North York Arts has been working with Ephraim’s Place, a community centre located at Jane and Sheppard, for the past three years to create and establish arts programming for the youth in the area. One program in particular that has seen much success is the dance program where professional dancers are hired to teach the participants. Since the start of the program, the youth involved have created a dance squad called “JNS Finest” and have competed twice at STOMP urban dance competition in Toronto.  

This year, Nina Blanc, who is a professional music and dance artist, is teaching JNS Finest. I had the chance to chat with Nina last month to learn a little bit more about her and her love for the arts.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your passion for music and dance.

My name is Nina and I was born in Nigeria and I came to Canada with my family when I was eight. Of course, I grew up with Nigerian culture – you know, the music, the food, the fashion – but I also experienced Canadian culture. It was a beautiful childhood having Canadian culture and West African culture blending.

Being born in a different place and growing up in Canada influences my art. I started dancing around high school (nothing formal) and then went to university. It was in university where, although we had limited resources, people who otherwise had nothing in common shared a passion for dance and came together. We were all so determined and motivated.

After university, I went to Calgary and that’s where I really fell in love with music. I played piano all my life but I never really considered myself a musician. I didn’t find as many dance opportunities in Calgary as I did in Toronto, and the isolation from my home and everyone I was used to being around pushed me to explore another outlet for my emotions and expression. So, I really think that going through these different phases in my life pushed me to art and music.

How would you describe the dance community in Toronto?

Funny enough people I meet nowadays assume I grew up in the studio training in formal styles like ballet, jazz, etc.  They don’t necessarily realize that Toronto is such a beautifully rich city for dance and, if you have the passion, you can come out with the same skills. The Toronto dance community is so diverse and has so much uniqueness. There are so many choreographers with their own styles – I stick to that and I appreciate that. There are also so many drop-in studios for adults where you can meet amazing people.

How do you think youth can benefit from dance and creative expression?

I think tremendously. It’s an outlet – especially for youth, which is such a vulnerable time. Dance and art can be something that keeps you grounded and motivated, or maybe it’s just a place to find connection. Life is so confusing and you have so much emotion, and when you are a part of something you can create a passion. I work as a registered nurse and now that I understand things better, I wish I was pushed to do more dance and music when I was a young.

What excites you the most about working with the JNS Finest?

It’s so funny – just hearing about the group I got so excited because I was told they are very spunky. You know, I can teach a bunch of steps but they have to bring that energy. I’m here to teach the skeleton, backbone, and structure, but I’m really excited for the attitude, the spunk, and the personality!

Nina has been working with JNS Finest since January and will continue until their STOMP performance in May. She is a dance and music artist specializing in Urban Alternative, AfroFunk, Soul, RnB, and Hip Hop. For more information on Nina and her work visit: www.ninablancmusic.com, @whoisninablanc, and soundcloud.com/whoisninablanc.

It goes without saying that North York has an amazing arts and culture scene. As the Development and Communications Coordinator at North York Arts, I am lucky to work with this creative community and, with the start of the new year, I am excited and curious about the possibility of growth in the sector.

With this in mind, I decided to sit down with my boss and Executive Director of North York Arts, Lila Karim, to understand her drive to progress the arts sector in North York, and to hear her personal and professional aspirations for the community in 2018.

Where does your passion for the arts come from?

It’s been inherent since childhood. Creativity has always been a part of my world in terms of studying photography in high school, being in drama groups, and getting involved with multidisciplinary arts programing. Over the years, I’ve built connections with the arts community, and I’ve realized that art is really about story telling. Whether it’s through dance, film, visual art, or any discipline, I’ve developed a passion for giving artists the platform to share their stories.

What is your connection to North York?

I grew up in Thornhill and I spent a lot of time in North York attending events at Mel Lastman Square and at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Now working in the region, I’ve developed a greater understanding of the vibrancy of the arts outside the downtown core.

How would you describe North York’s arts and culture landscape?

North York has an incredibly diverse arts and culture community. With close to 1 million residents, there are countless artists, arts groups, and initiatives produced by people of all different ages, cultural backgrounds and, life experiences (not to mention, the amazing artistic diversity in the region). I get excited about the possibility of showcasing these perspectives and art forms.

What are your aspirations for North York’s arts and culture sector in 2018?

Within the last six years, I have seen so much artistic growth in North York and I would like to see even greater engagement. This year at North York Arts, we want to ensure that we continue building artistic connections in every ward in the region, and that we are providing accessible and inclusive programing for the entire community to engage with and enjoy. I think it’s going to be a great year!

Lila is the founding Executive Director of North York Arts. She has over an 18-year career in the cultural sector and has worked for several non-profit arts organizations including the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, ReelWorld Film Festival and The Harold Greenberg Fund. 

In this time we now live, Sashoya Shoya Oya, is an artist who channels her voice through the medium of oral-storytelling within the realm of folklore traditions.

Growing up as a child in Dalvey, St. Thomas, Jamaica she was often surrounded by dances such as Quadrille, Maypole, Dinki Mini, the spiritual practice of Kumina, and many more alongside folk songs and the heart-filled anansi stories of Louise Bennett-Coverley. Looking back, she remembers the everyday stories and proverbs told to her by her grandmother, mother, aunts and people of her district. At the time, such things were common place, so the thought of story-telling being a major part of her future career was nonexistent.

Sashoya came to Canada in 2004, and in 2008, her last year of high school, she became a member of Nomanzland, a community theatre collective based in Jane and Finch. She was with Nomanzland for 6 years before she went to participate in the Artist Mentoring Youth Project (AMY) which then transitioned her to study theatre at York University.

While at York, her views of the theatre world expanded but she was still in search for the lense of learning where she could be all of who she is. In 2014, she came across an audition notice for The Watah Theatre, founded by d’bi young anitafrika and from then on she has been mentored under d’bi’s tutelage. She is currently the Associate Artistic Director of The Watah Theatre and her learning has been through the Anitafrika Method using the Sorplusi principles.

As she answered the questions each principle provided, she started uncovering her childhood memories and events which had been laying dormant inside of her. It was here that her love of oral-storytelling was revived. With it’s revival Sashoya looked around and realized that the folklore she grew up with was not as alive as it once was. When she thinks about Sankofa, she thinks about the youths of Caribbean descent here in Canada who do not have immediate access to such artistic and cultural history. This thought led her to create The Walking Griot, a storytelling guild with the goal of teaching and passing on this knowledge through workshops and programs using various artistic mediums.

In Spring 2017, the guild was launched with a 8-week Folklore Theatre Program funded by ArtReach & Toronto Arts Council and she’s currently developing a few other programs and workshops. Her plays and poetry have been published in Black Solo I & 2 and From The Root Zine. She was nominated as an Emerging Artist finalists for the 2017 Premier’s Excellence in the Arts Award and recently performed in Barbados at Carifesta XIII as a representative of the Canadian-Caribbean Contingent and appeared in the award-winning play LUKUMI by d’bi young anitafrika. She’ll be presenting a workshop of her play Black MOon in June 2018 and coming soon she’ll be launching 30 Days of Storytelling, a project by The Walking Griot which will feature 1-story a day for 30 straight days.

In November, Sashoya was one of six facilitators at Next Stages – a six-part theatre-focused ESL program for youth. This initiative was funded by Art Reach and TAC; presented in partnership with North York Arts; and supported by Cono Ser, Teach 2 Learn, and Casa Maiz.

Written by: Sashoya Shoya Oya

Social Media: @sashoyasimpson

Sharona Bookbinder, B.Sc., DTATI, MBA, OATR, RCAT, RP

Sharona is the founder and CEO of InnerArt Inc. Sharona practices as a Registered Psychotherapist & Registered Art Therapist and is recognized as a clinical art therapy supervisor. She is a presenter, author, educator, innovator and leader in healthcare and small business. Practicing for 24 years, she has specialized in geriatric, palliation, cancer care, stroke care, cognitively impaired (dementia and otherwise), developmental delays, and Autistic populations. Recognizing the need for a holistic mind-body approach in the healthcare sector, and having a finite amount of time, Sharona decided to promote Art Therapy through a company that provides the services of qualified & professionally insured art therapists. Public and private organizations continue to employ these professional services. Sharona is always seeking better ways to promote knowledge and education to inform all of the benefits of Art Therapy. With her recent completion of an MBA, Sharona will be focused on growing InnerArt Inc. in a sustainable manner with close attention to quality services. Sharona is the Treasurer of the Canadian Art Therapy Association and is working on her Doctorate of Art Therapy, with the goal of helping to improve client access to art therapy services.

Within the doctorate program, Sharona is able to explore her own creativity and pursue her love of art.  The program is designed to use art as research, so students engage in art-making to inform their theories, concepts and ideas.  Some of the art she made this summer is included.  They represent the incubation of fragile ideas that will come to fruition over time. Images of trees, nests and eggs are the symbols of knowledge, nurturing and fragility of new ideas. Sharona’s favourite art media are textiles, Gelly Roll pens on black card stock, felting and hand-built pottery. She enjoys using her hands to create new and enriching images and objects that express her thoughts and feelings.

Last month, Sharona was a facilitator at North York Arts’ four-part professional workshop series Beyond Access Beyond the Creative (Oct 20 – Nov 28). Titled “Arts & Wellness”,  Sharona and other facilitators led participants in the role and impact of the arts in healthcare. Arts & Wellness was presented in partnership with Sunnybrook Hospital Creative Arts Therapies program (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre).

I am an Artist of Purpose. I am an Artist Educator. I weave words, sounds, and movement through my body and consciousness to create new possibilities, to bring light to the world, and to be a living example of standing in truth. My True Inner Purpose is to serve humanity through the arts and education.

Authenticity is my foundation, my offering. It is what I seek to bring out in all those who I have the privilege of sharing time and space with, and through my work.

I create art through poetry, music, and dance. I use these artforms to teach and facilitate deep processes of self-actualization. I ask the students under my guidance to reveal themselves. I ask them to dig deep into their understanding of who they are, why they’re here, to explore their connection and contribution to the world, and to examine the current state of their well being.

In 2005, I embraced my career as a Professional Artist and Artist Educator. Since then I have had the pleasure of co-creating many inspiring and award-winning community arts organizations in Toronto. I have performed/taught on 5 continents, from main-stage audiences of thousands to intimate gatherings of just a few, from under-resourced community centres to prestigious universities and schools. I have sat on grant review committees, and provided keynote addresses at many conferences and events geared towards the arts, transformative education, and social justice.

No matter the setting or context, I have always offered my work as a means for raising consciousness and invoking the evolution of humanity towards positive change.

My latest project is no exception.

I have embarked on a mission to support Artists in serving humanity to their fullest potential and to the highest degree. I am meeting this purpose by offering two streams of Professional Development Training for Artists in the areas of:

Creative Entrepreneurship

Branding & Marketing in alignment with True Inner Purpose – a social justice based approach to business for artists.

Artist Educator Training

Skills in facilitation, curriculum design, lesson planning, grant writing, project management, and community/school/institutional partnership strategies for artist educators.

ANNOUNCEMENT: I am so pleased to offer Free and Open Access to my training programs in Creative Entrepreneurship this October, with No Cost of Enrollment for All Artists.

My work is about embodying your own authenticity. Stepping into the fullness of who you are, finding yourself, and owning your power. This work is not just my own, but in truth is created for all of us, to support us in our collective growth. I am open and ready to give and receive. I am here, I am here, I am here.

CONTACT:

Email: therealsun@trueinnerpurpose.com
Facebook: facebook.com/therealsun
Instagram: @suntherealsun

www.TrueInnerPurpose.com to register for the Free Training Online. Email for free access to in-person workshops.

Patrick Walters was born in 1993 at East York General hospital to Joanne and Lloyd Walters . Shortly after his second birthday, he and his family moved back to St. Kitts where his parents still live today. He came back to Toronto at 19 years old, having done a full schooling up to college in St. Kitts and attaining an Associate humanities degree. He started York University in 2012 and graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Psychology in Fall 2015. During that time, he also began his poetry and arts education career with his focus being on bringing light to social issues and mentoring youth in self expression and identity.

Through this, he has  had the opportunity to perform on many important stages and share his story to a larger audience. In 2015, he spoke to a university class in York about the importance of dreaming and following what is important to you. He also travelled to Montreal, Quebec in October 2015 to speak and perform at the International Association for Youth Mental Health Symposium (IAYMH). There, he was able to share his story and his experiences with mental health and psychology and the importance of self identity for young people living with mental health illnesses. In 2016, he performed at TEDxUTSC with his poetry collective “TheUncharted” with a series of poems that asked the audience to “Dare To Know” themselves better in their communities.

Much of his work as a spoken word artist is personal and looks deeply into his experiences growing up in the Caribbean and how being biracial has defined a large part of who he is as an individual. He speaks on societal issues and shares scenes from his childhood that give you a window to his soul. He explores the intersectionality between race and culture and shares the stories of his life that have come to define him. He uses poetry as an outlet of expression for his issues with society and with self. Through the honesty and vulnerability of poetry, he has been able to find himself and actively take charge in defining the person he is today.

For the past eight months, Torontonians have been sharing their six word stories through the My City My Six participatory public art project. Led by Toronto Arts and Culture, the initiative aimed to reveal Toronto and its residents in celebration of Canada’s 150th. Now, as the initiative is coming to a close, North York Arts is thrilled to present the incredible stories from the North York community in an public art exhibition.

Taking place at the Toronto Centre for Arts’ lower gallery this month, the My City My Six North York exhibition will be a culmination of stories from a range of residents. Not only have stories been submitted online, but they have also been gathered through workshops and events.

One workshop in particular was a 4-week multimedia and spoken word program for youth at the Downsview Hub. Throughout the workshop, students had the opportunity to explore what the city means to them through various artistic platforms including a Drum Circle led by Adele Passmore a Pop up exhibition by Dreamation, and Spoken Word performances by Sociphoria.

Another successful event was the collaborative photography exhibition “Finding Home,” which sought to explore the different ways through which the concept of home is formed. Professional photographer Maha Munaf lead and curated the exhibition, asking participants to share their six word stories.

Beyond the North York exhibition, Torontonians can enjoy the initiative throughout the city. A jury, including Toronto’s Poet Laureate Anne Michaels, will select stories to appear in the city-wide exhibition taking place September 27 at City Hall. Other spaces will include transit shelters, transit interiors, billboards, and spaces provided by the city’s other Local Arts Service Organizations.

The My City My Six has been a true celebration of individuals and community alike. We can’t wait to share the amazing people and stories from North York!

For more information and details about the My City My Six city-wide exhibition visit: www1.toronto.ca

Ahuri Theatre is an award winning international collective of artists that strive to bring together that which is usually separated, and to discover the likeness between things which are thought unlike. Led by Haruna Kondo in Japan and Dan Watson in Canada, the collective creates live performances that have the capacity to include everyone in the room regardless of language, culture and ability. The collective has collaborated with hundreds of artists and organizations around the world, and has garnered 17 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, winning 3 awards, most recently winning Outstanding Production and Ensemble for their newest creation This is the Point. www.ahuritheatre.com

Dan Watson
Dan is an award winning artist who has created and performed theatre across Canada, Europe and Japan. He is a co-founder of Ahuri Theatre, Artistic Producer of Edge of the Woods Theatre in Huntsville (Nuit Blanche North), and was a member of Compagnie Houppz! (SplasH₂0, Mouving-Winner- Eloize Prize, Outstanding Production). Dan has worked with Jumblies Theatre, Theatre Smith Gilmour, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, FixtPoint, Bad New Days, Why Not Theatre and is currently artist in Residence at the Theatre Centre. He also is Producer of live events and is happy to be producing both Cultura Festival and Sunday Serenades in North York this summer.

Haruna Kondo
Haruna has been acting in theatre since she was twelve years old. In 1997 she began studying psychology at St-Paul’s university, Tokyo. She holds a degree in psychology from St. Paul’s University in Tokyo and a master’s degree in performance from Royal Holloway, University of London. She also is a graduate of l’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Since returning to Japan, she has worked with the Setagaya Public Theatre and the National Theatre of London. She has studied Noh theatre under Noh Actor, Reijirou Tsumura, taken workshops in Nihon Buyo and singing as well as giving workshops in physical theatre in Tokyo, Montreal and Toronto. In October 2006, she adapted Peer Gynt for the 100^th anniversary of Henrik Ibsen’s death, and co-created and performed in Yabu No Naka: Distruthted in 2007. Currently she is working as a  collaborative actor at the Yokohama Boat theatre, training in Noh theatre under Kanze Tetsunojo and Karate. She gives workshops for actors at Yokohama Boat  theatre, as well as leading theatre projects with teenagers with psychological & physical difficulties.

Watch this interview with artist and instructor Dana Prieto about Legacy Collective’s “Stitching Our Stories.”