Walk Together Children

Musicians, dancers, and other artists from Toronto’s African, Jewish and Shia Ismaili Muslim diasporas unite in a joyful sharing of their cultural traditions.

Headlined by soprano Denise Williams, the event brings together some of our best-known performers – pianists Brahm Goldhamer and Nina Shapilsky, percussionists Sam Donkoh and Daniel Barnes, clarinettist Ben MacDonald; members of the Toronto Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir, directed by Adrian Savin and Salima Dhanani; and Ismaili dancers. Guest artists include tenor Mitch Smolkin, dub poet Clifton Joseph, dancer Shakeil Rollock, and pianist Babak Naseri.

The program will include songs of inspiration, evocative melodies of yearning, lively dances from Africa, and joyous klezmer numbers, sung in many languages.

The afternoon will also honour Canada’s First Nations by having singer/songwriter Aqua Nibii Waawaaskone open the event.

The event dovetails with the Diamond Jubilee of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, and his aspiration for global pluralism: that the peoples of the world collaborate and learn from one another, and live together in peace.

Presented by the Children of Abraham Collective under the ageis of No Strings Theatre in partnership with North York Arts (NYA).

Pop Up exhibition by Art Ignite: 

To compliment Walk together Children, we will be hosting a pop-up exhibition by Art Ignite’s workshop Repainting Perceptions.

Repainting Perceptions was a photo and painting workshop where residents from the Flemingdon and Thorncliffe Park communities had the space to share their stories, challenge religious and cultural stereotyping, and break through social isolation.

Toronto Outdoor Picture Show 2018

Toronto Outdoor Picture Show will present an outdoor film series titled “Cinematic Cities” for the Parkway Forest Park community in North York. Each week of this series will explore a different international city’s depiction in cinema – from New York to Toronto, Cannes to Mumbai. Throughout the series, short films set in Toronto will complement the feature films, allowing the programme to explore the diverse stories of our hometown onscreen. The overarching “Cinematic Cities” theme will draw bridges between vibrant and complex cities around the world, while highlighting the people who make each of these cities unique.

We invite you to journey to Parkway Forest Park for a cinematic trip around the world, from your home across the street or across the city, just a stone’s throw from Don Mills station!

Community Picnic

The recent horrific tragedy has caused great sorrow. The Van Attack has also brought this community together.

To commemorate the many thousands of acts of kindness, goodness and love shared between people in the Willowdale community, many local groups and organizations (including the City of Toronto, TDSB, North York Arts, Orchestra Toronto, We Love Willowdale, and many others) are working together to organize a

COMMUNITY PICNIC in Mel Lastman Square!

This picnic will draw to a close the 26 Days of Music on Yonge, one day of music for every person injured or killed here in Willowdale on April 23rd.

So bring your family! Bring your own lunch and eat together as a wide family at tables that will spread across the entire Mel Lastman Square.

There will be kids’ activities, interactive art projects, live music, meditation, and much more!