Four Directions Reconciliation and the Arts Festival:

Honoring Residential School Survivors and Moving Forward on Righting Relations

The Four Directions Reconciliation and the Arts Festival in Toronto, June 16-21st, 2017, is about raising awareness on reconciliation and indigenous issues. We hope to educate the general public about the residential school experience, the 94 Calls to Action on Reconciliation, and the colonialist policies and attitudes of the Canadian government and society.

It is one of the darkest chapters in the history of the nation state that celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. That’s a chilling number, when you consider that Residential Schools scooped 150.000 children away from their families to experience neglect, disease, oppression, and abuse. Canada is celebrating 150 years of Confederation in 2017, but for the First Nations people it is more like a celebration of colonialism and we don’t want to celebrate that. Instead we want to honour the Indian residential school survivor legacy and the restoration of our identity as indigenous people.

I am Michael Cheena, a residential school survivor.  My connection to the Indian residential school survivor movement began in 1994. I filed a lawsuit against the federal government for residential school abuses: the loss of language, the loss of culture, and the loss of identity. We were indoctrinated to be Christians in the residential school system. We weren’t allowed to practice our indigenous culture and languages. The goal of this legislative government policy was assimilation – an attempt to kill the Indian in the child.

We are Kevin Harp and Chester Abbotsbury, federal Native prisoners and inter-generational survivors who recently came to Toronto after serving 8 years at Collins Bay Penitentiary in Kingston, Ontario. We will be speaking at the festival to give people a better understanding of why indigenous people are so overpopulated in the federal prisons. Today, Canadian prisons are the new residential schools.

Restorative Relations Working Group Co-Chair, Reverend Brian McIntosh, sees Four Directions as an historic opportunity to recognize and celebrate the cultural and artistic contributions of the people of all nations who reside together in this land, and the reconciliation and right relations that we are all called to undertake and build: “Guided by the promise of the circle and four directions teachings of Indigenous peoples, this Festival celebrates our collective diversity and urges all participants to honour the presence and gifts of all who live in this region, particularly its first inhabitants, as we strive for harmony and healing.”

by Micheal Cheena, Chester Abbotsbury, Kevin Harp, and Chris Harris, PhD

Nowruzgan: Multicultural Art Exhibition

Date: March 17 – 26, 2017
Opening Reception: March 18,2017 – 6-8pm
Place: Toronto Centre for the Arts

Nowruz (also called Noruz, Nowrooz, and Navruz), the “New Year” holiday, has been celebrated for at least 2,500 years, and perhaps for as long as 5,000 years. Originating in Persia, its name means “new day” in Farsi/Persian because it marks the first day of the New Year. The exact beginning of the New Year occurs when the season changes from winter to spring on the vernal equinox, which usually happens on 20 or 21 March each year.

International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan). Also in Ontario, March 21 is proclaimed as Nowruz Day as an Act in 2006.

Nowruzgan, Multicultural Art Exhibition @Toronto Centre for the Arts

Nowruzgan is a multicultural art exhibition to celebrate Nowruz and the first day of spring. The event aims to share the holiday with the community and give a voice to multiple artists and their personal interpretations.

Cultural Hotspot North York Closing & North York Arts 5th Anniversary Open House

Join us in celebration of art and community in North York!

FREE

With special presentations by:

Ephraim’s Place Elite Dance Squad
Art Starts The Next Up Youth Music Program
Award winning short film by Cinematoscape

Visual arts exhibitions by:

Dreamation Creative Foundations
The Israeli Artists Group Illusions & Reality

Artisan Market
Live DJ
Ticket giveaways
Tango Demos by Tango Soul
And More!

Light Refreshments Served
TTC Accessible

Time: Friday, October 28, 2016, 3-7pm
Place: Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street
Cost: FREE

Arts Live at Lee Lifeson Art Park

On October 1st, 2016, from 1-5pm, North York Arts and Cultural Hotspot will celebrate the inaugural season of the Lee Lifeson Art Park in Willowdale. Nestled in the heart of North York (Ward 23), the park provides a beautifully landscaped green space providing full accessibility to an open air performance space, with ample room for programming of arts markets, as well as seasonal and temporary installations, with programming including festivals, bi-weekly events and workshops. Programming includes Toronto Recycling Arts Eco-Arts Exhibition, an Aztec Dance Workshop, a Youth Arts Showcase featuring Elite Dance Squad from Ephraim’s Place Community Centre, music from Arts Starts, and Spoken Word from Sociphoria with Patrick Walter.

Arts in the Parks

Cost: Free
When: Summer 2016
Where: Parks across Toronto

Arts in the Parks is a free annual outdoor initiative that brings arts events to parks across Toronto. Events include performances, dance, music, theatre, film, community-engaged work, and temporary installations by arts groups.

Cost: Free
When: June 26, 2016
Time: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Downsview Memorial Parkette, 1092 Wilson Ave.

The community is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Downsview Memorial Parkette. This award-winning park is a community hub, a memorial space for Downsview’s fallen World War II soldiers, and a commemoration space for Downsview’s Aerospace heritage. Join us in celebrating with arts, local talent, music, a full festival, attractions, a sound stage, unique food, and more.

Cultural Hotspot Launch

Cost: FREE
Date: Wednesday, May 11
Time:  3:30-5:30pm
Place: Aga Khan Museum, 77 Wynford Dr.

Enjoy performances featuring Nagata Shachu taiko drummers, DJ MelBoogie, Beny Esguerra and New Tradition, The Real Sun and Tiffany Gooch. This event includes FREE admission to the Aga Khan Museum’s exhibition Marvellous Creatures: Animals in Islamic Art.

Official remarks commence at 4:30pm.

Please RSVP to culturalhotspot@toronto.ca or 416-392-1210.