Meet Deanna
Deanna Cadette, MPPA
Deanna Cadette is a media executive in the cultural industries with nearly 15 years’ experience leading initiatives to develop creative talent and competitive workforce strategies.
Meet Elizabeth
Elizabeth Mudenyo is a Scarborough-raised professional poet, community-engaged artist, and arts manager. Versed in projects and event management, she has worked all sides of the festival circuit with groups like the Regent Park Film Festival, Luminato, Hot Docs, and the Racial Equity Media Collective, among others. Moving towards literary and community arts, she continues to immerse herself in arts programming engaging the voices, imaginations and knowings of BIPOC, LGBTQQIAS2+ communities and others on the margins.
What does art mean to you?
Art is everything. It is what I do for a living, and most importantly how I make my life full and meaningful. It is how I make my place in the world and also what I do for fun! 🙂
Meet Chantel
Chantel was born and raised in Bermuda and moved to Canada in 2012 for university, where she obtained a BA in Business and a BBA in Communications. She is a business-minded creative with a background in non-profit programming, arts and events. As an immigrant learning to navigate Canada and build confidence in her identity, she was relieved to find solitude in creative communities. Chantel is delighted to contribute to the North York Arts team as she gets the opportunity to nurture community through the arts while supporting people on similar journeys.
What does art mean to you?
Freedom – a space to express a truth that sometimes there are no words for.
Meet Janice
Janice believes that the arts are a powerful tool in shaping the future, especially for the next generation. Having a background in psychology, early childhood, and special education, Janice has integrated into her pedagogical approach creative ways to engage children in art playing and art-making. She believes that arts bring an array of benefits to children’s development including increased self-confidence, enhanced communication skills, and improved cognition.
She has recently completed her post-graduate diploma in Arts Management at Centennial College and is delighted to have her internship at North York Arts.
What does art mean to you?
“Art is one of the highest forms of expression”
Meet Jodi
Jodi is a fellow creative who was born and raised in the North York area all her life. As a recent Honours BAA graduate in Media and Communications from the University of Guelph-Humber, she has experience working together with nonprofits to develop and improve their social media strategies and content. She’s excited to put her skills and love for arts towards a cause that’s passionate about supporting local artists and making art more accessible in her community.
Oh, and Jodi’s artistic mediums of choice? Photography and digital illustration (with a dash of pen and paper)!
What does art mean to you?
“Art is versatility. It doesn’t have just one form, purpose or interpretation. It’s fluid but rooted in diverse thought, emotion and experience. And I think that’s what makes art so special and innately human. “
Meet Imran
Imran is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose work merges art, activism, and community to amplify marginalized voices. With a BFA and a Postgraduate degree in Art and Design, he specializes in contemporary media, gallery management, art education and digital content strategy. He has exhibited in 30+ shows worldwide—including 12 major exhibitions in Canada—at venues like 401 Richmond (Toronto), Venice Lands Arts Prize (Italy), Yaşar University (Turkey), Al-Hamra (Pakistan), and Toronto City Hall.
Through powerful visual storytelling, he champions queer identity, gender, and diversity. As an educator, he has founded departments, developed programs, and mentored 100+ students to scholarship-winning thesis projects. He also plays a key role in managing inclusive gallery spaces.
What does art mean to you?
“Art is where I’m most honest, most human—most us.”
Cheraca Santhirakumar
Cheraca Santhirakumar is currently pursuing an Honours Science degree at the University of Waterloo. While she is deeply committed to a future in science, she has always had a strong passion for the arts. She considers herself a creative and expressive individual, constantly seeking new ways to be inspired and to bring imaginative ideas to life.
Art has always been a meaningful outlet for her. Whether it’s through visual media, music, or dance. She especially enjoy incorporating elements of my cultural heritage into my work, as it allows me to stay connected to my roots and learn more about her identity. She is excited to be part of North York Arts, where she looks forward to engaging with the community, sharing ideas, and continuing to grow as both an artist and individual.
What does art mean to you?
“To me art is authenticity, it’s freedom to be fully yourself. It’s a powerful form of expression that allows others to see the world through your eyes. Art creates space for connection, emotion, and shared understanding. It’s a reminder that even in our differences, we can find unity through creativity.”
Meet Caroline
Caroline Little is a writer, poet, and playwright born and raised in North York. She is a recent graduate from McGill University with a BA in English, and is currently pursuing her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. Both creatively and professionally, Caroline is dedicated to strengthening local arts communities. She is very excited to bring her passion for cultural stewardship to North York Arts, and help to uplift artists like herself working in the neighborhood she grew up in.
What does art mean to you?
“Art is the only way we can live forever.”
Meet Maria
Davinder is no stranger North York Arts, and has been a great help in supporting our programming in the past. Here’s a bit more about him:
Davinder Malhi is an actor, playwright, and community facilitator based in Toronto. He has worked with companies such as the Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, and Canadian Stage, to name a few. Furthermore, he is the co-founder of Saawan Collective, a South-Asian theatre collective focused on developing new plays and creating space for emerging South Asian playwrights. Their first full length play, The Roof is Leaking, opened this year with Pleiades Theatre.
What does art mean to Davinder?
“Hope.”
Meet Camila
Camila Salcedo is a Venezuelan interdisciplinary artist currently based in Tkaronto, specializing in textiles, curation, and community arts. Their work is focused on community engagement and sustainable textile practices, and their potential to serve as methods of self-expression, community building, and reflection of global issues such as the climate crisis, and migration.
They have a decade of experience as an art educator, facilitating workshops at institutions across the city including the Toronto Public Library and Toronto’s LASOs including Urban Arts, Lakeshore Arts, Arts Etobicoke, and East End Arts, and as an arts administrator at OCADU, CARFAC, the Textile Museum, amongst others.
What does art mean to you?
“Art is my passion in life – its creative potential in community building is one of my most cherished values I hold amidst the hardships of this world!”