Artscape is a not-for-profit organization that
makes space for creativity and transforms communities.
Artscape is a not-for-profit organization that
makes space for creativity and transforms communities.
The six tenant organizations who will form a new home on the three floors of the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre were selected for their proven ability to engage with communities, to encourage artistic creation, to advance learning and offer an inter-cultural experience.
COBA Collective of Black Artists
Native Earth Performing Arts
ArtHeart Community Art Centre
Regent Park Film Festival
Regent Park School of Music
COBA Collective of Black Artists
COBA Collective of Black Artists was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to preserving and promoting the finest traditions in dance and music through research, education and performance. The Collective presents Traditional West African and Caribbean Indigenous Folk dance and music in the purest form possible for a theatrical stage, while also creating and innovating on an African movement aesthetic to create contemporary works that reflect social realities. Since 1995, COBA has offered dance and music training for performers of all ages through their open adult and teen classes, as well as their Children’s Dance and Drum, Youth Ensemble, and Apprentice Training Programs. Under the leadership of Artistic Directors Charmaine Headley and BaKari Segun Lindsay, COBA has also made a significant contribution to the Canadian dance ecology through the development of A-Feeree, a unique training method created by Lindsay, with an Africanist focus. www.cobainc.com
With 4,800 sq. ft. on the first floor, COBA’s new space in the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre is specifically designed for dance and drumming, offering a state-of-the-art facility for their performers and community alike. Establishing a permanent home in the Centre will allow the Collective to further develop their programs and build a sustained community and membership while they continue to advocate for African Diasporic Art.
”Celebrating its eighteenth year of existence, COBA Collective of Black Artists has a profound appreciation for the blessing of a home in the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre,” said BaKari Segun Lindsay, Artistic Director of COBA Collective of Black Artists. “To have a vision, and then have it realized by a gesture of this magnitude is nothing short of a miracle that speaks volumes to the power of spirit and perseverance.”
Native Earth Performing Arts is the foremost Aboriginal theatre company in Canada. It is dedicated to creating, developing and producing professional artistic expression of the Aboriginal experience in Canada through theatre, dance and multi-disciplinary work, new script development, apprenticeships and internships. Since it was founded in 1982, Native Earth has developed a community of artists, contributed to the development of a body of work, and participated in the development of a generation of artistic leaders who are recognized both nationally and internationally. www.nativeearth.ca
Native Earth has an established tradition of leadership and collaboration within their community. With 3,400 sq. ft. on the first floor and 1,400 sq. ft. on the second floor, Native Earth will offer collaborative Resident Company status to three other performance companies: Cahoots Theatre Company, fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company and Kaha:wi Dance. These companies are committed to exploring and expressing the ethnocultural diversity that makes up North American society and, indeed, is exemplified in the Regent Park community. This group makes a perfect match for the neighborhood in that they collectively reach out to their respective communities but also celebrate the diversity represented in the neighborhood.
“Having a place to call home after so many years is gratifying,” said Yvette Nolan, Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts. “Sharing space in a community like Regent Park with our sister companies Cahoots Theatre, fu-Gen Asian Canadian Theatre and Kaha:wi Dance makes it truly feel like home.”
ArtHeart Community Art Centre, a registered charity, is a community-based arts organization in Regent Park that provides visual arts education, programs and materials—free-of-charge—to children, youth, adults and seniors living in Regent Park and the surrounding neighbourhood. By using art as a vehicle, ArtHeart helps to develop self-esteem, creativity, life-skills and learning. Participants are empowered to improve their quality of life while putting their hands and imaginations to work. www.artheart.ca
ArtHeart Community Art Centre’s 1,800 sq. ft. new home at the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre will continue to provide quality visual arts to individuals of all ages living in Regent Park and strengthen collaborations with other artists in order to enable their participants to learn and be inspired by a range of artistic mediums. They will work with other partners to show how arts are a vehicle for community engagement and community building.
"Being a tenant in this Centre is extremely important for ArtHeart,” said Adriana Beemans, President of the Board of Directors, ArtHeart Community Art Centre. “It will enable us to leverage resources, partner with innovative partners, be part of the exciting future of the Regent Park revitalization, and most importantly ensure that Regent Park residents are able to access and benefit from creative and high quality visual arts programming.”
The Regent Park Film Festival is a non-profit community film festival created in 2003 whose mission is to showcase local and international independent works that engage viewers and facilitate dialogue within and among the communities of Regent Park. The films presented reflect themes such as: immigration, cultural identity, inner city issues, and multicultural relationships. It is Toronto’s only free film festival that showcases diversity in film. www.regentparkfilmfestival.com
In addition to the annual four-day film festival held in early November, the Festival organizes year-round school and community screenings, panel discussions, exhibitions, educational activities and professional training for Regent Park youth in the film medium. The Festival’s new 1,700 sq. ft. space in the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre will house offices, a screening room and affordable editing facilities for filmmakers.
“The Regent Park Film Festival is excited to be in the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre because we are finally coming back home!” said Richard Fung, Interim Executive Director of the Regent Park Film Festival.
The Regent Park School of Music aims to provide high-quality, affordable music education to marginalized youth in Regent Park and other areas of Toronto. Their mandate is to provide music education to youth who might not otherwise have the opportunity. The School offers both one-on-one and group lessons with an emphasis on quality, collaboration and creativity. They also operate satellite programs in other priority areas of the city where children receive extra-curricular music lessons in the safe and familiar space of their own community school. www.rpmusic.org
The Regent Park School of Music looks to continue its legacy in reaching more youth in the Regent Park community by joining the collaborative team of like-minded organizations at the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre. In their new 3,000 sq. ft. facility, they will better serve a larger core of students and will be well-equipped to deliver new programs, with an emphasis on group initiatives.
The Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) catalyzes and supports new ideas that make positive change in the world. Its flagship project is a 23,000 square foot shared workspace in downtown Toronto that is home to over 200 members who are working to meet the needs of communities across the city and around the world. By providing access to shared amenities, community programming, and a positive work atmosphere, CSI enables its members to increase their efficiency and achieve greater social impact. www.socialinnovation.ca
CSI is opening a 10,000 square foot shared workspace within the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre. The new space will be a place where residents, artists, cultural organizations and entrepreneurs come together to share ideas, resources, advice and inspiration. CSI’s vision is a vibrant, dynamic community hub that meets the diverse needs of the community while pushing forward the possibilities that can be achieved by working together. CSI will be accepting expressions of interest for space throughout 2010-2011. More information is available at www.socialinnovation.ca/csiregentpark.
“The Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre is an incredible opportunity for the Regent Park community and for the city as a whole,” said Eli Malinsky, Director Programs & Partnerships, the Centre Social Innovation. “Even more than creating a much needed arts and cultural facility, this project demonstrates how diverse partners can work together to revitalize a neighbourhood and build a better Toronto. The Centre for Social Innovation is honoured and excited to be part of this important project.”
