A great community initiative we’ve supported 3years in a row now! Looking forward to this years competition!! Toronto has talent!!

Tickets only $5!

The Stomp Urban Dance Competition and Showcase is alive and kicking after 11 years in Toronto. Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation in partnership with The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts present Stomp Urban Dance Competition and Showcase on Sunday, May 27 beginning at 1pm at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.

Almost 400 young people, from 6 to 24 years will be performing an eclectic array of dance styles including stepping, hip hop, break dancing, dance hall, krumping, jazz, contemporary and ballet. Performers from across the GTA are from Parks, Forestry and Recreation dance programs, private dance classes and community dance groups. Dancers are divided into three levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

STOMP evolved from a vision by former City of Toronto staffer as a vehicle to engage young women in recreational opportunities.  The event that started with 100 participants in the first year and now has approximately 400.

First place winners of 2011 STOMP “Projextz ”

New Leaf is 5 years young… And we’re throwing a party with our friends from cirQlar!

Music by:
LAL (http://cargocollective.com/lal)
Zum One (http://www.zum1.com/)
Drumatix Six
DJ Kyle Marshall
DJ Wayuu

Visuals by: Siren Sativa and Jaxamuse

Art exhibit by youth from LOVE (http://www.leaveoutviolence.com/)

Tickets $25
Purchase tickets here: http://riseupparty.eventbrite.com/

Help us celebrate youth, community and yoga with a lively night of fun and friends, dancing and play. Enjoy live music and DJs, installations and circus performances, a youth art exhibit, raffle prizes, snacks and so much more. Proceeds will support New Leaf’s programs with youth.

7:30pm – Doors open
8:00pm – Pre-party yoga class with Nicole Madison and DJ Kyle Marshall
9:00pm – PARTY!

Raffle prizes include a gift certificate from Lululemon, yoga passes from Kula Annex, 2 all-access passes to Drop Festival from cirQlar, a massage treatment, an acupuncture treatment, jewelry, and more!

Snacks by A Couple of Squares (http://www.acoupleofsquares.com/)

For more information about New Leaf Yoga Foundation, visit http://www.newleafyoga.org/

“The Future is in the Ghetto >> Exhibit A Homeboiis ”
photo show and Fundraiser!

This is an invite to the first solo photo exhibit from Jon Blak

This is a first of mega series “The future is in the Ghetto” documenting innovation in focusing on but not limited to the urban peripheries (inner-cities) yes i said inner cities lol

HOMEBOIIS is a celebration of black masculine camaraderie
Images were taken in Nairobi, Port Antonio and Toronto from 2008-2011

Prints and Drinks will be sold
Light refreshments should be provided (i’ll really try!)

Proceeds go to support my return trip to Nairobi Kenya to reconnect with young leaders and document youth programs that I connected with on my 2008 with Emerge!

Please come out and support, buy a piece if you are moved to do so

Location: 823A Bloor St West
Dates: May 9-12th

Wednesday May 9th,2012 Times: 8:00pm -10:00pm*opening*
Thursday 12:00pm :7:00pm
Friday 12:00pm-7:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Sunday 1:00pm-5:00pm

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

FREE/PWYC Concert With Performances By

KINNIE STARR
A TRIBE CALLED RED
TANIKA CHARLES & THE WONDERFULS
FREEDOM WRITERS
CHERYL BEAR
SKRATCH BASTID
IAN KAMAU
PLEX
YINKA DENE DRUMMERS
DJ ARIEL

This Tuesday, May 8th, please stand in solidarity with our Indigenous brothers and sisters on the West Coast against the Enbridge Northern Gateway project! This struggle is about the very survival the Yinka Dene and the many other Indigenous peoples who will be devastated by Enbridge. It’s also about much more – the outcome of this fight will have an impact on the health and survival of both Canada and the entire planet. SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY!

FREE / PWYC
Doors at 8pm
THE GREAT HALL
1087 Queen St. West
19+ event

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“This is about our freedom to choose our future, our freedom to live according to our own culture, our freedom to govern ourselves and our lands, and our freedom from the catastrophic risks of an Enbridge oil spill. We are fighting for our very survival. An oil spill into our lands and waters threatens our health, our culture, and our very existence as separate peoples.”

- Chief Jackie Thomas of Saik’uz First Nation, a member of the Yinka Dene Alliance

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Background

On April 27, the Yinka Dene Alliance of five First Nations embarked on an historic journey – a Freedom Train from their territories in Northern BC right across Canada to Toronto to stand up for their rights and protect our country’s lands and waters. They have spent years fighting the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline and supertanker project in BC, and now they are taking our fight to the national level. Enbridge’s Annual Shareholders Meeting is taking place in Toronto on Wednesday, May 9th. Yinka Dene leaders are going to be inside the meeting to demand answers and accountability from this company, with hundreds of community members and allies supporting outside with songs, drumming and words.

On Tuesday, May 8, 2012, a diverse group of artists are coming together for a concert to celebrate the historic arrival of the Freedom Train participants to Toronto, raise awareness of the pressing issues of the Northern Gateway project and Indigenous rights among a wider audience, and build energy ahead of the following day’s opposition march and Enbridge ASM protest.

With the federal government coming out and verbally attacking First Nations and their allies in the last few months, the struggle is now as tough as ever. But they draw strength from the tens of thousands of Canadians who have already supported them in the exercise of their authority over their lands. The Enbridge tar sands threat has unified First Nations and non-First Nations communities, and they are not going to stop until we win this together.

Go to FREEDOMTRAIN2012.COM for more info!

Continually embracing the motto “United Against Violence” and with an unrelenting determination to unite nations through music, MIRF has designed three days of stellar programming this summer. Included in the roster of confirmed artists, is: internationally acclaimed Poirier, who is a DJ and producer from Montreal; bright new stars of the dancehall, Konshens, Khago, Assasin and Christopher Martin; as well as the ever triumphant Cham who makes a return in 2012. Tarrus Riley, one of the newest international stars in Reggae is also on the bill along with Luciano, “The Reggae Messenger” who returns to North America after a five year hiatus.

To celebrate Jamaica’s jubilee of independence in splendor, it is fitting that the unique and multi-talented, Honorable Jimmy Cliff (O.M) will headline this year’s festival. Immortalized by the character Ivanhoe Martin in the 1972 Perry Henzell classic film, The harder They Come and its hit list soundtrack that included, You Can Get It If You Really Want, Many Rivers To Cross, Sitting In Limbo and the unforgettable title track, The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff also started his musical career in 1962, the year of Jamaica’s independence.

The song Miss Jamaica, was one of Jimmy Cliff’s earliest hits, composed in recognition of Jamaica’s August 6, 1962 independence; and for 50 years since then it has remained closely linked to the lowering of the British flag and presentation of Jamaica’s new colors black green and gold. Jimmy Cliff, whose real name is James Chambers, is currently the only living artist to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honor granted by the government of Jamaica for achievement in the arts and sciences.

for more info http://montrealinternationalreggaefestival.com/

Come out and enjoy an intimate night of good food, great music and success in Toronto, we’d like to
celebrate with you!

Stolen From Africa and The Domanique Grant music team would like to cordially invite you to The Ten
Shades event on Thursday, May 3rd ,2012 inside of Harlem Restaurant (67 Richmond Street
East). For Domanique Grant’s Going away Celebration/ Fundraiser and Pre album release party.
In celebration of The Singer-Songwriter’s up and coming international ventures to Vancouver and
Uganda this summer. The event will include an interactive live band and listening showcase, featuring
unreleased material from Domanique Grants’s forth coming album, music by Dj Ty Hale, a special
performance by June Ballentyne and giveaways. Partial proceeds for the event will be donated to
The Shanti Uganda Society in support of new equipment for their facility in Luweero Uganda.

7pm- Dinner
9pm-Performances + Live Band

Sponsors
The Cooperative Housing Federation of Toronto
Five Kut Diamonds
Timeless Apparel
Pivotal
Stolen from Africa

Live Band
Avery Levin-Gold (Piano)
April Lavine (Percussion)
James Faulkner (Guitar)
Kimi Suzuki (Violin)
Tenisha Clarke (Vocals)

All the hubbub and hoopla in the local poetry scene is about The Last Poet Standing — a head-to-head poetry slam like no other, produced by Up From The Roots Entertainment. Sixteen poets from Canada and the US (The P.O.E., Kuya Patrick, Gary Jones, Lip Balm, Eytan Crouton, Dan Murray, Just Jamaal, Shoolie, Noah Kaplan, Poetic Speed, Tallawah, Electric Jon, Ritallin, Deonte Osayande, Eddy da Original One and Tomy Bewick) will step into a boxing ring, two by two, to spit 3-minute poems in front of a panel of celebrity judges and a rabid crowd anxious to see some poetic blood spilled on the canvas.

Already revealed as judges for this event are: former Baby Blue Sound Crew member and G98.7 FM radio personality Kerry Lee Crawford; FLOW 93.5 FM drive time diva Jeni JJ McKenzie; legendary spoken word artist and writer “Doctor Poetry” Robert Priest; urban soul-pop singer Melanie Durrant; Canadian hip-hop pioneer Maestro and Canada’s “hip-hop ambassador” producer-rapper Kardinal Offishall. The identity of the seventh and final judge will be revealed by Morgan on Friday.

Features of the show that have been announced include: fans are encouraged to bring noisemakers, signs and other materials to show support for the poet they are backing. Each poet will enter the arena to a pre-selected entrance song. The poets in each pairing will perform their poems one immediately after the other. While one poet performs, the other will sit on a stool in a neutral corner. After each has performed, the seven judges will indicate which performance they preferred. The poet who earns the support of at least four of the judges will move on in the competition, and the other is eliminated.

With such a high powered line-up of poets and a stellar cast of judges, the energy in the room will be high. And with this being the first event of its kind ever held in Toronto, this is not a show you want to miss.

The Last Poet Standing takes place at The Great Hall (1087 Queen St. W.) on Saturday night. Doors open at 8pm and the show begins at 9pm. Advance tickets are still available at Play De Record (357A Yonge St.), A Different Booklist (746 Bathurst St.), Knowledge Bookstore (177 Queen St. W., Brampton), or via email money transfer to info@upfromtheroots.ca and pick the tickets up at the door!

Starting in 2012 T-Dot Renaissance in partnership with Accents Bookstore is presenting a new series called Poetry is Not a Luxury.

For many of us in T-Dot Renaissance, art is not a hobby or a casual past-time. It is an urgent and necessary practice for us to maintain our sanity, to regain perspective and to imagine greater possibilities. This series will explore art as a “vital necessity of our existence.” (Audre Lorde)

Featuring original works by members of the T-Dot Renaissance Collective and special guests, the series will explore the urgency of poetry in a multitude of forms; from the written word to the visual image.

Where: Accents Bookstore – 1790 Eglinton Avenue West (Dufferin and Eglinton), Toronto, Canada
Cover: $10 6pm

When: April 15th featuring Amanda Parris, Ania Soul and Afrakaren (special guest)

This video was shot by Nayani Thiyagarajah and edited by Keisha-Monique Simpson

The video features a passage from Audre Lorde’s seminal essay “Poetry is Not a Luxury” which can be found in her book ‘Sister Outsider.’

For more information, please visit: http://tdotrenaissance.squarespace.com/installations/