50th Anniversary Community Celebration
Join us for a free and public celebration
We believe in art. That is why, for 50 years, Toronto Arts Council (TAC) has supported the arts in Toronto with innovative and responsive funding opportunities that empower artists to explore, create and thrive.
On June 13, 2024, join us for an all-ages celebration of dance, music, visual/media art and community as TAC launches its 50th anniversary. This public event invites everyone to celebrate the amazing contributions of artists and arts organizations to our city. Main stage and on-the ground performances will showcase just some of the dynamic work that TAC funds while family-friendly interactive arts activities will give attendees the opportunity to create and innovate together.
As a community-led organization, TAC is hosting this event to give collective thanks to our artists for shaping the city we see today while we look ahead to 50 more years of cultural growth and care. Join us, and together, let’s keep believing in art.
Visit the event announcement here.
Toronto Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at Luminato in the Square.
Curated by Toronto Arts Council
Date: Thursday, June 13, 2024
Time: 6-9:30 p.m.
Where: David Pecaut Square
Entry: Free
Featuring:
HOST Britta B.
Britta B. is an award-winning artist, public speaker and poet. She was the 2021 winner of the Toronto Arts Foundation Breakthrough Artist Award. Last year Britta celebrated the release of her debut poetry collection, Wires That Sputter, published by McClelland & Stewart.
MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES
Pan Fantasy
Pan Fantasy Steelband /North York Inter-Community Youth Group (NYICYG) is a dedicated community-based organization that has been providing on-going activities within the steelpan community over the past 37 years. They provide a meaningful, highly recognized music program while operating as a non-profit volunteer organization, fostering leadership skills through performing arts.
Cris Derksen with artists Jennifer Kriesberg (vocalist), Rebecca Benson (vocalist), Aline Homzy (violin), Rebecca Hennesy (trumpet), Marek Tyler (drums), and Beany John (hoop dancer)
Juno nominated Cris Derksen is an Internationally respected Indigenous Cellist and Composer. Originally from Treaty 8 Northern Alberta she comes from a line of chiefs from NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father’s side and a line of strong Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s. Derksen braids the traditional and contemporary, weaving her classical background and her Indigenous ancestry together with new school electronics to create genre-defying music. Derksen performs nationally and internationally as a soloist and in collaboration with some of Canada’s finest. Recent concert destinations include Carnegie Hall NYC, Norway, Chile, Hong Kong, Australia, Mongolia, Europe and a whole lot of Canada: the place Derksen refers to as home.
Berma x InterAccess with BLAKKPHAROAH
DJ Berma
Toronto format DJ, open format creative - Berma is a Scarborough native that uses DJing as a platform to paint a sound gallery that invites all to dance, sing and most importantly have fun. Using his event “Release” as a platform in Toronto, Berma has gone on to be Internationally platformed in cities like London, New York and Vancouver. Berma continues to use his platforms to amplify the voices of his community and neighbourhood Scarborough, Toronto.
InterAccess
InterAccess is an artist-run new media gallery, education facility, studio, and festival, dedicated to new media and emerging practices in art and technology. Annually, InterAccess executes multiple exhibitions, a full curriculum of skill-building and critical theory workshops, and a broad range of discursive events that explore the impact of technology on the social, political and cultural aspects of contemporary life.
BLAKKPHARAOH
Also known as BKP, BLAKKPHARAOH was born and raised in Toronto. From a young age, he has shown a keen interest in music, particularly in beat making. Now a versatile artist, producer, and DJ, he is making waves in the Toronto music scene with his unique sound that blends multiple genres. Drawing from his French-speaking background, BKP infuses his music with elements that reflect his roots and heritage, connecting with audiences on a deeper level. His passion for music and drive for success have propelled him to seek bigger opportunities in the industry. Constantly growing and expanding his reach, BKP aims to leave a lasting impression on listeners worldwide, showcasing his cultural identity and personal experiences through his art.
GROUND PERFORMANCES & ACTIVATIONS
Tapestry Opera
Founded in 1979, Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original, progressive opera. They are passionate about timely, resonant stories told in innovative settings and interpreted by extraordinary artists. They create space to unite diverse art forms, creators, and communities to develop powerful, boundary-breaking opera that reflects and changes the world. They believe in embedding their values in everything they do, on and offstage, and work to create a flexible, adaptable, and accountable culture for our time and communities.
Picnic table painting with Philip Cote and Monica Wickeler
Philip Cote, MFA
Young Spiritual Elder, Artist, Activist, Historian and Traditional Wisdom Keeper. Moose Deer Point First Nation. First Nations Affiliation: Shawnee, Lakota, Potawatomi, Ojibway, Algonquin, and Mohawk. Philip Cote is a Sundancer, Pipe Carrier and Sweat Ceremony leader recognized by Elder Vern Harper, Buffalo Chief - Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand. Mentors: Buffalo Chief James Dubrey, Verdell Red Cloud Jr. and Chief Oliver Red Cloud Sr. Cote received his Indigenous name Noodjmowin (The Healer) in 1979 from Joe Couture and was made a member of the Falseface Society at the Seneca longhouse in 1992.
Monica Wickeler
Monica is an LGBTQ2S+ /Luxembourg/Canadian artist with a passion for public art. Working out of her Toronto and Northern studio in Port Severn. Monica is a seasoned public artist and an emerging designer developing her three-dimensional style and building techniques. Also known as monicaonthemoon, Monica was originally trained in the craft of hand-painted outdoor advertising in the ’90s and has moved her practice towards community-based public art installations, in Toronto, and across Canada. When Monica isn’t found on the boom-lift reaching the far top corner of a mural, she can be found in her studio planning her next creative placemaking adventure.
And so much more!
ABOUT LUMINATO IN THE SQUARE
For 10 days from June 7 - 16, David Pecaut Square will be transformed into Luminato in the Square, where festivalgoers will have free entry to enjoy concerts, performances, interactive activities, food vendors, and bustling markets. This lively outdoor festival atmosphere complements to create a rich 2024 experience that will animate the city in fresh and surprising ways.