NARIA performs in Artbeats Gala
Transcription
NARIA performs in Artbeats Gala
MISSISSAUGAarts MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL FALL NEWSLETTER ‘11 ARTBEATS COMMUNITY BRACES ITSELF FOR MAC’S SIGNATURE GALA EVENT Free Your Mind with poet Kofi Sankofa NARIA: OPERA POP GROUP ON THE RISE MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL 300 CITY CENTRE DR, SUITE 1055 MISSISSAUGA ON L5B 3C9 TEL: 905-615-4278 HOURS: MON-FRI 9-4:30 [email protected] WWW.MISSISSAUGAARTSCOUNCIL.COM CHARITABLE REGISTRATION NO. BN13127-5711-RR0001 THE MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL IS A NOTFOR-PROFIT, REGISTERED CHARITY THAT EXISTS TO FOSTER AND DEVELOP, SUPPORT AND CHAMPION A VIBRANT, DYNAMIC ARTS COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA THROUGH SERVICES TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF ITS CITIZENS. THE ARTS COUNCIL RELIES ON MEMBERSHIPS, PUBLIC FUNDING, PRIVATE AND CORPORATE DONATIONS FOR SURVIVAL. PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING. EDITOR: HEATHER BRISSENDEN LAYOUT/DESIGN: HEATHER BRISSENDEN CONTRIBUTORS: LINDA THOMAS, BOHDAN SHULAKEWYCH, SONYA POWESKA, STEFANIE MARTIN AND HEATHER BRISSENDEN. MAC STAFF: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: LINDA THOMAS COMMUNICATIONS: HEATHER BRISSENDEN FUND DEVELOPMENT: SONYA POWESKA MEMBERSHIP/OFFICE MANAGER: SANDRA CINA DATES & DEADLINES: NEXT ISSUE IS VOLUME 4 ISSUE #1 COVERING SEPT TO DEC 2011. FREE MEMBER CALENDAR LISTINGS DEADLINE FEB 15, MAY 15, AUG 15 & NOV 15 905-615-4212 [email protected] President’s Message I t may have been a quiet summer for some, but it was a busy one for us at the Mississauga Arts Council. We have been very busy preparing for ARTBEATS, our yearly fundraiser among numerous other events. The Fall season is the time of the Galas – a time to bring people together in support of the Arts. A good example is our featured winner of the Hazel McCallion Volunteer of the year award, Kofi Sankofa, who uses art to pursue a greater good. ARTBEATS is our opportunity to raise funds for our programs which we provide to the youth, to our members and to the community at large. It is extremely important that you help us in support of our cause and we welcome you in contacting us for tickets. Should our staff contact you, please respond positively and show your continued support either by attendance at the Gala or with a donation. Performers this year will be Naria, a group of four young opera singers, Michael Ciufo, a well-known tenor, and Can Afric Theatre Group. Amongst the many auction items, there will be a live auction of a 2011 Jaguar XJ for the use of a weekend, graciously donated by Robert Jaguar. 2 Finally, our 30th anniversary shall be forthcoming after the 2011 ARTBEATS. We have quite the program that shall be disclosed in the New Year. Again, we urge your participation, contribution and support to make our 30th anniversary a success. The Mississauga Arts Council thanks you in advance and looks forward to seeing you at the ARTBEATS Gala. Bohdan A Shulakewych President BLACK & WHITE AD DEADLINE MAR 1, JUN 1, SEP 1 & DEC 1 905-615-4278 [email protected] CIRCULATION: THE MISSISSAUGA ARTS COUNCIL’S NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED 4 TIMES A YEAR IN JANUARY, APRIL, JULY AND OCTOBER AND DISTRIBUTED TO MORE THAN 6,000 ARTS-FRIENDLY HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES ELECTRONICALLY. ALL MAC NEWSLETTERS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.MISSISSAUGAARTSCOUNCIL.COM. President Bohdan Shulakewych at the MARTYS MAC Board of Directors Bohdan Shulakewych - President Brian Crombie - Vice President Adnan Raja Asma Arshad Mahmood David Capek - Treasurer Deta Constantine - Secretary Christine Nalborczyk Linden King Paul Fulton Vishal Misra Executive Director’s Report The grips, light and sound folk, assistant directors and gophers all knew Joe—the guy that would do anything. Everybody liked Joe. Throughout the day, Joe did more than play his role. At lunch, he cleared the tables. On breaks, he brought coffee. From time to time, fellow actors talked behind Joe’s back. “What a brown-noser” they accused, or words to that effect. “He spends all day kissing up to the director.” Executive Director Linda Thomas I would like to share a story taken from an e-newsletter I received called ‘A View From The Ridge’ ...enjoy! Joe’s Secret…... IN THIS ISSUE As always, Joe made himself busy around the set. He arrived with the crew and helped in any way he could, carrying gear, holding doors open, guarding coveted parking spaces. When catering showed up, he pitched in to arrange the breakfast buffet. No other actors appeared before their call times. Only Joe. Fall 2011 4 ARTBEATS Gala Most comments fell on deaf ears. After all, Joe looked out for the actors as well, lending out his perfectly organized make-up box, offering to give rides or borrow his cell phone. Joe never discriminated. Inevitably, with little left to criticize, someone would bash Joe’s craft. “He’s really not that good,” they said. “I mean, he prepares well, but he sure isn’t Oscar material.” “Even so, the guy works constantly. What’s up with that?” Joe heard the comments and let them slide by, like water off a duck’s back. Joe didn’t pay attention to what others 8 Gratitude for Artists thought. Joe had a secret. He remembered the day he sat with the film producer who went to high school with his uncle, barely a month after he landed in Los Angeles. His college drama minor didn’t count for much. He had no agent, no connections and not enough money to hire a publicist. Like most Hollywood wannabes, Joe claimed a heart full of desire and not much else. “I’ve been here a long time,” the man said. “I’ve made a lot of movies. At the end of the day, this business—it’s not so complicated. I’ll give you the guaranteed formula to success.” Joe listened intently. “Four components will drive you to the top. I’ll share them with you, in order of importance: Third—and this is the big one that most artists ignore—you can never get on anyone’s ‘life’s-too-short’ list. Show up, do your job, be kind and go the extra mile, wherever you can. The last part, and it’s a distant fourth, is talent. This town is full of it. So what? People work with who they know and no one works with jerks.” “Sounds like that formula applies to most anything in life,” Joe responded. The old producer paused. “You know, son,” he smiled. “I believe you’re right.” Joe overheard the wardrobe person mention that she felt tired. He hopped up and headed for the coffee machine……. First, perseverance. You have to know where you’re going and not stop until you get there. Second, you have to build a network. Get out and meet everyone you can and keep a rolodex. 12 Spotlight on Kofi Sankofa Linda Thomas, Executive Director, Mississauga Arts Council 14 MAC Celebrates 3 Culture Days ARTBEATS GALA MAC Dishes Up Sensational Evening of Glamour at Annual Fundraising Gala T ickets are now on sale for the hottest gala event of the year, the Mississauga Arts Council’s ARTBEATS Gala and Reception on October 14, 2011. Don’t miss out on this exciting event featuring spectacular performances, culinary delights, entertainment, fine art and auctions. ARTBEATS will begin at 6 p.m. at the Red Rose Convention Centre located at 1233 Derry Rd. E. Arts lovers won’t want to miss this opportunity to enjoy the best of Mississauga’s thriving arts community at this red carpet event. All proceeds from MAC’s ARTBEATS fundraiser will help to raise funds to support Mississauga’s growing arts community. The general public is welcome to come out and indulge their senses at this evening filled with food, wine, music and rhythms from around the world. Above: CanAfric Theatre, Below: Tenor Michael Ciufo Guests are in for a treat as leading performers light up the stage. MAC is pleased to announce there will be performances by Mississauga’s star tenor Michael Ciufo, Opera Pop Group Naria as well as the celebrated theatre group CanAfric Theatre. Set to release his anticipated sophomore album, Michael Ciufo is known for his charismatic stage presence and beautiful voice. A permanent fixture on the local arts scene, Michael has performed for thousands of fans across the G.T.A. and was pleased to open for Howie Mandell at the Mayor’s Gala in 2009. Following Michael, the city’s newest Opera Pop girl group Naria will take the stage. Naria features Katya, Annaliese, Michelle, Anna; four brilliant voices whose vocal prowess and original choreographed compositions feature Opera, Pop, Techno and World music with classical high notes while exhibiting their intimate personal style. Lastly, CanAfric Theatre will invigorate audiences as they present a high-spirited routine featuring a traditional mixture of African drum and beats. Tickets are now on sale at $125/individual, $200/couple and $800/table of 8. The dress code for the event is formal business attire. All benefits from the ARTBEATS Gala and Reception will directly benefit the community at large as MAC continues to make Mississauga one of Canada’s most creative cities. Please call 905-615-4278 to purchase your tickets today! Below: Naria WITH FEEL THE ENERGY. EXPERIENCE THE ARTS. OCTOBER 14, 2011 Michael Ciufo Enjoy culinary delights, entertainment, fine art & auctions. With performances by Tenor Michael Ciufo, Opera Pop Group Naria & CanAfric Theatre. Red Rose Convention Centre, 1233 Derry Rd. E. @ 6 p.m. Tickets $125 or $200/couple. Call 905-615-4278. www.mississaugaartscouncil.com The Mississauga Arts Council is supported with funds from: Opera Pop Naria Introducing Sandra Cina MAC welcomes new Membership Co-ordinator! T he Mississauga Arts Council is proud to welcome its new Membership Co-ordinator Sandra Cina. Sandra has worked in the arts since 2003 and most recently was the Membership and Communications Coordinator at both Opera.ca and Orchestras Canada. During this time, Sandra was also a member of the Canadian Arts Coalition’s Communications Committee. Sandra has held administrative positions with The Canadian Stage Company, Creative Trust for Arts and Culture, and The National Ballet of Canada. She holds an HBA in Equity Studies, Anthropology and English from the University of Toronto. She is a trained opera singer and has been singing for over ten years. Sandra is excited to work with the arts community in Mississauga. Around the Office Big changes at the Mississauga Arts Council office Sandra Cina to her hard work with development, Sonya has lead monthly Media Arts Mash-Ups with great success as well as worked tirelessly to produce the Mississauga Youth World Arts Event and our ARTBEATS Gala. Way to go Sonya! This fall we also said a fond farewell to our beloved membership Coordinator Grace Donati. For all of those who knew Grace, she is a passionately talented hair designer, ceramics artist and an all-around amazing gal. Grace has left MAC to become the new membership co-ordinator for the Ontario Crafts Council as well as pursue her own arts career. We miss our Grace dearly and wish her all the best in her future endeavours. The MAC staff from left : Sonya, Linda Heather and Grace F all is the season of gratitude and truth be told, we have so much to be grateful for here at the Mississauga Arts Council! We asked the universe to “show us the money” and it certainly did! Over the summer months we were thrilled receive the positive news that we received two large grants. Our hardworking Development and Events Coordinator Sonya Poweska wrote two incredible grant applications that were approved by both the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ontario Arts Council. Our Ontario Trillium grant of $90,600 has enabled us to hire a Youth Program Coordinator and our Ontario Arts Council grant of $20,000 will go towards general MAC operations. In addition 6 MAC is thrilled to welcome the smiling face of our new membership co-ordinator Sandra Cina. Sandra is an accomplished vocalist with years of experience at Opera.ca and Orchestras Canada. We are positive that Sandra will be a great addition to the MAC team. Don’t be shy, drop by the MAC office at any point to say hello to our new staff member. MAC has also been lucky to be joined by our social media savvy Public Relations Intern Stefanie Martin. Working to complete a post-graduate certificate program at Humber College, Stefanie has been hard at work giving MAC a major amplification of its social networking strategy. As for Linda and myself, we have been hard at work preparing for numerous events as well as our ARTBEATS Gala. We hope you can join us at this unforgettable event and celebrate all that our fabulous arts community has to offer! See you at the gala! Applause Please! Give a round of applause to MAC members who are making dreams come true! Hallie Dixon. The show spotlights influential leaders and volunteers in the local community. Tune in to catch the program airing on Wednesday at 11:00PM EST on Rogers TV Cable 10 and 63. Please visit www.keepintheloop.com for more. MAC remembers the fabulous Elton “Smokey” John who passed away peacefully on June 23rd, 2011. Elton was the founder of the Mississauga Steelpan Academy and an award-winning musician. Originally born in Trinidad, Elton was devoted to training and developing young players to become experts of the art of playing the steelpan. Rest in peace Smokey, you are dearly missed! T he Mississauga arts scene proudly welcomes Mimo’s Kids, a fabulous new Latin American inspired art centre offering arts classes for children and teens. Classes include music lessons, drama, crafts, painting and so much more! Painting and craft classes are taught by leading artist/educator Carla Casanova. Classes are appropriate for kids aged 2 to 18. Sign your children up today! For a full schedule of classes beginning this fall, please visit www. mimoskidsart.com. Mimo’s is located at 1607 Eglinton Ave. W. Please call 416-858-9384 for additional details. Big news for the local arts world! Congrats goes out to Ron Lenyk who was hired as the new CEO at the Living Arts Centre. A longtime volunteer in the community, Ron recently served on the MAC Board for over a year. With decades of experience as the former publisher of the Mis- Fall 2011 sissauga News, we’re positive Ron will do an excellent job as the new CEO of Mississauga’s beautiful arts centre. The Canadian music scene has a new dazzling girl band on the rise! Lookout for Naria, the new Opera Pop Supernova. NARIA contains 4 brilliant voices whose vocal prowess and original choreographed compositions feature Opera, Pop, Techno and World Music with classical high notes while exhibiting their intimate personal style. Don’t miss them! Having recently released their debut album, the girls are set to dazzle audiences as they perform at MAC’s ARTBEATS Celebration on October 14, 2011. For more information, please check out the girls at www.naria.ca. Tune in to Rogers TV to check out the new show “In the Loop” hosted by MAC member, Nina A big set of congrats goes out to Jeff Campagna! While living in Panama, Jeff recently published his latest book, “A Writer Under the Influence, Vol. II.” Jeff is an award-winning blogger, screenwriter, poet, magazine publisher, filmmaker and founder (with brother Matt) of the Mississauga Independent Film Festival. Way to go Jeff! Johnny Max is taking his music to the max! Johnny is pleased to announce that he recently traveled to Europe to perform at the Copenhagen Blues Festival and at the Belle Isle Festival in Brest, France. Johnny is taking his career to the next level and we only wish we could go along for the ride! com for more on this passionate artist. MAC extends its congratulations to local member Ian Stout who recently published his latest book, “Missing in Paradise.” The new mystery book chronicles an enthusiastic group of seniors who travel to Grenada to solve a challenging mystery. Please visit www.writerstout. com for additional details. Award-winning Smooth Jazz Guitarist Rob Tardik is back on the scene! Rob’s new Contemporary Jazz CD... “Balance.Energy.Laughter.Love” (B.E.L.L) is now pre-released! Listen to track samples and order online at www.robtardik.com. Rob’s latest track “East meets WES” (featuring Grammy winner Paul Brown) is now available for purchase for $1 on his website. Way to go Rob! Congratulations and best of luck to MAC photographer Michael Sheeh who has moved to Stuttgart in Germany to work as a commercial photographer. Michael has been hired by the Kleiber Studio to use his incredible photography skills. Way to go Michael! The inspiring South Asian vocalist Vandana Vishwas is pleased to announce that she won the Vox-Pop Award at the IMA Independent Music Awards in July 2011 for her song, “Badara Re” in the World Tradition Song Category. For more on this talented artist, please visit www.vandanavishwas.com. Stir your soul with the inspirational lyrics and music of local singer/songwriter Abeena Samm. The popular Reggae/Folk and Roots artist is proud to release her latest album “Boy You So Rude.” Check out the new track online at http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=6kmrd4QG1rM. Please visit www.abeenasamm. 7 Gratitude for Artists Using the power of a simple “thank you” to enhance your creativity T he fall season is a time for giving thanks for our many blessings…but what does that mean to us as artists? As Canadians at Thanksgiving we give thanks for living in our beautiful country, for having a healthy water supply, free health care, the right to freedom and a million other positive things. But how does this affect us as artists? How can we live in a constant state of gratitude? As artistic individuals, the more we are thankful for the good in our lives, the more this will help us to produce more creative abundance and positivity in future. Many artists are familiar with the popular book and documentary “The Secret” which explores the concept of the “Law of Attraction.” The Law of Attraction is a metaphysical New Thought belief that “like attracts like,” that positive and negative thinking bring about positive and negative physical results, respectively. According to the Law of Attraction, the phrase “I need more money” allows the subject to continue to “need more money”. If the subject wants to change this they would focus their thoughts on the goal (having more money) rather than the problem (needing more money). The law of attraction has been passed down through the ages... coveted, hidden, lost, stolen, bought for vast sums of money, and known by some of the most exceptional people who ever lived: Plato, Galileo, Da Vinci, Beethoven, Edison, and Einstein, to name but a few. The Secret book claims that you can turn any weakness or suffering into strength, power, unlimited abundance, health and joy. So what does this mean to you as an artist? How can you utilize this powerful source in your own life? You can begin right now, wherever you are to create the life of your dreams with more abundance, prosperity and creativity. Try it tonight! Before you go to bed, write down ten things you are grateful for. You will feel happiness start to sink right in. Better yet, you can begin to construct a detailed vision of the life of your dreams. What is your ideal job? Where do you want to live? What kind of environment do you want to work in? What kind of people are around you? Create a vision board for the life of your dreams. Cut out pictures from magazines and paste them up on your vision board so you have something positive and motivational to inspire you to grow. A positive outlook on life will help to get you moving forward in the right direction and motivate you to stay on course when the going gets tough. Better yet, when you find yourself falling back into any negative mental patterns, focus on gratitude and you will find yourself feeling more positive instantly. This fall, make a promise to yourself to focus on all that is good and lovely and step by step, day by day, you will find yourself becoming more and more positive, grateful and creative. So don’t delay. This gratitude thing really works! For more information, please visit www.thesecret.tv for more details. 8 Robin Hollingdrake: “People know what they like, and they are liking what I’m painting this year. New collectors include McMaster University DeGroote School of Business. I’m also very grateful to my drawing group, we donated paintings to the little black dress event.ca auction in London and helped them to raise almost $3000 for the London area Wellspring Charity. All of this in the last two weeks, my head is spinning! “ Robin is pictured above. THE iDENTiTY CRiSiS : “Rock & Roll and I have a love/hate relationship, but I’m grateful that I’m able to do what I love, and love what I do.” Visit www. theidentitycrisis.com Eileen Oswald: “I’m thankful for so many things. First of all, for good health, my faith, and family. Thankful for an inquisitive mind, and the ability to see the beauty in the world, then being able to share this in my art.” www.eileenoswald.com. Peter Jailall: “We are very fortunate to live in a fair, beautiful green city like Mississauga.” Arlene Paculan: “I’m am thankful for support and encouragement from family, friends and fans across Mississauga, especially from the MAC team, who continues to support local talent!” Mississauga Arts Council 5 Quick Tips for Grant Writing MAC’s Development Director Sonya Poweska dishes out top advice for scoring funds 1.Don’t ask for more money than you need Be reasonable about your requests. Grant monies, whether they are through a government agency or through a private foundation, are there to support artists as we work to create art, tell a story, help build and support the Canadian national identity, and develop communities. Because we are all drawing from the same pool of funders, the people who read your grants are going to measure your proposal against others. Be sure that when you apply, you are being realistic about the amount of dollars that you need, what you will be using the funds for, and how your project will help develop or enhance the greater community at large. 3.If you aren’t ready to write a 4.Include reverence letters from grant, don’t – but if you are ready, supporters, project partners, and stop talking about it and actually write one! While some of us think we people who matter are all super stars (I am not denying the fact that we all are), some of us aren’t actually ready to apply for grants. As an artist, you have to be showing your work, performing publicly, working to get published, and making a valid effort to share your talents with the world. 2.Contact the program office to go over the details of your application before you write it I have said it time and time again… Contacting your program officer is perhaps the smallest, but most important part of the grant application process. Before you call, make sure you are well versed on your project, you know what you hope to accomplish, and that you have looked at the actual application. When talking to your program officer, be sure to introduce yourself, describe your project in 100 words or less (granting officers are very busy people!), and ask if your project is viable. Fall 2011 While some grants ask for it specifically, others don’t—I always like to include letters of support from previous project partners, people who have participated in a program before, guest artists, local politicians, and organizations like the Mississauga Arts Council who can speak about your artistic skills and success as an artist. These documents can be included as support materials and go a long way to show that you are serious about your skill and that you have been an active participant of the local, provincial, and national arts community. 5.Solicit the support of project The more professional you are, the better. Keep good track of your artistic activities and make sure your are active before you apply. This goes a long way when juries and panels are looking at your applications as it shows your commitment to your discipline and practice. For those of you who are practicing and active artists, you know who you are, APPLY for a grant already! Stop talking about it and actually do it!! Come and talk to me if you need some additional support or the added push. I would love to help you as you enter the grant writing world. partners or other artists. Partnerships with like minded organizations, other artists, and other people in the community show your ability to adapt and reach multiple segments of the community. In addition, they add credibility to your project and show that you are reinvesting in the community by supporting other artists with your own project. 9 New & Returining MAC Members Norhan Abdul Rahman Maha Arshad Samantha D’Agostino DMCExpo Kyla Dorey Savannah Fakih Vanessa Francone Elizabeth Groskorth Inspired Arts Resources Thomas Joseph Ravneet Kaur Gupta Brittni Kenny Iremsha Khan Ibrahim Khudhair Donna King Eric Dave King Tatyana Leksikova Pamela Levi Lavelle Lindo Jenn Mann Matt Miller Mimos Kids Arts Mississauga Waterfront Festival Nicole Monteiro Aramik Moosakhanian Rehab Nazzal Tatiana Pastor Shanaya Patel Mara Pinder Ishrat Raza Suhrwardy Rumi Galleries Soul Melody Records Tatiana Stewart-Haas Milind Swany Jerzy Szechynski Katya Tchoubar Swapnali Thakar The Sound of Change United Way of Peel Region Michael Ursini Laurie Usypchuk Joshua Varda Justine Vickery Michael D. Williams Intern @ MAC Stefanie Martin enhances MAC’s social media presence H aving only been with the Mississauga Arts Council for a few weeks I have already seen how much the arts community appreciates their hard work. Visits from members, appreciative emails and successful events prove without a doubt that MAC is a crucial element in keeping Mississauga’s arts community thriving. As a communications intern it is greatly rewarding to attend an event I helped to promote or meet an artist who has benefited from our endorsement. These experiences provide an alternative view of the communications field; one that is incapable of being presented in a classroom. Keeping this in mind I am looking forward to the remainder of my time here at MAC. Getting hands on experience while promoting local artists is a gratifying stepping stone into my communications career. Check out Stefanie’s work on MAC’s Facebook and Twitter sites. We’re at www.facebook.com/mississaugaartscouncil or on Twitter @MissArtsCouncil. MAC’s new PR intern Stefanie Martin Mississauga Arts Council 7HowTwitter Tips for New Users to get social networking working for you! T witter is a social networking site that encourages the exchange of ideas and information. Just like any community there is a code of conduct that, if followed, will enhance not only your experience but also your acceptance into that community. Here are a few tips to help get you started: 1 .Upload a photo: Users who keep the egg avatar are seen as lazy, not committed or even as spam accounts. This will deter followers. 2 . Write a bio: Don’t have one? This will also discourage followers. Twitter is about networking, users want to know who you are and what you’re about (hobbies, interests, experience). 3 .Share Something of Value: A quote, question, fact, tip, idea, opinion, link, picture, video or event. Before posting your tweet, ask yourself: will people gain something from this? The Twitterverse will not gain from hearing about how you just got out of the shower. 4 .Use # (Hashtags): Indicators of key words or topics in your tweet. This allows users to easily search for tweets on a specific topic. For example, if you’re sharing an article about an upcoming exhibit in Mississauga, you may want to use #Mississauga or #art. 5 .Use @mentions: Used to give credit to a user, to respond to a question or to simply mention that user in the tweet. Do not use @mentions to carry on a discussion with another user; this is what direct messaging is for. 6 .Frequency: Tweeting a few times a day will ensure a solid Twitter presence. Not tweeting for weeks on end will cause you to lose followers just as quickly as tweeting every minute of every day. Have a presence, but don’t overwhelm your followers. 7 .Following: Who you follow is entirely up to you; just make sure that you do it. Following is crucial to the Twitter experience and will also help to get your name out into the Twitterverse. Stefanie Martin. Follow me @stef_anie_ Local Artists Rock Open Mic Night! Open Mic Nights are going strong as ever! Over the past few months, MAC has seen numerous local singer/songwriters volunteer their time and talents to host our Open Mic Nights.The Mississauga Arts Council wishes to thank these individuals for contributing to the community of artists. Arlene Paculan Original songs, smooth vocals & empowering lyrics. Beautiful! www.arlenepaculan.com. Sean Sroka Hard driving rhythms and catchy melodies. Definitely a young artist to watch out for. www.seammusic.com. Jenikz Conscious folk filled with inspiring lyrics and heart-melting hooks. Sublime! www.jenikz.com. Spotlight on Kofi Sankofa Award-winning spoken word artist engages and inspires with the power of the pen compared to his struggles in Canada. After a few difficult years learning to adjust to this new foreign land, through the pen Sankofa found his true calling. After graduating from Seneca College and Ryerson University, he cites education as his tool for self-empowerment. “Education is selfesteem. Education is self-reliance, development and freedom.” In addition to empowering people of all nations, Sankofa is determined to help African people heal from the effects of years of oppression and slavery. Sankofa is motivated to encourage a cultural renaissance for African people and dreams of opening a healing centre to assist in the emotional recovery of this traumatic past. In addition to this important work, Kofi also wants to reach out to artists and help them discover their own inner strength and creativity. A wakening unconscious minds has become the passionate mission of the MARTY Award winning artist Kofi Sankofa. The self-proclaimed “edu-tainer” is the proud recipient of the 2011 Hazel McCallion Volunteer of the Year Award for his tireless work in the community. After the great success of his previous spoken word/dub poetry recording “The Diary of a Son,” Sankofa released his highly anticipated full length CD tiled, “Sankofa: Ancestral Callin.” Also the popular host of York University’s CHRY York University community radio station 105.5 FM, Kofi can be heard on Friday evenings spreading his message of empowerment, education and inspiration. With a daytime career as a Toronto District School Board community support worker, Kofi is motivated to inspire people and help them to feel empowered to effect change. We had a chance to catch-up with this talented artist on a bright and crisp Fall day in early September. Over coffee, Kofi revealed his passion for life, his secrets to success and his gratitude for the opportunities that have come into his life. Kofi explained, “When you do what is 12 true to you, you help humanity. When I tell the truth, everybody benefits. I am a humanitarian who is working towards recorrecting history.” Having recently returned from Trinidad and Haiti, where he was working with underprivileged children, Sankofa confessed that the secret behind his true motivation is honoring his need to help others. “Once you find your purpose, even with the ups and downs, you will persevere because you know your mission in life.” Although Kofi is now a leading artist in our community, he confessed that his life was not always on track. After immigrating to Canada in the late ‘80s from Jamaica, Sankofa revealed that his first few years in Canada were difficult and ‘cold.’ Not that living in Jamaica was perfection either. Kofi revealed that while living in the Caribbean he learned to survive on the streets. There were times in his youth when he was starving and would have to catch a fish from the lake to cook for dinner. Although experiences such as these were difficult to imagine for those in Canada, Sankofa’s life in Jamaica was a dream He explains, “the first thing artists need to do is look inward at themselves…artists must learn who they are. I encourage people to know thy-self. Artists must question things and look for another source. Artists must be inquisitive and troublesome. Most importantly, have confidence in yourself. When things get tough, be resilient. Artists must have a willingness to grow into themselves. Artists must become conscious.” Lastly, and most importantly Kofi encourages artists to, “discover what is your purpose. Your level of purpose will determine your level of consciousness. Artists must be true to self. Reclaim yourself, be yourself but grow.” So what’s next for Sankofa? In addition to opening a healing centre for African people, Sankofa dreams of building a school in Haiti outside of Port of Prince. A lover of travel, Sankofa plans to travel to Ghana for a full month of study. Without a doubt he explains, the next part of his life will be devoted to writing books and creating recordings to inspire people from around the world. For more on this inspiring individual, please visit www.sankofaincipher.com. Mississauga Arts Council TorQ Percussion Quartet “People are disjointed from their spirit. If you don’t know yourself you die from a spiritual death. You can be alive but dead inside.” - Kofi Sankofa “WHEN YOU DO WHAT IS TRUE FOR YOU, YOU HELP HUMANITY. WHEN I TELL THE TRUTH, EVERYBODY BENEFITS.” Kofi Sankofa “ONCE YOU FIND YOUR PURPOSE, EVEN WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS, YOU WILL PERSEVERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR MISSION IN LIFE.” - Kofi Sankofa “EDUCATION IS SELF-ESTEEM. EDUCATION IS SELF-RELIANCE, DEVELOPMENT AND FREEDOM.” Kofi Sankofa Inspiration To-Go! THE FIVE TRUTHS ABOUT FEAR strength develops. You begin feeling stronger and stronger and stronger. Taken from www.susanjeffers.com FEAR TRUTH #1 The fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow! Every time you take a step into the unknown, you experience fear. There is no point in saying, “When I am no longer afraid, then I will do it.” You’ll be waiting for a long time. The fear is part of the package. FEAR TRUTH #2 The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and…do it! When you do it often enough, you will no longer be afraid in that particular situation. You will have faced the unknown and you will have handled it. Then new challenges await you, which certainly add to the excitement in living. FEAR TRUTH #3 Fall The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and…do it! With each little step you take into unknown territory, a pattern of FEAR TRUTH #4 Not only are you afraid when facing the unknown, so is everyone else! This should be a relief. You are not the only one out there feeling fear. Everyone feels fear when taking a step into the unknown. Yes, all those people who have succeeded in doing what they have wanted to do in life have felt the fear - and did it anyway. So can you! FEAR TRUTH #5 Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the bigger underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness! This is the one truth that some people have difficulty understanding. When you push through the fear, you will feel such a sense of relief as you feeling of helplessness subsides. You will wonder why you did not take action sooner. You will become more and more aware that you can truly handle anything that life hands you. 13 MAC Celebrates Culture Days 2011 MAC Commemorates National Day of Culture with Mississauga Youth World Arts Event I t was a day filled with colour, kids and creativity at Culture Days 2011! T.L. Kennedy Secondary School was filled with positive energy as crowds of happy children and teens explored their passion for the creative arts at the Mississauga Youth World Arts Event on October 1. Presented as part of Culture Days 2011, Canada’s national celebration of arts and culture, the Mississauga Youth World Arts Event included free activities and workshops hosted by top artist educators from the community. Kids from ages 11 to 18 experimented with dance, theatre, art, media and sound at this fabulous day of free events. MAC’s leading artists hosted the workshops including visual artist and singer Carla Casanova, actor Bradley Gordon (Word Made Flesh Productions), filmmaker Marco Veltri, musician and producer Vikas Kohli and Marcelino da Costa aka “Frost Flow” from the Ground illusionz Hip-Hop Collective. The day of creativity ended off with an Open Mic and performance hosted by local singer/songwriter Joel Martin. Always a hit with audiences, our Open Mic featured performances by local artists Selyne Maia, THE iDENTiTY CRiSiS, rapper Sugar Maria and many more! The Mississauga Arts Council wishes to thank all of the talented artists who participated in the event. Please visit us online at www.mississaugaartscouncil.com for more details. All photos by Dan Ho. In the photos: left: two students participate in our theatre workshop. Below left: Hip-hop educator Marcel DaCosta leading his workshop. Below right: Vikas Kohli. 3 14 Mississauga Arts Council Members @ Culture Days Artists participate in National Celebration of Arts and Culture across the city 6 While MAC was celebrating Culture Days at T. L. Kennedy Secondary School, other members were around town commemorating the occasion at various events. Check out this sidewalk drawing above by MAC member Claudio Ghirardo who decorated the streets of Port Credit with his original art. Other members include Naria, the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble, the Chamber Music Society, Seam, Vanadana Vishwas and Bridging the Gap who did a live performance at Celebration Square. Visual artists Paul Fulton and Sonja Hidas threw an event for HotBox Mississauga at Riverwood Park as well. For full coverage of Culture Days 2011, please visit www.culturedays.ca. Spring 2011 7 8 15 9 Mississauga’s Media Arts Scene Filmmakers from far and wide flock to MAC’S Media Media Arts Mash-ups M ississauga’s underground film community is growing stronger every day thanks to the Mississauga Arts Council’s Media Arts Mash-Ups. Created and run by MAC’s Development and Events Co-ordinator Sonya Poweska, these popular networking events are held on a monthly basis at the Art Gallery of Mississauga. Backed with a Masters Degree in Film from Carlton University, Poweska saw a need to help unite the fragmented media arts community in the City of Mississauga. “Our Media Arts Mash-ups investigate the challenges and advantages of being a filmmaker in Mississauga,” states Poweska. “It’s a really open and welcoming environment where we share ideas. We offer constructive criticism and we help to advance each others own learning.” Media Arts Mash-ups feature a diverse environment of artists including actors, filmmakers, sound producers, jingle writers and photographers. In addition to a formal discussion, every session features a screening of independent film. These events are an excellent opportunity for artists to network, showcase their work and gain support and knowledge of the arts in Mississauga. So don’t miss out! All are welcome to attend our next Media Arts Mash-Up taking place on Thursday October 27, 2011. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Mississauga located at 300 City Centre Dr. Admission is free, please call 905-6154278 for more details. Above: aspiring screen writer Thomas Joseph. Left Sonya Poweska, creator of MAC’s Media Arts Mashups. Below: a packed house at the Mash-up held in July. Monday Night @ the Movies Local film group brings the excitement of TIFF to the ‘burbs Film Circuit. Film Circuit currently screens films across Canada at more than 174 locations, offering film screenings to communities that would otherwise be unable to access them. The Mississauga Arts Council would like to extend a big thank you for the support we have received from Monday Night @ The Movies over the past several years. T he Mississauga Arts Council would like to recognize our great member and donor Monday Night @ The Movies! For those who are unaware of this fantastic group, MNM is a nonprofit group of experienced volunteers working to provide local residents and film lovers access to the best of both Canadian and international cinema. Screenings are held at the Winston Churchill AMC 24. MNM started out as a program created by the Oakville Arts Council in partnership with a division of TIFF, If you would like to volunteer with MNM to help with the planning for and screening of these films, make yourself known to the person collecting e-mail addresses at the door of the next screening on October 17th - “Life, Above All.” Future screenings also include: October 31 - “Potiche” (France). November 14 - “Page One: Inside the New York Times” (Documentary). November 28 - “The First Grader.” For all the details visit: http:// mondaynightatthemovies.blogspot.com. Member Success! Award winning artist Ian Greening honoured by Mayor McCallion C ongratulations goes out to Ian Greening, owner and operator of Artistic Integrity Tattoo Studio in Port Credit. Ian was recently honoured with a certificate of recognition on the occasion of Artistic Integrity’s tenth anniversary. The City of Mississauga’s certificate of recognition was presented to Ian by Mayor Hazel McCallion and Councillor Jim Tovey. Way to go Ian! Fall 2011 Our Fans The Mississauga Arts Council gratefully acknowledges the support of the City of Mississauga, our sponsors, our donors and a membership of individuals, arts organizations and businesses Sponsors Leader’s Circle ($5,000-$9,999) Century Audio Visual KPMG Pratt & Whitney Canada Print Three Meadowvale Inner Circle ($2,500$4,999) Rehearsal Pro Square One Thompson, MacColl & Stacy Associate ($1,000$2,499) Canadian Community Arts Initiative Hershey’s Pellman, Shulakewych, Macri: Barristers Venue Sponsor Art Gallery of Mississauga Living Arts Centre Red Rose Convention Centre tion for Arts, Culture and Heritage Donors Media Sponsors My Mississauga Magazine Rogers TV The Dixie Discovery The Epoch Times The Malton Mirror The Mississauga News Wave.fm WOW Network Foundations & Government Support Community Foundation of Mississauga City of Mississauga Ontario Arts Council Ontario Trillium Foundation Hazel McCallion Founda- Benefactors ($1,000+) Monday Night @ the Movies Patrons ($500-$999) Rotary Club of Mississauga West Mentor ($100-$249) Peter Rowe Craig Sifton Synergy Music Friend (up to $100) Norhan Abdul Rahman Bernice Antaya Daphne Bradford Bridging the Gap Heather Brissenden Class Productions Beverley Didur Ruth Rarquhar Evelyn Gracey George Hollands Lisa Jayne Irvine Thomas Joseph Brittni Kenny Doriel Laind Lynne Mack Madelon MacLeod Kay Matthews Rose Anna Newlove Christine O’Reilly Eileen Oswald Sonya Poweska Mike Salisbury Second Cup Jerzy Szechynski Justine Vickery Robert Widdup Williams D. Michael Monthly Donors Artistic Integrity Tattoo Benjamin and Stephanie Thornton Edward Rosengren Fay Sproule Linda Thomas Marielle Griffths Sandra Pisani Hazel McCallion Foundation for Arts, Culture and Heritage Volunteer in the Spotlight MAC celebrates Bruce Kachuk, the voice behind MAC’s weekly Art Scene podcasts length newspaper and magazine articles selected from over 600 publications. I read a variety of VoicePrint shows in addition to Mississauga’s “Arts Scene”, for instance the International News (heard each Tuesday at 12:30pm), the Greater Toronto Area News (each Monday at 3:00pm), and the Toronto Community Events (as a downloadable podcast on the AMI website). I also read other VoicePrint shows as required. VoicePrint can be heard on cable (Rogers Digital 196 locally) and satellite as well as streaming on the AMI website (ami.ca). H i I’m Bruce Kachuk. I can be heard reading Heather Brissenden’s “Arts Scene”, the weekly Arts & Entertainment podcast on the Mississauga Arts Council’s website. Some of you may have wondered what other volunteer activities I am engaged in. So, if I may, I would like to take this opportunity to outline a few of my additional pursuits. I currently read “Arts Scene” from the Don Mills studios of Accessible Media Incorporated (AMI), where I am a regular volunteer reader for a service called VoicePrint. VoicePrint is a national radio reading service designed to serve the information and entertainment needs of over 5 million blind, low-vision, or print restricted Canadians. At VoicePrint, volunteer readers narrate full- I also volunteer for a similar organization in Toronto called PAL Reading Services, which provides a free recording service for its clients who have difficulty reading ordinary print. PAL was founded in 1975 to fulfil a need by print-restricted students to have educational material recorded in a timely and accurate manner. I record a variety of material, mostly related to college and university courses our clients are taking, but I also read things of a recreational or general interest. The recordings at PAL are made into audio CDs in the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) format which permits convenient navigation of the recorded material in a portable DAISY player. My interest in assisting people with vision restrictions also takes me to London, Ontario. There I help with publicity, recording, and whatever else is needed for a theatrical group called Out of Sight Productions. The mission of Out of Sight is to allow participa- tion in theatrical productions to be accessible to everyone, especially people who otherwise would not have considered it because of vision restrictions. Out of Sight has made some very positive and beneficial changes in the lives of those who have taken part and I am very pleased to be involved with such a worthwhile organization. The Glenvale Players perform a similar function locally in Toronto, and I am also pleased to be assisting this theatre troupe by assembling programs for current productions. Another of my volunteer activities takes me to the West Coast and a domestic violence research centre. Operating out of Simon Fraser University, the FREDA Centre for Research on Violence against Women and Children is one of five similar centres set up across Canada in 1992 to research, raise awareness of, and seek the elimination of domestic violence. I currently administer the incoming email, and until a few years ago coordinated information resources and maintained the office and website. Another worthwhile organization that I am proud to be associated with. In closing I would like to mention that my wife has always given me love, encouragement and inspiration for whatever I wanted to pursue. Patricia is a retired university instructor. She is currently enjoying her retirement by working on a second PhD as a student again at York University. I volunteer helping her with that too . . . if I can. Shen Yen Brings its Magic to Mississauga Internationally celebrated stage show explores the magic of Chinese culture F ollowing sold-out performances in Mississauga in January 2010, Shen Yun will make a glorious return to the Living Arts Centre unveiling an entirely new line-up of dances, songs and musical scores in an all-new 2012 production. Performances will run from January 19 to 22 at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. Profound. Sublime. Inspiring. That was the unequivocal response to Shen Yun’s annual world tour in the past years. It is traditional Chinese culture as it was meant to be—a study in grace, fluidity, balance, and inner strength. A program of nearly twenty masterful dances and songs brings Asia’s celebrated past to life on stage. Its masterful choreography and graceful routines range from grand classical processions to ethnic and folk dances, with gorgeously costumed dancers moving in stunning synchronized patterns. State-of-the-art backdrops conjure up celestial palaces and blossoming landscapes, while an innovative full orchestra blends both Western and Chinese instruments in a masterful fusion. For 5,000 years in China, culture was heralded as a divine gift. Its glory was long the inspiration of countless artists and poets, until this heritage was nearly lost… Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts seeks to revive this once-majestic tradition by creating a production worthy of this noble history—something that enriches the lives of audiences in powerful, lasting ways. The company’s rich repertoire is drawn from the pages of history, universal themes, and the world around us. All the choreography and music performed are original. “A visually dazzling tour of 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture,” as found by the San Francisco Chronicle. Dr. Ken Coates, Dean of the Faculty of the Arts, University of Waterloo, also raved: “a passionate mix of culture, dance and hope… The sublime beauty is timeless.” For tickets, call 1-888-805-8888 or visit www.ShenYun2012.com. 20 MAC’s Development and Events Co-ordinator Sonya Poweska Mississauga Arts Council