Happening

Community Celebration
2024-06-01 14:00 - 23:00 UTC
Join us for the grand finale of our festival at the park—a celebration of music and community! Experience the harmonious melodies of choirs, the electrifying beats of DJs, and the soulful sounds of live performances. Bring your friends and family for a day filled with joy, rhythm, and togetherness!
Date: Saturday, June 1st
Time: 2:00 – 11:00 pm
Location: MUSE Arts Creative Lab at Earlscourt Park (1369B St Clair Ave West)

The Colors of the Earth Workshop: Painting with Natural Dyes
2024-06-01 10:00 - 12:00
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Painting workshop with the colors of the earth, a dynamic learning through experimentation and the awakening of the senses.
We invite you to explore with us together in a journey of discovery, The Colors of the Earth. With our senses open we will see, smell, and embrace the different tonalities that our earth and this life have given to us. Our hands will feel and experiment with the various tints of flower petals, spiraling citrus peels, the flour of our ancestors direct from the kitchen, and of course the paint brush to materialize your ideas.
About the artist:
Mercy Verdugo is a visual artist, actress, poet and arts advocate with more than 20 years of experience in the arts. She has been involved in different artistic projects in Mexico and Canada. Founder and director of ATELIER (founded in 2011). Atelier is a Mindful Art and Constant Creation project, where theater, paper making, painting, film and music workshops are held. From the Laboratory of Ideas of the Atelier, social workshops are generated for the benefit of the neighborhood and the community. In Toronto, she has been facilitating community art workshops at different community centers and working with different art organizations including MUSE Arts, MABELLEarts and Jumblies. Mercy loves to create a safe and relaxed environment perfect for guided experimentation and rooted in nature.
She was a recipient of the Toronto Arts Council Newcomer Mentorship in 2023 and she has been supported by MABELLEarts as Newcomer Artist Ambassador since 2021.
www.artmercy.studio

Dance and Performance Night
2024-05-31 18:00 - 21:00
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Step into the rhythm of the night as we continue our celebration of creativity and collaboration with a mesmerizing dance and performance night! Dance and movement are the heartbeat of culture, with the power to ignite spirits and unify communities. Let’s dance together in celebration of the diverse and vibrant tapestry of human expression. Don’t miss this unforgettable night of rhythm, poetry, and unity!
Date: Thursday, May 25th
Time: 6:00 – 9:00
Location: MUSE Arts Creative Lab at Earlscourt Park (1369B St Clair Ave West)

Networking Event for Artists & Organizations
2024-05-30 14:00 - 17:00
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This is a space for all newcomers, immigrants, refugees, and emerging artists to learn about existing services and opportunities from Toronto organizations, as well as a great chance to network and connect with other artists.
*Besides being an opportunity to network and connect with other artists.
This will be an opportunity for you to win an all-expenses paid spot in our upcoming international Community Arts Residence and Cultural Exchange!
How?
You must attend the Networking Event for Artists and Organizations AND two of the events geared at artists that are taking place during HAPPENING Multicultural Festival this year
What are the other events?
– Artist Meet up & Visual Arts Exhibit opening (May 15th)
– Online Seminar: Blooming Together: Cultivating Collaboration Networks in the Art (May 21st – 23rd)
– Creative Facilitation Training (May 30th – 31st)
**Some conditions apply.
🔸 Must be a newcomer artist interested in community arts
🔸 Must have the ability to leave and enter the country.
🔸 You must attend the Networking Event for Artists and Organizations AND two other events geared at artists
🔸 The raffle will take place during the networking event on Thursday May 30th and the winner must be present at this time.

Creative Facilitation Training
2024-05-30 09:30 - 13:00
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MUSE Arts, in collaboration with PYE, invites immigrant newcomer and refugee artists interested in Community Arts and Arts Facilitation to participate in a transformative Creative Facilitation Training. This training is designed to empower artists to engage with their communities through creativity and collaboration.

Date: May 30th & 31st, 2024
Total Hours: 10 hours over 2 days (Day 1: 9:30 am- 1pm, Day 2: 9:30am-4pm)
Training Size: Limited to 20 participants
Location: MUSE Arts Creative Lab 1369B St Clair Ave West (Earlscourt Park – Caledonia and St Clair Av West)

Training Subsidies:
MUSE Arts is committed to ensuring accessibility to all artists. Therefore, subsidies of 50% to 80% of the training cost are available for participants. Artists interested in receiving this subsidy are required to indicate the percentage/amount they can contribute.
Pricing Structure:
The actual cost of the 10-hour training is $250 CAD. Participants will determine their contribution based on their financial capacity, within the subsidized range.
Application Process:
Interested individuals should complete their applications by May 10th 2024. Please make sure to include a brief bio, a statement of interest outlining your experience in community arts and facilitation.

Blooming Hand Puppets Workshop
2024-05-25 14:00 - 16:00
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In this workshop, children will learn how to bring a sock puppet to life. The participants will be guided through the process of using common craft items to make the features resembling their puppet’s personality.
* Materials will be provided on-site.
Ages: 7-12
Date: Saturday, May 25th
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: MUSE Arts Creative Lab at Earlscourt Park (1369B St Clair Ave West)
About the artist:
Daniela Marciana is a Colombian artisan, performer, designer, community-social worker/builder, and multi-disciplinary artist. She has collaborated and worked within the administrative, and artistic development and set up team with different festivals, companies and organizations in the city of Toronto as well as USA, Colombia and Cuba. Daniela is interested in the arts as a powering tool for community development and social change. Over the last few years Daniela has developed her own brand of Jewelry and accessories named Marciana Artisanal Designs.

Poetry Night - Ann de Leon, Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike
2024-05-23 19:00 - 20:00
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During our HAPPENING: Poetry Nights we celebrate poets who, among other things, identify as newcomers, refugees, or immigrants. Despite the fact that poetry inhabits many geographical locations and speaks in different accents and languages, Literature continues to be the most exclusive of arts and the most resistant against outsiders. An immigrant’s linguistic, cultural, and political accents mark them as alien, and hence, undesirable company or colleague among fellow writers and poets.

Date: Thursday, May 23rd
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Location: Facebook Live

About the poets:

Ann De Leon
Ann De León is an Associate Professor and settler scholar in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta on Treaty 6 territory. She teaches courses in Spanish, Latin American Studies, Women in Latin America, Indigenous and Colonial Latin American history and culture, Translation, and “Aztec” history and Nahuatl. Hailing from Mexico City, her research has centred on Mexican Indigenous pictorial manuscripts (amoxtli or códices), cross-cultural translation practices in Colonial Mexico, and contemporary community translation practices. More recently, she has been exploring representations of the “Aztecs” in popular culture. She is also a closet poet.
Facebook: Ann De Leon

Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike
Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike is an assistant professor in the Department of English, University of Calgary, Canada, and the 2021 winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism. An award-winning creative writer, Umezurike is the author of literary works such as there’s more, Double Wahala, Double Trouble, Wish Maker, and a co-editor of Wreaths for a Wayfarer.

Facebook: uumez
Twitter: @UcheUmezurike
Instagram: uche_peter_umez

About the curator:
Bänoo Zan is a poet, translator, essayist, and poetry curator, with more than 300 published pieces and three books including Songs of Exile and Letters to My Father. She is the founder of Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night), Canada’s most diverse and brave poetry open mic (inception 2012). It is a brave space that bridges the gap between communities of poets from different ethnicities, nationalities, religions (or lack thereof), ages, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, poetic styles, voices, and visions. Bänoo is the co-editor of the poetry anthology: Woman, Life, Freedom: Poems for the Iranian Revolution.

Experimental Poetry Workshop
2024-05-23 18:00 - 20:00
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During our HAPPENING: Poetry Nights we celebrate poets who, among other things, identify as newcomers, refugees, or immigrants. Despite the fact that poetry inhabits many geographical locations and speaks in different accents and languages, Literature continues to be the most exclusive of arts and the most resistant against outsiders. An immigrant’s linguistic, cultural, and political accents mark them as alien, and hence, undesirable company or colleague among fellow writers and poets.

Date: Thursday, May 23rd
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Location: Facebook Live

About the poets:

Ann De Leon
Ann De León is an Associate Professor and settler scholar in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta on Treaty 6 territory. She teaches courses in Spanish, Latin American Studies, Women in Latin America, Indigenous and Colonial Latin American history and culture, Translation, and “Aztec” history and Nahuatl. Hailing from Mexico City, her research has centred on Mexican Indigenous pictorial manuscripts (amoxtli or códices), cross-cultural translation practices in Colonial Mexico, and contemporary community translation practices. More recently, she has been exploring representations of the “Aztecs” in popular culture. She is also a closet poet.
Facebook: Ann De Leon

Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike

Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike is an assistant professor in the Department of English, University of Calgary, Canada, and the 2021 winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism. An award-winning creative writer, Umezurike is the author of literary works such as there’s more, Double Wahala, Double Trouble, Wish Maker, and a co-editor of Wreaths for a Wayfarer.

Facebook: uumez
Twitter: @UcheUmezurike
Instagram: uche_peter_umez

About the curator:
Bänoo Zan is a poet, translator, essayist, and poetry curator, with more than 300 published pieces and three books including Songs of Exile and Letters to My Father. She is the founder of Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night), Canada’s most diverse and brave poetry open mic (inception 2012). It is a brave space that bridges the gap between communities of poets from different ethnicities, nationalities, religions (or lack thereof), ages, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, poetic styles, voices, and visions. Bänoo is the co-editor of the poetry anthology: Woman, Life, Freedom: Poems for the Iranian Revolution.

Let's Blossom - Embroidery workshop
2024-05-22 18:00 - 20:00
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In this workshop, you will learn the basics of embroidering from flat stitch to embossed embroidery. The main embroidery figure will be flowers including their shapes and colours. Feel free to bring a piece of fabric or clothing that you feel you can work on.
* Materials will be provided on-site.
Ages: 15-100
About the artist:
Daniela Marciana is a Colombian artisan, performer, designer, community-social worker/builder, and multi-disciplinary artist. She has collaborated and worked within the administrative, and artistic development and set up team with different festivals, companies and organizations in the city of Toronto as well as USA, Colombia and Cuba. Daniela is interested in the arts as a powering tool for community development and social change. Over the last few years Daniela has developed her own brand of Jewelry and accessories named Marciana Artisanal Designs.

Blooming Together: Cultivating Collaboration Networks in the Art Online seminar
2024-05-21 14:00 - 16:00
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In this online seminar we will delve into the essence of collaboration among artists, emphasizing the significance of collective growth and mutual support. Join us as we explore strategies for nurturing collaboration, fostering solidarity, and championing one another in diverse creative endeavors. Let’s cultivate a culture where we blossom together, enriching our artistic community through shared efforts and shared success.
Who is this for?
Community-engaged artists, educators, facilitators, community educators, arts educators, professors, students, interested public.
Format:
20 to 30 minute pre-recorded videos which are made available to registered participants.
Participants will have access to the seminar through MUSE Arts’ educational platform, where they can listen to the recordings at their convenience and interact with other participants via an online community forum.
Certificate provided by MUSE Arts upon completion.

The Hero In Me - Drawing & Design Workshop
2024-05-18 14:00 - 16:00
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Join artist Juan Pablo for an exciting workshop where you’ll craft your own superhero from scratch! Delve into the depths of your personal heritage and experiences to create a character that represents your unique background. Draw inspiration from the colors, landscapes, and traditions that have shaped your identity. Let your imagination run wild and create a superhero that reflects your personal journey!
Ages: 15-100
About the artist:
My name is Juan Pablo (I go by Pablo). I grew up in Colombia, drawing since I could pick up a pencil. My passion for art has put me in positions to thrive in numerous realms. I work as a muralist, tattoo artist, and freelance illustrator/graphic designer, I have experience teaching art and working with crypto projects.

"Who Am I?" Zine-Making Workshop
2024-05-16 08:00 - 17:00
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Join us for a captivating zine-making workshop! Explore the art of crafting mini booklets as we delve into aspirations, dreams, and vibrant palettes. Let your creativity flow as we fill the pages with colourful expressions of our hopes and aspirations. Unleash your imagination in this dynamic and inspiring hands-on session!
What are Zines?
A zine is a self-published, small-circulation booklet or magazine, often produced independently and featuring diverse content and artistic styles.
About the artist:
Natalie Chattargoon better known as ‘Rare’ is a multifaceted Toronto born and raised creative, passionate in community building, creative writing and photography. In the start of her career, she became a self taught 5x published photographer with work showcased around the GTA. Her art is featured on the Globe & Mail website, In the TTC & Pearson Airport in 2023. Rare faced many challenges throughout her journey that motivated her to strive for a better life. She believes in the concept of planting a seed & watering it daily. Her work focuses on spotlighting key social issues and expresses it through her many projects. Rare’s World is a platform where she hopes to help others look deeper into the mind, body and soul to find their ultimate purpose. Rare has a passion for working in marginalized communities to break down stigmas. She is truly a one of a kind, so divine and a hard to find individual.

Poetry Night - Leilei Chen & Chro Zand
2024-05-16 07:00 - 20:00
Facebook: Location: Facebook Live
During our HAPPENING: Poetry Nights we celebrate poets who, among other things, identify as newcomers, refugees, or immigrants. Despite the fact that poetry inhabits many geographical locations and speaks in different accents and languages, Literature continues to be the most exclusive of arts and the most resistant against outsiders. An immigrant’s linguistic, cultural, and political accents mark them as alien, and hence, undesirable company or colleague among fellow writers and poets.

About the poets:
Leilei Chen
Leilei Chen 莫譯 (pronounced as muo-yee meaning “no translation”) lectures in the Department of English and Film Studies of the University of Alberta. She authors Re-orienting China: Travel Writing and Cross-cultural Understanding. She published the Mandarin versions of Margaret Laurence’s short stories, the traditional and simplified Chinese versions of Nationalism: A Very Short Introduction. She translates contemporary Chinese ecological writing, women’s writings, and poetry. Her translation of poet MA Hui (马辉), I Have Forsaken Heaven and Earth, but Never Forsaken You, is a Frontenac House 2023 Quartet book.
Social media handles:

instagram: leileichenleilei
Facebook: Leilei Chen MoYi
TikTok: @leilei.chenmoyi
X: @leileichenlei

Chro Zand
Chro Zand is a Kurdish Canadian freelance writer who currently lives in Toronto. She is the author of, Chro is My Name, a memoir, published in 2021. Her story of Chro is My Name is included in the School of Continuing Studies program in the University of Toronto curriculum. She has a diploma
in Arts and Literature and a Bachler’s degree in Journalism. Chro was born to parents with hearts of gold and raised in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan. She has won an international short story contest. Earlier in Kurdistan, at 16, she received her first award in writing.
https://chrozandauthor.com/
About the curator:
Bänoo Zan is a poet, translator, essayist, and poetry curator, with more than 300 published pieces and three books including Songs of Exile and Letters to My Father. She is the founder of Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night), Canada’s most diverse and brave poetry open mic (inception 2012). It is a brave space that bridges the gap between communities of poets from different ethnicities, nationalities, religions (or lack thereof), ages, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, poetic styles, voices, and visions. Bänoo is the co-editor of the poetry anthology: Woman, Life, Freedom: Poems for the Iranian Revolution.

Artist Meet-up & Visual Arts Exhibit Opening
2024-05-15 06:00 - 10:00
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Launch into our festival’s inaugural event: an artist meet-up at Rivoli Restaurant.
We want to highlight the power of collaboration and solidarity in the creative sphere. Join and engage with fellow artists in a dynamic space where ideas blossom and connections flourish.
After an exhilarating artist meet-up, join us as we showcase the talents of various visual artists we’ve had the privilege to collaborate with over the years. With live music providing a soulful backdrop, wander through the gallery adorned with captivating artwork. Experience the fusion of creativity and melody as we celebrate the power of collaboration. Don’t miss this vibrant event—it’s sure to be an unforgettable night!
