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CPPAMO

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Welcome to the third Cultural Pluralism in the Performing Arts Movement Ontario (CPPAMO) newsletter. This is a monthly digest that will introduce you to, and keep you updated on CPPAMOs initiatives, and act as a portal to relevant research in the field of pluralism in the arts, innovative artists, and links to interesting talks about pluralism in the arts. The newsletter is intended to be your go-to resource for information on cultural pluralism in the arts. You have received this e-mail because you are a member of the CPPAMO listserv. Please let others who share our professional and artistic interests know about this listserv and encourage them to subscribe by sending an e-mail to cppamo@gmail.com. The listserv is moderated and is for sending out newsletters and CPPAMO updates. You may unsubscribe at any time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsletter contents 1) What is CPPAMO? 2) Update on Town Hall on Pluralism in Performing Arts 3) Research into Cultural Pluralism 4) Featured Artists 5) Future Events 6) Past Events 7) Spotlight on Diversity 8) Who We Are 9) Contact Us
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What is CPPAMO?
Cultural Pluralism in Performing Arts Movement Ontario (CPPAMO) is a movement of Aboriginal and ethno-racial artists working with presenters to empower the performing arts communities of Ontario. CPPAMO seeks to open opportunities for Aboriginal and ethno-racial performers to engage with presenters across Ontario and to enable presenters to develop constructive relationships with Aboriginal and ethno-racial performers. CPPAMO is supported by Aboriginal and ethno-racial artists who are involved in theatre, music, dance and literary arts. They are members of CPPAMOs Roundtable and include representatives of Sampradaya Dance, Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Little Pear Garden Theatre Collective, Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Sparrow in the Room, fu-Gen Asian Theatre, b-current, why not theatre, urban arts and backforward collective, Culture Days, Canada Council Stand Firm members, Obsidian Theatre, the Collective of Black Artists, CanAsian Dance and others. With the involvement of artists from these organizations, CPPAMO is working with Community Cultural Impresarios (CCI) and its members to build their capacities, cultural competencies and understanding of pluralism in performing arts so that CCI and its members engage performers

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CPPAMO

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from these communities and, thereby, enable audiences across Ontario to access artistic expressions from diverse communities on a regular basis.

Update on Town Halls on Pluralism in Performing Arts

The first CPPAMO Town Hall on Equity and Diversity in the Performing Arts took place January 29-30 at the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus. The event was well by attended by over 35 arts companies and organizations, leading to two days filled with interesting conversations, challenging debates, and inspiring performances. Friday night was chaired by the engaging Kathleen Sharpe (OCAF) and featured a keynote panel with Ajay Heble (Guelph Jazz Festival), Brian Webb (Canada Dance Festival), Santee Smith (Kaha:wi Dance Theatre), and Tim Whalley (Scarborough Arts Council) and a dynamic performance by Kevin Ormsby (Kashedance). The diversity of perspectives and experiences presented that night initiated the conversation involving the complex and multi-faceted debates and issues that surround the cultural pluralism in the arts. Saturdays full day of mixed workshops led to the development of an exhaustive list of challenges that artists, funders, and presenters face in understanding and programming diversity. Several solutions and strategies for audience development, marketing, and programming decisions were put forward, all underscoring the importance of developing cultural competency, not just in the arts, but across all sectors. The day was well-anchored by a thought-provoking keynote speech by Sara Diamond (OCAD) and a truly moving performance of SAMVAD by Sampradaya Dance Creations. The proceedings and results of the Town Hall will be made available in a publication in the near future and you will be made aware of this when it is accessible. The first Town Hall was an overall success and was received well by the participants and we look forward to continuing the conversations at future Town Halls. Special thanks go out to Jocelyn Belfer, Adriana Rosselli and Suzanne Fernando, as well as Julie Witt and Regan Kirkland and all the volunteers of Arts and Events Programming at UTSC, for their generous assistance with the event. We also want to acknowledge our funders and supporters: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Community Cultural Impresarios. Check out what people are saying about it: http://thedancecurrentnews.blogspot.com/2010/02/town-hall-on-equity-and-diversity-in.html http://thevarsity.ca/articles/25658 If you would like to be involved in future Town Halls, either as a participant, facilitator, or organizer, please contact us at cppamo@gmail.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Research into Cultural Pluralism in the Performing Arts

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Part of CPPAMOs mandate is to serve as a portal that connects interested performers, presenters, and cultural workers to research in the field of cultural pluralism. Each newsletter will list relevant publications that can be accessed online or through CPPAMO. If a hyperlink to the resource is not provided, please contact us and we can help connect you to the resource. IFACCA DArt Report: Achieving Intercultural Dialogue through the Arts and Culture? Concepts, Policies, Programmes, Practices Format: Research Publication Author: Danielle Clich and Andreas Wiesand Description: A summary of a study done to map views and collect cases of good practice of IFACCA members, researchers, arts practitioners and NGOs, on the role of intercultural dialogue in the arts and arts policies. It suggests that there is no single arts strategy or cultural policy to address intercultural dialogue, stressing the need to focus on local efforts before thinking of international strategies. Access: http://media.ifacca.org/files/D'Art39Final.pdf PACT: Down Centre Highlight on Diversity British Columbia and Alberta Format: Information tipsheet Author: Adrienne Wong Description: A profile by the PACT Diversity Committee that details a number of arts companies and organizations in BC and Alberta that are doing important work in equity and cultural pluralism. Includes a description of relevant artistic projects and performances. Access: http://www.pact.ca/apps/act_GetFile.cfm?pdf=Down%20Centre%20-%20impact! %202009.12.pdf Making Creative Cities: The Value of Cultural Diversity in the Arts Format: Research publication Author: Australia Council for the Arts, British Council Description: In March 2008, the British Council joined with the Australia Council for the Arts to present a one-day forum in Melbourne, Making Creative Cities: The value of cultural diversity in the arts. The forum was envisaged as a platform in which arts practitioners, policy makers and commentators from around the East Asia region could interface with their UK counterparts to address key issues around interculturalism in creative and urban contexts. Combining panel discussions with facilitated roundtable workshops amongst small groups of participants, the forum stimulated debate around three core areas: the intersection of interculturalism with creative leadership and with creative expression, and the role of interculturalism in the production of creative cities. The main section of this paper attempts to summarise the days wide-ranging discussions. The final outcomes page maps a number of areas that both the Australia Council for the Arts and the British Council are interested in investigating further. Access:

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http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/research/culturally_diverse_arts/reports_and_publications/m aking_creative_citiies Contemporary Aboriginal Art in Canada: Fact Sheet (August 2008) Format: Information tipsheet Author: Canada Council for the Arts Description: This 11-page fact sheet highlights some key statistical findings from a combination of research reports and statistical information from Statistics Canada including information related to: history of contemporary Aboriginal arts in Canada, Aboriginal artists in Canada , Aboriginal arts organizations, public interest in Aboriginal arts, Aboriginal peoples participation in arts, Aboriginal arts and the government, and Aboriginal arts in Canada today. Access: http://www.canadacouncil.ca/NR/rdonlyres/E1818F5A-AD2F-4333-B719BFF290B25146/0/FactSheetAboriginalENG.pdf Are Images Global? (August 2009) Format: Opinion piece Author: Nada Shabout for Nafas Art Magazine Description: An article about the practice of the interpretation of Middle Eastern art, taking into account different cultural perspectives and influences, as well as the possibility of conceiving of a field called Arab Art. Access: http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/nafas/articles/2009/nada_shabout If you have any articles that you would like to share or contribute to our research, please e-mail us at cppamo@gmail.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Featured Artist
Every newsletter will feature a significant event as well as an Aboriginal or ethno-racial artist or performance company doing innovative work in promoting cultural awareness and creative dialogue across cultures. The Heritage Singers The Heritage Singers are a Toronto-based Caribbean folk group, consisting of 22 members from Canada and the Caribbean. The group was founded in 1977 by musical director Grace CarterHenry Lyons. For the past eighteen years the Heritage Singers have promoted and preserved Caribbean folklore through their music. www.heritagesingerscanada.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Future Events

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Culturally pluralistic events are continually happening in Ontario. Wed like this newsletter to make you aware of some of these projects it affirms the work that we are all engaged in and expands our knowledge of some of the organizations and cultural figures who are involved in this field. If you would like any of your events to be listed in the newsletter, please send an email to cppamo@gmail.com before the end of the month. COBA (Collective of Black Artists) | Diasporic Dimensions February 26-28 at the Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre COBA (Collective of Black Artists), now in its 17th season of dance and music, presents Diasporic Dimensions, examining the richness of Africa and the Diaspora, from Mali to Haiti. COBA presents four world premieres exploring innovation, spirituality, and legacy from BaKari Eddison Lindsay, Julia Morris, Charmaine Headley and guest choreographer Jeanguy Saintus. http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/whatson/today.cfm?id=1581 Im so close design by Mina Mikhail, Presented by Why Not Theatre and Theatre Centre, Free Fall 2010 in partnership with Harbourfrount Centre's World Stage Festival March 23-April 4 Theatre Centre 1087 Queen Street West. Get your tickets now online: Harbourfront Centre or call theatre Centre at: 416.534.9261 I'm So Close... is a love song drowned out by the hum of the technological landscape we now live in. Created with support of the Theatre Centre Residency Program as well as AFUK (Denmark), Rumble Productions (Vancouver), Playwrights workshop Vancouver, Playwrights Workshop Montreal, Summerworks Festival, Dublin Fringe Festival, with funding from TAC, OAC, CAC, and Youseff Warren Foundation http://www.theatrewhynot.org/productions.html Kismet by The CHOP from Vancouver presented at Free Fall in partnership with World Stage March 25-28 Theatre Centre 1087 Queen Street West We've been in a 2-year exchange with the Chop as part of the Residency at Theatre Centre and with Rumble productions thanks to Yousef Warren Foundation. This show will rock! Come check it out when you see us! Click here to see The CHOP's Website Development Developments... http://www.thechoptheatre.com/upcoming/kismet.php --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Past Events

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In conversation with Jatinder Verma "Tara & the Multicultural Decades in Contemporary British Theatre" Jatinder Verma is co-founder and Artistic Director of Tara Arts, a London-based theatre company. His recent work for the National Theatre (UK) was the critically acclaimed stage-adaptation of Hanif Kureishi's novel, The Black Album. This talk reflects on multiculturalism in British Theatre from 1976 to 2009 via the experiences of Tara Arts. Verma asks if multiculturalism on stage is an instance of a theatre that invesitgates the cultural 'roots' of its performers and audiences or instead is it a means of discovering different 'routes' that modern theatre can take when approaching the challenges of artistic composition. For the past three decades Tara Arts has been a fore-runner in cross-cultural theatre in the UK. During a time of great social and ethnic strife, Tara has had a unique position in witnessing (and shaping) the changing relationship of artists of diverse ethnic and cultural locations and the mainstream British Theatre community. Saturday January 9th, 2010 5pm-7pm 26 Berkley Street, The Canadian Stage Company Rehearsal Hall --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spotlight on Diversity
Each newsletter will also feature links to interesting films, clips, and speeches about multiculturalism in the arts, debates around cultural pluralism, and explorations of race and cultural diversity in performance. Between: Living in the Hyphen Anne Marie Nakagawa's documentary examines what it means to have a background of mixed ancestries that cannot be easily categorized. By focusing on seven Canadian individuals who have one parent from a European background and one of a visible minority, she attempts to get at the root of what it means to be multi-ethnic in a world that wants each person to fit into a single category. Finding a satisfactory frame of reference in our 'multicultural utopia' turns out to be more complex than one might think. Between: Living in the Hyphen offers a provocative glimpse of what the future holds: a departure from hyphenated names towards a celebration of fluidity and being mixed. http://www.onf.ca/film/between_living_in_the_hyphen/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Who We Are

CPPAMO

Charles C. Smith Artistic Director of CPPAMO Lecturer, Cultural Pluralism and the Arts/University of Toronto Scarborough charlescsmith@sympatico.ca Angela Britto Program Assistant cppamo@gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact Information
Mailing Address: 32 Costain Avenue Toronto, ON M4E 2G6 416-686-3039 http://cppamo.wordpress.com/ cppamo@gmail.com Posting to the listserv is moderated and you may unsubscribe at any time.