Blackhurst Cultural Centre (BCC), formally named A Different Booklist Cultural Centre (ADBCC) is pleased to announce its plan to lead a project which will create a large outdoor mural devoted to calypso in the City of Toronto. The mural project is being undertaken in collaboration with the revitalized Mirvish Village and with the support of the City’s StreetARToronto (StART). The proposed outdoor wall mural will be located in the new Mirvish Village currently under construction at Bloor and Bathurst St.

StreetARToronto (StART) is a suite of innovative programs designed specifically to reduce graffiti vandalism and replace it with vibrant, colourful, community-engaged street art. The Bathurst and Bloor area has a long and rich history as a centre of Black Toronto life and legacy.

Blackhurst Cultural Centre has formed a steering committee to manage the process of community consultation, to raise public support and funding, to define the criteria for artist/s selection, and to work closely with the Mirvish Village/Westbank stakeholders to realize this legacy project.

Public consultations will be held at 779 Bathurst St, Toronto, starting on Friday, September 16^th 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Meetings will be held monthly through to February 2023.

Calypso music of Trinidad & Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean has made a significant contribution to Toronto’s entertainment scene since the late 1950s. Its spin-off soca is the driving sound of the internationally renowned Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

Blackhurst Cultural Centre (BCC) and its collaborators seek to create what will become an iconic feature in the revitalized Bathurst and Bloor area and make a lasting statement in recognition of the contributions of the city’s Black and Caribbean community.

BCC will be moving into one of the 24 heritage buildings in the new Mirvish Village. The expansion will provide a permanent gathering place for learning, sharing and celebrating  the proud stories of African and Caribbean Canadians. 

For further information please contact: roger_gibbs@hotmail.com or info@blackhurstcc.org