Canada not doing enough to support its Black filmmakers

Canada not doing enough to support its Black filmmakers

  Arnold Pinnock’s dream project didn’t come together easily. Instead, in the years the Canadian actor fought to pitch and produce a series rooted in the history and culture of Black people in this country, there seemed to be little interest. “In the past, I was told straight to my face in some circumstances that […]

Masquerade Diaspora  

Masquerade Diaspora   

(From Venice to Toronto via Trinidad and Tobago) By Christopher Pinheiro   How did people with no formal art or theatre-training arrive at the extravagant playing-out of elaborate character costumes? Have the Carnival-loving citizens of Trinidad and Tobago become visually literate by the very process of spectatorship and participation in “the Mas”? Can the work […]

Toronto Soca artist Miguel Maestre is on the move

Toronto Soca artist Miguel Maestre is on the move

Toronto-based artiste Miguel Maestre has released a new track which is dedicated to all Soca fans and international lovers of Carnival culture who share a common void due to the near 17 month lack of physical festival celebrations. This latest musical offering is entitled ‘Carnival I Miss You’. The Trinidadian-Canadian, singer, songwriter, producer and audio […]

Media launch: CaribbeanTales International Film Festival celebrates 16th birthday

Media launch: CaribbeanTales International Film Festival celebrates 16th birthday

  CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) kicks off its Sweet 16 Anniversary with a media launch on Thursday July 8th, 2021 at 7pm EST on CaribbeanTales-TV (CTTV)  to announce this year’s festival programme. “It is going to be jam-packed with amazing Caribbean and Canadian content,” exclaimed Diana Webley, CTFF Director. “In fact, 50% of our […]

Festival Management Committee funding fiasco

Festival Management Committee funding fiasco

Despite claims to the contrary, the Festival Management Committee gives about 5% funding to stakeholders In 1997 bandleaders boycotted the Caribana festival and took the parade “Up North” to Markham Fair grounds. This resulted in the festival being taken seriously by Toronto City Hall and, with the help of Lincoln Alexander, the first significant funding […]

Collective aims to create safe space for racialized artists in N.L.

Collective aims to create safe space for racialized artists in N.L.

  A group of Newfoundland and Labrador creators have come together to create a support network for BIPOC artists. The BIPOC Creators Collective of Newfoundland and Labrador is a newly formed group working to share resources, funding, and collaborative opportunities for artists who are Black, Indigenous, migrant or otherwise racialized, said organizer Rachel Gilbert. The […]

Eight-year-old wins 3rd place in international music competition

Eight-year-old wins 3rd place in international music competition

Jonah Gallas and his family were surprised when he came in first at the regional level of the 34th annual Music for Young Children competition. When they heard he had taken third place internationally, they couldn’t believe it. Back in March, 3,400 hundred entries were submitted to the competition by children from around the world […]

Wax figures unveiled on CARICOM 48th anniversary  

Wax figures unveiled on CARICOM 48th anniversary   

Last Tuesday, the CARICOM (Caribbean Community) celebrated its 48th anniversary. Designed to address Caribbean collective efforts in economic integration, human and social development, and security of its member states, CARICOM was established in 1973. CARICOM’s role in shaping and sustaining the region was celebrated with the unveiling of six wax figures of eminent Caribbean people […]