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CURRENT PROJECTS:
1) Are you a dancer who identifies as African, Caribbean or Black and reside in the Greater Toronto area? Miss Coco returns as lead mentor of this one-of-a-kind dance mentorship program. Coco Collective's dance mentorship program is part of three-year collaboration with A Different Booklist Cultural Centre funded by the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan with the Ministry of Children, Youth and Social Services. COHORT # 2 DESCRIPTION: A culturally-responsive dance mentorship program for aspiring artists (18 to 25 years) seeking careers using cultural dance styles. Miss Coco Murray provides guidance to mentees who are navigating the dance landscape. The program includes movement vocabulary across the African and Caribbean diaspora, critical dialogue, trips, assignments, guest presentations and a performance opportunity. October 1, 2019 to May 2020 6 to 8pm Location: Harbord Collegiate Institute 2) NEW FOR JANUARY 2020 at Brookview Middle School A TAC and OAC- funded collaboration focusing on student excellence via the cultural arts! |
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WHO ARE WE:
Coco Collective serves as a multidisciplinary group of intergenerational artists who specialize in African and Caribbean arts. We are located in Toronto, Canada and operate across Canada.
ABOUT US:
Coco Collective socially responds to serve priority groups, specifically addressing a lack of culturally relevant programming in specific neighbourhoods and regions. This group consists of professional artists of color who teach diverse, artistic practices.
MISSION: To connect with organizations that support intercultural learning among multicultural audiences and service generations of children and youth from African, Caribbean, Black and racialized communities.
OUR VISION: To ensure indigenous origins, narratives and artistic experiences of African and Caribbean culture are shared to many generations of children, youth and adults across Canada.
WHAT WE OFFER:
If you are an agency, organization or school that seeks cultural arts for a single-event, series of interactive activities or a long-term project, Coco Collective is experienced in the following services:
See below for our past and current projects! Click on the social media icons for more activity. Contact our Artistic Director for bookings!
Coco Collective serves as a multidisciplinary group of intergenerational artists who specialize in African and Caribbean arts. We are located in Toronto, Canada and operate across Canada.
ABOUT US:
Coco Collective socially responds to serve priority groups, specifically addressing a lack of culturally relevant programming in specific neighbourhoods and regions. This group consists of professional artists of color who teach diverse, artistic practices.
MISSION: To connect with organizations that support intercultural learning among multicultural audiences and service generations of children and youth from African, Caribbean, Black and racialized communities.
OUR VISION: To ensure indigenous origins, narratives and artistic experiences of African and Caribbean culture are shared to many generations of children, youth and adults across Canada.
WHAT WE OFFER:
If you are an agency, organization or school that seeks cultural arts for a single-event, series of interactive activities or a long-term project, Coco Collective is experienced in the following services:
- Culturally-relevant arts programming
- Workshops
- Educational presentations and performance
See below for our past and current projects! Click on the social media icons for more activity. Contact our Artistic Director for bookings!
PAST PROJECTS:
- KASSA: Celebrate Harvest with Coco, Kwanza & Kenneth (August 2015) funded by East End Arts: to animate Dawes Crossing in Scarborough
- West African Dance with Miss Coco: journey of body, rhythm and environment (August 2016) funded by Animate the Waterfront Toronto project
- Coco Cultural Arts Academy (January - August 2017) funded by Toronto Arts Council: a 8- month program for children to experience cultural arts across African/Caribbean countries.
- Journey through Diasporas (September 2017 - December 2018) funded by Ontario Arts Council : a 14-month program supporting racialized participants in child welfare agencies
- Voices of Amesbury (April - June 2018) funded by Ontario Ministry of Education: a 2.5 month program tackling anti-oppression through the arts within a TDSB middle school
- Amesbury Cultural Experience (January - June 2019) - funded by Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council as a culturally responsive after-school series in partnership with Amesbury Middle School in Toronto.
- AFRODANCE 101 - a Cultural Hotspot SPARK project in partnership with the City of Toronto (May to July 2019): 12-week teen dance mentorship connecting traditional West African to today's Afrobeats (Lead Mentor: Miss Coco)
PAST Project: Coco Cultural Arts Academy
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Description: This integrated cultural arts program used artistic mediums of storytelling, rhythm, dance and visual arts each session. With specialized units, participants benefited from the cultural education provided by our inter-generational, professional team of artists. This program launched in January 2017 in North Etobicoke (Rexdale) and ended successfully in August 2017. We thank the Toronto Arts Council for its funding contribution.
We would like to thank The Black Experience Project for visiting. They captured our program activities, as a form of positive identity affirmation and lived experience. Click here to view the video. The cultural program was an excellent blend. I wanted my daughter to be proud of heritage and of her ancestors. This program has taught my daughter so much, but it has also reaffirmed the pride I have for where I come from.
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