Coco Collective is a 10-year, multidisciplinary, intergenerational arts ensemble offering performance, culturally relevant and responsive arts and community-engaged projects rooted in African and Caribbean artistry. This dynamic collective captivates audiences by integrating live African-indigenous percussion, West African and Caribbean folk dance, and their storytelling craft. Under the artistic direction of dance artist-scholar Collette 'Coco' Murray, members with 20 years of experience as performing artists bring neotraditional music-dance systems to teaching, residencies, research creations and stages at Toronto Dance Theatre, Afrofest, National Ballet of Canada, Canadian Opera Company, universities, museums, parks and more. Coco Collective socially responds with art-based projects to serve priority groups, specifically addressing a lack of culturally relevant programming in specific neighbourhoods and regions for cultural literacy. This collective consists of professional artists who are visual artists, dance choreographers, percussionists and storytellers of African and Caribbean descent. We are an Educational Vendor to the Toronto District School Board.
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.
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 company, 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!
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.
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 company, 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:
- Curated performances and events
- A space for artistic exchange, cultural reclamation for Black youth and emerging artists
- Dance mentorship and training for emerging Black artists
- Cultural arts programming
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 is co-curating artistic programming in response to Magdalene Odundo: A Dialogue with Objects. We are part of the artist's largest North American exhibition at Gardiner Museum.
Get your tickets!
Rhythm and Clay: An evening with Kobena Acquaa-Harrison
December 13, 2023 6 to 8pm
Register for FREE tickets
Voices of the Diaspora: An Intergenerational Conversation
March 21, 2024 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Purchase your Tickets
Artist Panel (6pm) moderated by Collette 'Coco' Murray and follows with an artistic response and performance by Coco Collective
Soulful Vessels: Spoken Word and Ceramic Art
April 3, 2024 6 to 7pm
Register for FREE tickets
Coco Collective featured in publicationOur artistic director was selected as one of several respected education leaders and contributing authors in North America to share ideas that changed their classrooms. In Collette Murray's article, the cultural arts education offered by Coco Collective's Voices of Amesbury project was an example of culturally relevant pedagogy in action. If you are a ministry official, school board, administrator, K-12 educator seeking to transform your classroom to learning that matters, order My Best Idea - Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Volume 2
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Da Reunion Series, down to the spelling of 'Da' instead of 'The' really showed up for various communities. It felt like being and finding home in almost hidden places due to the large disconnect between traditional teachings of Black originating forms of dance. Communities were connected and able to have conversations through dance, about dance and for the future of dance. This series imprinted the importance of community, celebration and tradition in one space where dance was being highlighted and respected. There are few places that intentionally respect dance and make dancers feel the value of the art off of the stage. As an aspiring dance professional this series meant so much to me. Being Miss Coco's mentee is an honor. She is doing what not many can (or are trying to do) by connecting generations, cultures, and creatives in one space to learn and grow. This series has changed my outlook for the possibilities of intentionally connecting dance with education, as opposed to the dangerous ideologies of dance being created and perpetuated by social media sites such as Tik Tok. I look forward to hopefully many more years of DA REUNION SERIES! " Shakkoi (Need Some Koi Inc.) |
DA REUNION DANCE SERIES
"Diasporic African" Reunion was conceptualized by the artistic director during the COVID pandemic. During July to November 2022, Coco Collective amplifies Black dance practices in West Toronto (Etobicoke) to support ongoing mentorship of young Black dancers and connect, newcomer, emerging, established and intergenerational dance artists together. The adult dance sessions amplify neo-traditional, street, contemporary African/Caribbean dances in the Black dance community that are outside the commercial or concert dance, but in studio spaces. We thank the Black Arts fund from Toronto Arts Council for their generous support. |
PAST PROJECTS:
- KASSA: Celebrate Harvest with Coco, Kwanza & Kenneth (August 2015) funded by East End Arts
- 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
- Journey through Diasporas (September 2017 - December 2018) funded by Ontario Arts Council
- Voices of Amesbury (April - June 2018) funded by Ontario Ministry of Education
- Amesbury Cultural Experience (January - June 2019) - funded by Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council
- AFRODANCE 101 - a Cultural Hotspot SPARK project in partnership with the City of Toronto (May to July 2019)
- Coco Collective dance mentorship (2018 and 2019) with A Different Booklist's Window of Opportunity program (funded by Ontario Black Youth Action Plan)
- Voices of Brookview 2020
- DA REUNION adult dance series (July - November 2022) - funded by Toronto Arts Council
- RE-IMAGINING THE AFRICAN DIASPORA (Summer 2023) - Toronto Arts Council Artist in the Library (Albion Branch)
PAST Project: Coco Cultural Arts Academy
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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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. |
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