2018 Black History Month Campaign

Ontario Arts Council  acknowledged/celebrated vital community-engaged artists and organizations that have an impact in the community.  Coco Collective appreciates the recognition in the provincial social media campaign.

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CURRENT PROJECTS:

• ​Dance Mentorship program with Miss Coco (2019 - 2021) funded by Ontario Black Youth Action Plan's "Window of Opportunity" (A Different Booklist Cultural Centre collaboration):  guided mentoring for 18 to 25 year olds interested in exploring a career in cultural dance
• AFRODANCE 101 - a Cultural Hotspot SPARK project in partnership with the City of Toronto:   12-week teen dance mentorship connecting traditional West African to today's Afrobeats (Lead Mentor: Miss Coco)

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 program:  for Lawren Harris Square condos in River City​​​
• Coco Cultural Arts Academy (January - August 2017) funded by Toronto Arts Council:  a 8- month program for children to experience cultural arts through the globe.
• 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  with 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.

PAST Project: Coco Cultural Arts Academy

Description: This integrated cultural arts program used artistic mediums of storytelling, rhythm, dance and visual arts each session. Cultural practitioners from Coco Collective engage learners through cultural knowledge from different ethnic groups, representative of African and Caribbean countries. With specialized units, participants benefit from the cultural education provided by our inter-generational, professional team of artists. This  program launched in January 2017 in West Toronto (North Etobicoke in 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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The cultural program is 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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