8 minute read
FUSION
FUSION People. News. Information.
VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1 2020
Group Publisher Sanjay Agnihotri
Editor Ramya Ramanathan rramanathan@metroland.com
Editorial Design Safi Nomani
Digital Media Developer Kamil Mytnik
Sr. Ad Manager Ricky (Kawaljit) Bajaj rbajaj@metroland.com Tel: 905 273 8170
Assistant Manager Laura Jackman ljackman@metroland.com
Marketing & Events Jamie Coffin
General Inquiries: info@canadianimmigrant.ca
Circulation/Distribution Inquiries: ljackman@metroland.com
ISSN 1910-4146
Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher
Publications mail agreement number: 40065097
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 3145 Wolfedale Road Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 3A9
Printed on recycled paper.
Sharada Eswar refers to herself as an inter-disciplinary artist with roots in India. Writer, storyteller, singer and arts educator, her work spans across multiple disciplines and art forms. A graduate in Literature Studies, she has trained to be a writer and a storyteller and has also immersed herself in several styles of music including Indian classical music. Prior to coming to Canada, Eswar has had the opportunity to represent India at various international cultural forums.
Since her move to Canada in 2001, Eswar has been performing and teaching in Toronto and internationally, drawing on her South Asian ancestry and heritage. Through the Artist in Education program of the Ontario Arts Council, she teaches storytelling through shadow puppetry and music in schools, and narrative writing for the Toronto District School Board’s International Languages Program. Most recently, Eswar was with the Art Gallery of Ontario as a Community Activator. She is also a published children’s author.
Toronto Circulation 30,000 copies Vancouver Circulation 15,000 copies Calgary/Edmonton Circulation 5,000 copies
Canadian Immigrant is published five times a year in print. Canadian Immigrant welcomes submissions, but is not responsible for unsolicited material. Canadian Immigrant is a publication of Metroland Media Group, a division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Entire contents property of Canadian Immigrant.
canadianimmigrant.ca
TORONTO 3145 Wolfedale Road, Mississauga Ontario, L5C 3A9
Tel: 905 273 8111, Fax: 905 277 9917
Tell us about your work.
Storyteller, writer and vocalist, I effortlessly combine the three worlds of art. My work synthesizes the stories, legends, the folklore and the mythologies and aesthetics of India and the eclectic influences of the world we live in. My work reflects the hybridity of our lives and transcends borders of culture, religion and ethnicity.
How has moving to a new country impacted your journey as a storyteller?
As a storyteller and writer, working with children and youth, I am constantly faced with the challenge of engaging audiences’ minds, redefining my boundaries as a storyteller and an artist and exploring new artistic directions. My personal vision of storytelling is continually inspired by tradition. Tradition is the cornerstone for the creation and practice of my art, and it will always be the touchstone for the art I create and perform. However, the demographics of my audience is heterogeneous and at times largely Eurocentric. Which means, my work needs to be relevant and accessible to everyone. As a storyteller therefore, I have had to strive to reflect a contemporaneity that makes my storytelling Indian in technique but at the same time universal in context.
SHARADA ESWAR Taking control of her narrative
By Ramya Ramanathan
What are you currently working on?
At any given time, I have at least two or three projects on the go (I guess those are the perks of being a freelance artist! Or is that the hazard?!). I am currently in Stratford with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, working as a Directorial Dramaturg on a play (Two Gentlemen of Verona) directed by Peter Hinton. I am also facilitating artistic workshops for a Newcomer Project that will culminate in an exhibition during the Luminato Festival in June 2020; writing two plays that are supported by Soulpepper Theatre; and also working with Whynot Theatre and Shaw Festival on their production of the Indian Epic, The Mahabharata.
What inspires you the most?
Stories and people inspire me the most. Community and stories are very intertwined for me. In my own personal life, stories have always been how I have experienced the world: made and found meaning, dealt with and responded to the extraordinary and ordinary things. It’s a sense of the importance of hospitality and not having or creating barriers or eliminating categories between people.
What key challenges did you have to overcome?
I believe that everyone has their journey and everyone has their struggles. I had been working in multi-national advertising agencies before I moved to Canada and thought it would be easy getting into one of them, but I never got past the front desk. I would constantly be asked if I had Canadian experience... till today I haven’t understood what that has meant. So that’s when I started creating my own work and here I am today happy that I made that choice.
Can you share a special memory about Canada?
Catching my first snowflake! I had never seen snow in my life before and the joy of seeing the first snowfall is something I will never forget. Even after all these years it holds the same magic for me.
news Twelve years of RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards
The RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards program is back for a 12th year to highlight stories of immigrant success, philanthropy and inspiration. Nominations are now open for the 2020 awards. Canadian Immigrant and title sponsor Royal Bank of Canada are now calling on all Canadians to nominate an immigrant or refugee who has an inspirational story to share at canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25. The deadline for nominations is February 21, 2020, 11:59 p.m. EST. With 350,000 immigrants coming to Canada annually (according to the federal immigration levels plan 2019-2021), Canada stands as an extraordinary example for welcoming immigrants and refugees. Immigrants increasingly makeup a large portion of our population and have made – and continue to make – immeasurable contributions to the Canadian economy, Canadian society and Canada overall.
“RBC is honoured to be a part of the RBC Canadian Immigrant Awards to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments that immigrants have made in this great country,” says Amit Sadhu, Vice President, Newcomer Strategy, RBC. “These awards have become a prominent fixture to recognize immigrants and their importance to Canada. RBC has a longstanding commitment to immigrant success in Canada and our involvement in these awards enables us to embody this commitment in a very meaningful way.” This will be the sixth consecutive year that one of the Top 25 winners will also be selected for the additional RBC Entrepreneur Award and the fourth consecutive year that one of the Top 25 will be awarded the additional Youth Award, which recognizes young immigrants between the ages of 15 and 30 who are making a difference through achievement and/or service.
The Settlement Agency Award returns for a third year, to recognize the amazing work immigrant settlement agencies are doing to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada.
After nominations close, a distinguished panel of judges will review all nominees and present a shortlist. Winners will be announced in July 2020. Temporary pause to sponsorship program for parents and grandparents
The federal government has announced a temporary pause to the popular Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program for 2020. The Program normally opens for application once a year, which is often in January. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has announced that the application process for 2020 is being postponed. The application process for this program has been reworked multiple times over the past years following challenges with the system given that the demand far exceeds the supply of available immigration spots. The government has indicated that this pause is to allow sufficient time to “complete the development of a new application intake management process for the parents and grandparents sponsorship program, to be implemented in 2020.”
More details are expected on the new intake management process by April 1, 2020 at the latest. No new applications are being accepted until the new process is implemented.
THE TRAINING YOU NEED FOR THE CAREER YOU WANT
Ask about our evening classes that fit your schedule
BE JOB READY IN LESS THAN A YEAR. Art & Design Business Dental Healthcare Legal Technology And More! Accelerated Training In:
1.800.224.0793 career.cdicollege.ca
news Winners of 2019 Ashton college bursaries announced
Winners have been announced for the 2019 Ashton College Bursaries for Immigrants. Since 2005, Canadian Immigrant has cosponsored these bursaries that cover fulltime tuition (valued up to $8,000) for a range of Ashton College programs on campus in Vancouver or online – everything from diplomas in immigration consultancy to human resources to sales and marketing.
One of this year’s winners is Grace Nguyen, who landed in Kelowna, B.C., in 2018 with her husband and seven-year-old daughter as a new immigrant under the province’s Skilled Immigration Program. An HR professional from Vietnam, Nguyen is determined to develop her career further in Canada. “I believe that taking the Diploma in Human Resources Management online course will equip me with rounded Canadian HR knowledge and qualification that is essential for me to develop my professional career in this field,” says Nguyen.
Bursary winner Janpreet Walia from India could not find a job as a teacher after moving to Canada. Luckily, she stumbled upon an opportunity to work in a firm that helps people immigrate to Canada. She realized she wanted to work in this field to help other people’s dreams come true. With limited financial resources, Walia decided to apply for the Ashton College bursary to study immigration consulting and start making a difference in other people’s lives. Visit canadianimmigrant.ca to learn about opportunities in 2020. above Grace Nguyen above Janpreet Walia
