Revitalize May 2015 by Revitalize Magazine

Uplifting Neighbourhoods One Edition at a Time

May 2015

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Table of Content’s Meet Peacebuilders Canada An inside look at alternative measures for at risk youth in the criminal justice system. Don’t let their past be their future. ..........................................................................................................................................................................Page 4 Summer Series is upon us A brief summary of last year’s Summer Series organized by Artscape and the road to Summer Series 2015 ..........................................................................................................................................................................Page 7 Show Some Love. Show love to Show Love Cafe. A simple idea going a long way. ........................................................................................................................................................................Page 13 The Sound of Regent Park. Regent Park School of Music shares some of their past successes and future goals. ........................................................................................................................................................................Page 15

EDITOR’S MESSAGE To all of our new readers, WELCOME to the all-new Revitalize Magazine. Our team has been working hard night and day to ensure our first edition goes out without a hitch. We understand that growing pains are inevitable, however we are committed to informing the residents of Regent Park of all the upcoming public events, the inspiring stories of our neighbors and highlights from the past month. We wish to be the tool that bridges the gap between all of Regent Park’s residents and to unite cultures through information, art, culture and specialized programs for the benefit of all ages, creeds or heritage. Revitalize is a fully locally-produced project and is financed by local businesses for a collective effort to share the wealth of knowledge. THANK YOU for supporting us, we could not have done this without you.

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Meet Peacebuilders Canada is a youth-focused not-for-profit organization based in Regent Park that provides youth with a fair process and appropriate access to justice. We use restorative dialogues, called Peace Building Circles, to manage conflict and create positive change. We strive to empower young men and women to overcome personal challenges, continue their education, make better choices and realize their full potential. Peacebuilders has various programs that help support youth in the criminal justice system, schools and in their communities. Our flagship Restorative Youth Circles (RYC) Program is a court diversion initiative that is volunteer-facilitated. Youth that are recommended to us first participate in a 4-6 week after-school peer mentoring program called Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT). This initiative seeks to build trust and engages the young men and women to better understand the situation that led to the laying of the charges. LOT focuses on building interpersonal trust, life skills, collaboration, healthy life choices, gender issues, conflict de-escalation, and communication. After the youth completes the LOT component he/she is assigned to a team of two or three volunteers who guide him/her through a consensus-based fact-finding process that seeks to establish the facts surrounding the charge. The next steps involve creating an action plan developed by a close analysis of the youthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education, personal interests, dreams, and challenges. Last year, 33 youth successfully completed the program and 30 had their charges withdrawn. In contrast to the criminal justice system that is punitive based, the restorative justice method of the RYC program allows participants to reconsider their current path and encourages them to make better choices. Youth are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions and make amends to the people and communities that they have harmed. In 2014, Peacebuilders received a 3-year grant from Youth Justice Canada to expand its RYC program to the Jane & Finch community. Peacebuilders has partnered with P.E.A.C.H, a local organization, to better reach out to the community. The program also provides an enhancement to the existing RYC Program by enabling our organization to hire a Youth Worker to follow up with the youth once their charges have been resolved.

2014 also marked the year Peacebuilders was awarded a grant by the Ontario Trillium Foundation to launch the Eastdale Community Changemakers Pilot Project. This was made possible with the support of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Police Service and Family Service Toronto. This initiative works to implement our circle method of conflict resolution in Eastdale Collegiate Institute. Peacebuilders aims to engage staff and students in open, respectful and honest dialogue about issues such as respect, bullying, gangs and violence, and introduce them to an alternative form of conflict resolution to improve school-based relationships and contribute to a safer school environment. Peacebuilders receives no core funding, which is why our 12th Annual Fundraising Gala, Spring for Peace, is so important to the success of our organization.

On May 28th over 700 guests will come together at Daniels Spectrum at 585 Dundas Street East, which will feature amazing food, and fabulous fine wine, live and silent auctions. All of the proceeds will go towards the funding of our core programs. This year is particularly exciting because Peacebuilders is the proud recipient of the 2015 Emil Gumpert Award, which will be presented to us the night of Spring for Peace. This award is presented by the American College of Trial Lawyers, which supports new programs with the purpose of maintaining and improving the administration of justice. Over 140 organizations across Canada and the US competed for this award, and we are thrilled to be recognized globally for our meaningful contributions to justice. The Emil Gumpert Award will enable Peacebuilders to establish our Extra Judicial Measures (EJM) Pilot Project in Jane and Finch and Regent Park. This Pilot will extend Peacebuildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; youth court diversion program and receive referrals of young people directly from police officers before they lay criminal charges. The EJM Pilot will enable Peacebuilders to be even more proactive in rescuing at-risk adolescents from the stigma of criminalization.

For more information please visit our website: www.peacebuilders.ca

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CSI REGENT PARK, 585 Dundas Street East, 3rd floor Second Tuesday of each month, April-September, 6-8:30pm Learn more and RSVP at socialinnovation.ca/potluck or call 416.9793939 ext 3 to reserve your spot. Limited spots available.

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SUMMER SERIES AT

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Thanks to the generous support of two anonymous donors, last year Artscape was able to partner with a number of Regent Park and local agencies and organizations for a series of free arts and cultural programming. There were a total of 16 free arts and cultural initiatives that animated spaces in and around Daniels Spectrum throughout the summer. These initiatives included events (5), programs (9) and community animation projects (2) spanning from May â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 2014.

Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programming included drop-in outdoor dance classes with COBA, outdoor film screenings in Regent Park (big park), a number of different community events like the opening of the big park, Show Love and Sunday in the Park, a summer arts lab and unique art installations like a mobile map and a cup installation. The collective of programming part of the Summer Series at Daniels Spectrum attracted over 9,000 attendees and participants. In addition, dozens of artists and youth were employed and over 200 volunteers were part of this initiative.

This year’s Summer Series at Daniels Spectrum will continue with the same tradition of offering one-of-a-kind free summer programming for people in the community. This year’s line up includes cultural bazaars, sewing circles, outdoor film screenings, children and youth arts workshops, community food events and much more! Be on the look out the Summer Series at Daniels Spectrum which is slated to begin the first week of June and wrap up at the end of August 2015. For more information please visit Daniels Spectrum website www.danielsspectrum.ca or Contact Outreach & Program coordinator: Lisa Smart: Lisas@torontoartscape.on.ca T: 416-238-2453 x 105 Artscape - Daniels Spectrum 585 Dundas Street East Suite 260 Toronto, ON, M5A 4N8

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Live DJ’s Friday’s &Saturday’s Authentic Afro Cuisine Thursday Special starting at 6pm Special Event Bookings Available ComeToQuincys

MAY 7 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm www.darcheinoam.ca Ghetto Brother: Warrior to Peacemaker Reading & Conversation with graphic novelist Julian Voloj Join graphic novelist Julian Voloj as he discusses his engrossing and counter view of one of the most dangerous elements of American urban history. Ghetto Brother tells the true story of Benjy Melendez, a Bronx legend, son of Puerto-Rican immigrants, who founded, at the end of the 1960s, the notorious Ghetto Brothers gang. Melendez also began to reclaim his Jewish roots after learning about his family’s dramatic crypto-Jewish background. From the seemingly bombed-out ravages of his neighborhood, wracked by drugs, poverty, and violence, he managed to extract an incredibly positive energy from this riot ridden era: his multiracial gang promoted peace rather than violence. After initiating a gang truce, the Ghetto Brothers held weekly concerts on the streets or in abandoned buildings, which fostered the emergence of hip-hop.

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Presented in partnership with the Miles Nadal JCC, Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario, and Be’chol Lashon.

MAY 9 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm|Pay What You Can www.speaksudan.org | mariam@speaksudan.org 40 Acres and a Spaceship SpeakSudan presents “40 Acres and a Spaceship” an original production by the Young African Men’s Theater Arts Program (YAMTAP) Participants. This one night staging of the original theater production will be followed by a panel discussion on Black theater and storytelling as well as the importance of community based arts for racialized communities. About the play 40 Acres and a Spaceship is a critical examination of race and class politics in the unlikely setting of another planet in the far future.The play reflects on the realities of state sanctioned violence, policing, loss and family. About the panel Panelists: Amanda Parris, Matthew Progress, Natasha Adiyana Morris and Rania El Mugammar This Event is Pay What You Can/Pay What You Want, no one will be turned away.

May 27 @ 5:30 - 8:30 pm www.jvstoronto.org Strictly Business The 13th Annual Strictly Business Premiere Event brings together 400 business leaders to focus on the skills gap in Canada. 68% of employers across Canada state their biggest challenge is the shortage of skilled workers. Strictly Business provides a networking reception, keynote speakers on how the skills gap is affecting the Canadian and local economy and business, and JVS Toronto’s Leaders in Employment Awards presentations.

FREE EVENTS MAY 2015 Regent Park Content Provided By:

WEEKLY REOCCURRING EVENTS PUBLIC CHESS 585 DUNDAS STREET EAST LOBBY WEDNESDAYS Chess boards and pieces will be set up in the Lobby of the Daniels Spectrum building EVERY Wednesday. The games are 100% FREE for anyone to come and join. Whether you are an expert player or wish to learn how to play the game of chess, this is the perfect opportunity to indulge into an universally recognized past time. From 5:00 - 9:00 pm (Chess will be canceled if lobby is booked for a special event)

POTLUCK 585 DUNDAS STREET EAST 3RD FLOOR EVERY 2ND TUESDAY APRIL - SEPTEMBER Join us at the Regent Park Community Potluck where residents come together to share their favourite cultural dish, meet new neighbours, and learn and exchange community-based ideas. Register online: www.socialinnovation.ca/potluck or call us (416) 979-3939 ext 3 or come to the Centre for Social Innovation on the 3rd floor of Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East) to reserve your spot.

SUNDAY LUNCH CRC 40 OAK STREET SUNDAYS The Muslim Welfare Centre began a new tradition by providing the first Free halal Sunday lunch in Regent Park. This restaurant-style service launched at the Christian Resource Centre (CRC) is an important collaboration between Muslim and Christian groups and a great example of charitable giving. Each Sunday, a dedicated team of staff and volunteers from all walks of life, gather to prepare nutritious, hearty meals which are served to guests, in an atmosphere of warmth and compassion. From 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

For more information visit:www.danielsspectrum.ca

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INVITES YOU TO: ‘A TASTE OF COMMUNITY’ A CULINARY CELEBRATION IN SUPPORT OF VITAL FOOD PROGRAMS.

monday may 25, PM to 8:30 PM 2015 5:30 DANIELS SPECTRUM 585 DUNDAS STREET EAST, TORONTO, ON M5A 2B7

tickets: $125 PER TICKET $75 PER TICKET FOR YOUTH (UNDER 30) TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ONLINE, BY PHONE OR MAIL-IN FORM www.dixonhall.org/dixonlicious

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2015-04-02 2:33 PM

Show Love Café: Affordable, healthy eating for the whole community.

Have you ever had a craving for a healthy snack or light lunch, only to be surrounded by fast food restaurants? Luckily for those of us who work at Revitalize Magazine, great tasting Jamaican patties are just two short flights of stairs away at the Show Love Café, located in the Artscape Lounge inside Daniels Spectrum. To find our more about Regent Park’s newest eatery, Revitalize spoke with Aleshia Nigh-Neverson, a Children & Youth worker from Dixon Hall Neighbourhood Services. Revitalize: Wait – what does Dixon Hall have to do with the Show Love Café? A.N-N.: The Café is a business supported by Dixon Hall; it’s a program for youth run by youth. Through the Café, we provide training in food preparation and cooking, barrister training, business and customer service skills. All of the youth who work at the Café have Food Handlers Certifications with Dixon Hall covering the cost for the certificates. The youth also mentor and teach each other.

Aleshia Nigh-Neverson; 28 Ashley Fraser; 19 Revitalize: Where do the youth who train and work here come from? Can anyone apply to train and work at the Café? A.N-N.: Most are from the Regent Park neighborhood or are from families that have been relocated due to the on-going revitalization project, but who want and need to maintain a connection to Regent Park. However, anyone is welcome to be a part of the program. Right now, we have two youth-in-training who are receiving honorariums while they are learning; and there are five experienced Dixon Hall Children & Youth employees supporting them. Our plan is to grow the business revenue to the point where we’ll be able to offer full employment wages to all the workers, giving priority to employing youth who live in Regent Park. Revitalize: Tell us about the name – The Show Love Café. A.N-N.: A few years ago, a Dixon Hall community worker Kenneth Slater, who I work with, started “Show Love,” a community safety project based in Regent Park. Every Friday night during the summer, residents were invited to “Show Love” for their community by spending two hours weeding gardens and cleaning up the neighborhood and playgrounds. After the clean-up, residents continued to spend time together barbecuing, playing in domino tournaments, taking free Zumba classes and engaging in community dialogs.

A.N-N.:(...Continued) And out of the “Show Love” initiative evolved the Keeping Youth Motived (KYM) Committee. The members of the KYM Committee voted on the name, Show Love Café, to make it a place where youth can come to hang out and feel safe and comfortable. In addition to the Café, we’ll also be animating the Artscape Lounge. We’re planning spoken word nights, game nights and conversation circles. Revitalize: Right – but let’s get back to the food! What does the Café serve? A.N-N.: We serve food that’s healthy, affordable, familiar and welcoming to the whole community – both those who have been long-time residents of Regent Park and those new to the neighborhood. As much as possible we use fair-trade, organic products from local suppliers. Right now, the daily menu features Jamaican patties (Halal beef, chicken and vegetable), our two signature sandwiches, the TwoCheezy and the Piazzanini, and we always have a turkey sandwich and three different kinds of freshly made salads. We also have fruits, snacks, coffee, tea and delicious lattes. We’ll be expanding the menu as the business grows, offering an evening menu with features like vegan pumpkin chili and chicken and rice. Revitalize: So, Aleshia, why are you personally involved in the Show Love Café? A.N-N.: As a youth, I was a part of Dixon Hall’s programs. I grew up in the community; my Dad grew up in the community. I won’t say I was on the wrong path, but I was lucky that I found a mentor, Sandra, who is my manager now. Sandra was there for me when I was a youth and now I want to be there for other youth. It’s something that I’m so passionate about. Revitalize: Anything else you’d like us to know? A.N-N.: Yes – please come visit us! We want to continue to grow this business. And people should know that any and all profits from the Show Love Café will go into the KYM Committee fund to support international travel opportunities for our youth. Through Dixon Hall, I was able to travel when I was young and it changed my life. Now, this will just be one more way we can “pay it forward.” Revitalize: So, wait – you mean anyone can come in, get some great, fresh, locally sourced food, support training and employment for Regent Park youth and help them travel and see the world? -That’s so much more than just good eating! An Article By: Christine Moynihan

The Show Love Café is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 7 pm. CASH ONLY! (But don’t worry – there’s an ATM right next to the Café in the Artscape Lounge).

Located on the 2nd floor of the Daniels Spectrum Building. All kids have the same love and passion for music. Regent Park School of Music is here to make sure that as many kids as possible receive a music education, by removing the financial obstacle. This year, we are set to give 1,700 young people aged 3-18 a highly subsidized quality music education at our central hub in Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park and 7 other high-priority areas in Toronto.

alking through the halls in the Daniels Spectrum building in Regent Park at any time of day can be an inspiration. It is home to many arts-based community organizations and includes a performance hall, the Arstcape Lounge, a network of hallway art galleries, and even an outdoor courtyard. Photography and art works adorn the walls, artists huddle together over cappuccino in their lounge, and the sounds of musicians can be heard creeping under many doors. After school and on weekends can be a particularly intriguing time to visit, as the sounds from the second floor classrooms and studios that are home to Regent Park School of Music (RPSM) fill the air. It’s not surprising to hear the strum of guitars, the tinkle of piano keys, or the high-pitched notes from a violin, but if you venture into this space on Friday evenings this year, you may hear some more surprising sounds – the steady beats of dance music, the scratch of vinyl records, and the happy sounds of kids yelling “I’ve got a mix!” There is a new offering for children aged 9 and up this year at RPSM: group classes in DJ/Turntable skills. Taught by local Toronto DJs Jon, Jasper, and Oscar (a.k.a. DJ Dopey, L’il Jaz, and DJ Grouch), these classes are striking a chord with the young people who attend. The students learn music fundamentals such as rhythm, meter, and pitch, using music they love and technology that is all the rage. For some youth in Regent Park, this kind of music-making is clearly more appealing than playing more traditional instruments. Since its start in a church basement in 1999, the Regent Park School of Music has grown exponentially from serving only 71 kids to now providing over 2000 children aged 3-18 with quality music education in their main hub in Regent Park, and at three satellite locations in other high-needs neighbourhoods in Toronto (Jane and Finch, Alexandra Park, and Parkdale). The school provides music education to many children whose families would not normally be able to afford lessons. Most students who attend the school face many challenges in their daily lives and would otherwise have very little access to quality extra-curricular activities - activities that can help them to achieve hidden potential. RPSM has over 60 dedicated music teachers who provide small-group and individual lessons on a variety of musical instruments, from traditional piano, guitar, and voice to unique offerings such as steel pan and bucket drumming, a nonsenseorchestra, and even an iPad ensemble. Looking around the classroom on a Friday night in early December, I saw every single student with heads bent, deep in concentration, tapping their toes, swaying their bodies, and nodding their heads. “I love how everyone is moving to the beat,” encouraged Jasper. “Like I always say: A still DJ is a boring DJ!” As I watched, I found myself moving in time as well.

In fact, it’s so easy to get caught up in what they are doing in the class, that when another teacher at the school popped in for a minute, he broke out in a free-style rap to go with the beats being made by the students. It’s clear these young people are not only making music, they’re having an awful lot of fun while doing it! And it’s not only the kids who are having fun and feeling a sense of accomplishment. When teaching these kids, Jasper loves to observe “their spirit of discovering and getting involved with music as individuals, as well as with their friends, as they learn to remix and blend, scratch and cut.” For Jon, “It’s been so inspiring and fulfilling teaching the kids at RPSM. Their eagerness to learn, and childish excitement in doing so, is so pure and raw; I love seeing their faces when they achieve something! Most of us grown-ups could really learn from them.” “And from where I stand,” remarked Jasper, “seeing them work hard at it is very rewarding because each one of their journeys will be entirely different after they leave the class. But for that hour we meet each week, it is a meeting of all of our minds through the art of DJing.” RPSM relies almost exclusively on the generous support of groups and individuals in the community. If you are interested in helping to support this and similar quality music education programs at RPSM, Please visit http://rpmusic.org/

Help give the gift of music!

“This article was first published in the Canadian Music Educator and is reproduced here with permission from the Canadian Music Educators’ Association.”

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Fashion Week at

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Fashion Art Toronto â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arts & Fashion Week celebrated inventive, pioneering and contemporary expression through 50+ runway shows, live performances, fashion films, photography exhibits and art installations. This annual multi-arts event, held every April, featured 200 Canadian and International fashion designers and artists and welcomed over 5,000 guests, including buyers, curators, the media, and fashion and art lovers in general. The 2015 theme titled #MADEINCANADA paid homage to influences drawn from Canadian art, design, technology, history, imagery, landscapes and the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social fabric. The theme played on perceptions, stereotypes and iconic imagery relating to Canada. We took these conventional ideas of what it means to be Canadian further by establishing the #MADEINCANADA label as something that holds meaning, value and pride, by showing the full complexity and richness of the Canadian culture in this moment in time.

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