If you didn't know, The Word On The Street is going to be teaming up with Diaspora Dialogues this year, as part of Nuit Blanche. Let's just say it's going to be a multi-media extravaganza with words and images and drawing all crashing together. I'm pretty excited about this partnership because I've worked with Diaspora Dialogues before - they've been a major sponsor of the CrossCurrents New Play Festival at the Factory Theatre (which I've done the past two years). I love that they're trying to bring ethnically diverse stories and story-tellers to the forefront, and showcase the dynamic, multi-cultural tapestry of Canada.
What's more Canadian than that?
They've recently teamed up with PEN Canada in something called: "The Taxi Project."
What happens when you pair up 7 of Toronto’s top artists with 7 outstanding writers in exile, give them 7 hours to develop a 7 minute presentation based on a theme revealed that day? You get the TAXI Stand Jam – an exciting evening of performance, music, theatre, writing, and surprises presented by PEN Canada and the Art for Real Change (ARC) Collective.
The featured artists are legendary Dumbek player Suleiman Warwar; award-winning dub poet d’bi.young; creator of the RED Festival and multidisciplinary artist Lisa Pijuan-Nomura; multi-disciplinary Metis performing artist Jani Lauzon; the soulful tunes of Rosina Kazi from Lal; visionary dancer BaKari Lindsay and Sudanese-Canadian musical genius Waleed Abdulhamid.
The featured writers in exile are Sheng Xue, Benjamín Santamaría Ochoa, Genc Tirana, Martha Kumsa, Tahir Aslam Gora, Emma Beltrán and Reza Baraheni.
The Jam will be hosted by spoken word artist Naila Keleta Mae.
It takes place on Tuesday, June 5th, 2007 at 8pm, at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street (south of Wellesley at Yonge)
$10 suggested admission at the door
All welcome. Bring your imagination.
For more information please contact Anjula Gogia at agogia@pencanada.ca or 416.703.8448 x23 or visit www.pencanada.ca
I urge you guys to check it out. I think it's gonna be pretty special.
Jason Maghanoy
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