Toronto - February 2022 The Bloor St. Culture Corridor
We continue to share the most up-to-date information about arts and culture events from our Bloor St. Culture Corridor partners - you'll find plenty of re-opening information below!
And to make sure you get even more up-to-date notices, be sure to follow our social media channels - Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. You never know what you'll discover next!
Alliance Française de Toronto
Alliance Française de Toronto is thrilled to welcome you again, with many events to come this month! From February 11, Alliance Française de Toronto will host Celia Pang's first exhibition. This young Mauritian Doodle artist will make you discover her colourful and refreshing universe and teach you how to do some Doodle yourself! On February 19, Alliance Francaise will welcome the talented musician Adama Daou for a beautiful African concert at Spadina Theater. On February 24, onsite movie nights will be back; “Tout simplement noir” is a parodic documentary treating an important subject: the place of black people in French society. The movie is touching, funny but also pushes the viewer to question themselves. All event information can be found at their website.
Randolph Centre for the Arts
Randolph Kids Performing Arts Summer Camps 2022! Join them for the month of August for exciting 1-week in person camps. Dance, sing, act, create, expand and make new friends in a safe, inclusive and fun environment. YouTube, Music Videos, Movie Creation, Next Step Dance, Voice Over, Acting for Film, Pop Vocals, Puppetry, Musicals - we have an amazing line up. Camps are for Grades 1+ and run 4 or 5 days with before and after care available. Register here.
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir
Tafelmusik is thrilled to announce The Gull, the Raccoon, and the Last Maple, a powerful new digital concert for the whole family, inspired by the need for collaboration in the face of climate change. Premieres online on February 17, 2022 at 8pm ET and streams through to February 21, 2022 at 7:59pm ET. Single tickets are only $10. The Last Maple pits two of Nature’s most persistent scavengers against each other as they engage in a battle of wits over the Last Maple and the last slip of dry land unclaimed by the encroaching floods. The creative team behind The Last Maple includes music director Elisa Citterio, actress Amanda Cordner, composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte, playwright Alexis Diamond, and director Jordan Laffrenier. Balancing wit, optimism, and pathos, this performance will inspire you and your family to join the collective effort towards conserving the health of our planet. Tickets are now available at their website.
Women's Art Association of Canada
From January 14 to February 26, WAAC's Dignam Gallery presents COLLAGE, a members' show featuring various forms of art beyond the genre and medium. The Ruth Uphohn Gallery presents three solo shows during the month of February featuring Heather Gentleman, Tai Kim and Iwona Kmiec. On February 17 from 1-2pm, WAAC's Artist Voice presents Clothing is Sculpture with Lyn Carter, sharing her experiences and ideas on creating 'Women's work' sculpture. Please visit their website for information on reception dates.
The Royal Conservatory
The Royal Conservatory's concerts this month begin with pianist and Royal Conservatory alumnus Stewart Goodyear's world premiere of his Piano Quintet with the Penderecki String Quartet and a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir on February 9. “Iceland’s Glenn Gould,” Víkingur Ólafsson will make his rescheduled Koerner Hall debut on February 24. Internationally acclaimed Canadian violinist Angèle Dubeau will perform works by Rachel Portman, Elena Kats-Chernin, Rebecca Dale, Olafur Arnalds, Ludovico Einaudi, Philip Glass, Max Richter, and others with her ensemble La Pietà on February 25. Additional performances this month include the Royal Conservatory Orchestra with conductor Tania Miller on February 11, pianist Robert McDonald on February 20, a tribute to Aretha Franklin featuring Damien Sneed with special guest Valerie Simpson on February 26, and Catalan conductor, composer and viol player, Jordi Savall on February 27. Head to their website to learn more.
Bata Shoe Museum
Cozy up to BSM online exhibitions this month - stay warm with SOCKS: Between You and Your Shoes to learn about the history of socks. Discover wedding traditions around the world by checking out The Perfect Pair: Wedding Shoe Stories. Pirouette, Jeté, Pas…explore On Pointe: The Rise of the Ballet Shoe and be mesmerized by their ballet collection. On February 21, the Bata Shoe Museum will be launching a new online exhibition ~ Boots & Blades: The Story of Canadian Figure Skating! Keep up with everything #BSMFromHome by checking their website often.
Royal Ontario Museum
Featuring live discussions, topical Q&As, educational activities, and behind-the-scenes videos from ROM curators and experts, ROM at Home opens the doors to the Museum with programming that is accessible through their website and social media channels. This month’s theme is #LifeDisrupted. Extreme weather. Pandemics. Revolutionary technology. Mass uprisings. Disruption doesn’t just redefine normal—it overthrows kings and transforms the very earth beneath our feet. At its best, disruption ushers in new eras of progress and prosperity. At its worst, it hurls humanity backwards. From striking paintings that contemplate childhood memories of internment to the fifth mass extinction in the Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life, explore how disruption alters art, culture, nature—and life as we know it. Explore now.
Toronto Reference Library
Celebrate Black History Month with a series of virtual events, and explore new reading lists for all ages that honour Black voices, heritage and culture. On February 7, Daniel Pauly shares his extraordinary life and career in ocean sciences and talks about his first authorized biography, The Ocean’s Whistleblower. Before the 6ix invites you to explore the evolution of Toronto hip-hop music on February 9 with hosts Del Cowie and DJ Agile and special guests K-Cut, Zoë SOUNDmind and Rich Kidd. Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr discusses her memoir, I Am Because We Are, on February 16. Dan Charnas talks about his new book, Dilla Time, on February 23, about the life and musical legacy of hip-hop producer J Dilla. And on February 25, Habiba Cooper Diallo discusses her new book, #BlackInSchool, an eye-opening account of structural anti-Black racism in our public education system. Learn more about TPL’s Black History series at tpl.ca
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
Hot Docs Cinema reopens to movie-goers on February 4 with an exciting line-up featuring premieres of buzzy docs and special presentations. Discover the story of a young Afghan refugee and his long-buried secret through evocative animation in the Oscar-shortlisted Flee. Take a journey through the Tibetan Plateau in search of the elusive snow leopard in The Velvet Queen. Rock out to the sounds of Anglo-Somali punk rocker and X-Ray Spex frontwoman in Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché. Take a verité look at the high stakes election and struggle for democracy in post-Mugabe Zimbabwe in President. Follow classical music giant Marin Alsop's improbable rise to become one of the world’s most renowned conductors in Conductor. Delight in the music of Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace at Music on Film, presented in partnership with The Royal Conservatory of Music. Visit their website to view their health and safety guidelines, and programming schedule.
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
The Miles Nadal JCC shines a spotlight on Black History Month. On February 3, Denise Williams and Jordan Klapman perform and lecture in Roots Rhythm and Resilience: Musical Intersections of Black and Jewish Diasporas. From February 3–6, the Toronto Jewish Film Society co-presents a documentary, They Ain’t Ready For Me, in partnership with The Toronto Jewish Film Festival, A Different Booklist and No Silence on Race. The documentary follows Tamar Manasseh, an African American rabbinical student leading the fight against senseless killings on the south side of Chicago. A live Zoom Q&A will follow on February 6 with Tamar Manasseh alongside director, Brad Rothschild. African Cloth-Making: Storytelling, Connection and Kinship on February 16 is a lecture by Teneshia Samuel, in conjunction with their gallery exhibit NEO-KENTE which can be viewed February 1 - 28 in the Virtual Gallery at the J. For more Arts, Culture, Jewish Community, Wellness, Family and Fitness programs, visit their website.
VEMU Estonian Museum Canada
On February 12 at 10am, VEMU in cooperation with St. Peter’s Church in Toronto will be hosting a virtual conference celebrating 475 years of Estonian language liturgical music and the 30th anniversary of their song and prayer book. They will also be discussing the contribution of Estonians abroad to the Estonian language liturgical canon. On February 16 at 7pm, Dr. Peeter Põldre will give an online lecture titled “Covid-19: The Omicron tsunami and beyond", where he will update us on the current pandemic situation. Finally, on February 27 at 2pm there will be a free online screening of the 2019 Estonian film "Talve" ("Where The Heart Is - Winter") based on the beloved stories of Estonian author Oskar Luts. Registration for the private YouTube link will be open until February 24. More information can be found on their website.
Istituto Italiano di Cultura
This month, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto presents the English translation of Fabio F. Rizi’s Benedetto Croce and Italian Fascism, translated by Maria Laura Mosco. The presentation will take place on Thursday, February 24, via a ZOOM webinar titled Benedetto Croce: From Anti-Fascism to the Birth of the Italian Republic. The Istituto is also pleased to support the Italian participation at this year’s edition of the Victoria Film Festival with the screening of The Land of Sons directed by Claudio Cupellini, and Small Body directed by Laura Samani. Don’t forget to subscribe to their monthly newsletter, and do check out their YouTube channel for more on all things Italian. For details and other upcoming events, visit their website.
The Japan Foundation, Toronto
Happy year of Tiger (tora doshi)! Celebrate the lunar new year with The Japan Foundation, Toronto by checking out beautiful origami Tigers folded by members of The Origami Society of Toronto on the JFT Library Displays page. To find out more about origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, ebooks are available on the JFT OverDrive. On February 9, meet other book lovers and get inspired by contemporary Japanese literature at the next JFT Book Club Online with Natsuko Imamura’s award-winning novel, The Woman in the Purple Skirt. Watch the world famous Butoh dance company DAIRAKUDAKAN’s intense performance of Dream Cambrian, or the magical dance of RYUKYU BUYO: Okinawan Soul as part of the STAGE BEYOND BORDERS - Selection of Japanese Performances. The 70 works will only be available until March 2022! For more information please visit their website.
The Bloor St. Culture Corridor, Toronto's most diverse arts and culture district, is a true creative cluster, an arts and culture destination, and a collaboration between some of Toronto's most dynamic arts and culture organizations.
The Bloor St. Culture Corridor offers the public a wide variety of arts genres, from museum experiences to films, art exhibitions to music concerts, and opportunities to experience some of Toronto's cultural diversity, including Aboriginal, French, Jewish, Italian, Japanese, Estonian, African and Caribbean arts and culture.
All Bloor St. Culture Corridor organizations present arts and cultural events for the public year-round in destination venues located in a cluster along a vibrant stretch of Bloor Street West. Each year more than three million members of the public go to Bloor St. Culture Corridor arts and culture destinations, and attend exhibitions, performances, and events. Together, the Bloor St. Culture Corridor organizations employ more than 5,500 culture workers and generate more than $629,500,000 in economic impact each year. In 2016, The Bloor St. Culture Corridor was successful in working with the City of Toronto to have the Bloor St. Culture corridor section of Bloor St. West designated an official City of Toronto cultural corridor.
The Bloor St. Culture Corridor includes:
918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education: 918 Bathurst St. 918bathurst.com
Alliance Française de Toronto: 24 Spadina Road alliance-francaise.ca
Bata Shoe Museum: 327 Bloor Street West batashoemuseum.ca
A Different Booklist Cultural Centre: 777-779 Bathurst St. adbcc.org
Gardiner Museum: 111 Queen's Park gardinermuseum.com
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema: 506 Bloor Street West hotdocscinema.ca
Istituto Italiano di Cultura: 496 Huron Street iictoronto.esteri.it
The Japan Foundation, Toronto: 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 300 jftor.org
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre: 750 Spadina Ave. mnjcc.org
The Music Gallery: 918 Bathurst St. musicgallery.org
Native Canadian Centre of Toronto: 16 Spadina Road ncct.on.ca
The Randolph Centre for the Arts: 736 Bathurst St. randolphcentreforthearts.com
The Royal Conservatory of Music / Koerner Hall: 273 Bloor Street West rcmusic.com/performance
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM): 100 Queen's Park (Entrance on Bloor St. W.) rom.on.ca
Soundstreams: various venues on the Bloor St. Culture Corridor soundstreams.ca
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Choir: 427 Bloor Street West tafelmusik.org
The Toronto Consort: 427 Bloor Street West torontoconsort.org
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library: 120 St. George St. fisher.library.utoronto.ca
Toronto Reference Library: 789 Yonge Street torontopubliclibrary.ca
University of Toronto Faculty of Music: 80 Queen's Park music.utoronto.ca
VEMU Estonian Museum Canada: 310 Bloor Street West vemu.ca
Women's Art Association of Canada: 23 Prince Arthur Ave. womensartofcanada.ca
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Sandra P. 2/1/2022 |
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