Mirco-Grant Recipients 2018

Kara Kristine Manso
Art to Unite
Art to Unite was an art workshop facilitated by Kara, a former migrant caregiver & visual artist. The workshop included 15 participants who identify as migrant caregivers in Toronto, and focused on creating art to share a unified voice, learn about their workplace rights, and create a collective zine together.



Alex Martenstyn
The BAR Institute Presents PARENTS
Alex is a hip-hop drummer/music director from Toronto teaching professional and cultural development with parents and their young children. The central location of this program allowed regular participation from across the GTA in learning and sharing music while curating experiences with access to a collaborative team in a recording studio in Trinity Bellwoods.



ImaginArte Collective
ImaginArte Collective
A collective of Early Childhood Educators as well as Community Artists from Colombia and Toronto facilitateD a five day arts mentorship & recreation program for children/youth living in the Black Creek community from March 11 to 15th, 2018 at Brookview M.S. The program also included a breakfast and lunch.



Sahar Golshan
Speaking My Language
Speaking My Language is a podcast on language and identity coordinated by Sahar Golshan, a Chinese and Iranian language artist as well as creative writer. The project reached 30+ racialized participants through a community brainstorm session, 4 online episodes, and a launch event to create a platform for dialogue on language and identity in Toronto.



Fonna Seidu
A team of Black women media makers provided a writing intensive program to discuss relationships as young adults in a hyper-sexual and easy-access culture. 3-4 participants were able to collectively create scripts in a screenwriting mentorship program held in Weston-Mount Dennis, which will expand into a video series in phase two.



Othrr M Peart
Othrr M. Peart is a black queer curator and developing creative placemaker from Toronto. Othrr curated and archived black queer & trans-cultural social spaces and gatherings in Toronto from the 1970’s to present day. This was done through the development of digital archives housed on social media.



Jenny Meya
Footsteps: A Black Woman's March for the Daughter We Dream Of.
Jenny Meya, aka Rational Rebel, is a multidisciplinary artist (spoken word, dance, and visual art) based in Toronto with a goal of launching her first cinepoem with [and for] Black women across the globe.
This cinepoem is called Footsteps: A black woman's march for the daughters we dream of. It is a love letter to my ancestors, dedicated to Black women and a time capsule for Black daughters to come.



Lawrence Heights Art Collective
Lawrence Heights Art Collective
The place-making project was requested by the Lawrence Heights United Seniors Group. A gathering spot for the Lawrence Heights Community was built, which included: sets of L-shaped benches & 3 tables for community gatherings/bbqs. This project was completed in partnership with an intergenerational team of artists and resident participants.



Ewa Konart
As a healthcare worker and healthcare service recipient, Ewa will use my experience to create artwork that invites marginalized healthcare recipients to create community connections through collaborative art making in the neighbourhood of Parkdale.



Yara El Safi
Yara is an illustrator & painter from Tripoli, Lebanon. Yara published a book and created workshops to showcase completed work. Her audience is the queer Muslims and the LGBT community. The book displays queer muslim narratives and also addresses mental health as well as religious practices.



Josef Adamu
Sunday School Collective
Sunday School is a collective of like-minded individuals focused on developing creative projects that address the everyday lived experiences of minorities. The themes explored by the Sunday School collective include: the lived experiences of LGTBTQ, Islam, socioeconomic issues, fashion and family relationships amongst many others.