b current, the hotbed for culturally rooted theatre development in Toronto, is bringing the 14th edition of the rock.paper.sistahz Festival to Artscape Wychwood Barns (601 Christie St). The festival runs May 3-7 and focuses on new works from people of colour, of all genders, in theatre, dance, visual art, film, youth events and more.
This year’s lineup includes work by Ashley Perez, mettle, Frances Koncan, Shaunga Tagore, Rania El Mugammar, Kim Henry & more. It wraps up with a killer party: blackOUT 2016 – with DJ Tronix.
As if you needed any more reasons to go, there will also be a special site-specific premiere presentation of Africville in Black and White at St. Matthew’s United Church (729 St. Clair Ave. West) on Saturday May 7 at 2 PM. Africville in Black and White is a theatrical and live musical piece based on the tragic story of the residents of Africville. Located in the city of Halifax, Africville was home to over 150 Black Canadians for more than 60 years, who were evicted by the city in the late 1960s. The entire site was bulldozed, along with the Seaview Baptist Church, which was at the heart of the community. In this interactive piece, St. Matthew’s United Church becomes a philosophical space, where parts of the Africville story unfold, taken from actual transcripts of the event.
For more info on rock.paper.sistahz and to see the complete lineup, visit here.