Photo by Christian Ganet, courtesy of the Harbourfront Centre.
Jan 27, 2022
February is Black Futures Month and Black History Month. To celebrate, take in an event in a digital space or in-person across Ontario:
Creative workshops
Throughout Black Futures Month (BFM), the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is empowering young minds with animation workshops and watercolour classes for children.
For the kid at heart though, NIA Centre for the Arts has creative events, from a Black Love paint night to a modern Swahili cooking class.
The future on Black film
The Toronto Black Film Festival runs February 16 – 21, 2022. In addition to free audience events, movie-goers can purchase individual tickets or a festival pass to access 200 films online.
The AGO exhibition, Jorian Charlton: Out of Many, captures intimate Black lineage on 35 mm film. Open until April 18, 2022, the exhibit speaks on the fluidity of immigration stories and reimagines a family album through Charlton’s contemporary lens.
Kuumba, Toronto’s largest Black Futures Month celebration at the Harbourfront Centre, will offer a screening of Via Kanana, an electrifying dance film based on the street dance and protest of South Africa. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish and you can stream the film from the comfort of home.
A walk through history
Step off your porch on this self-guided tour and you’ll realize Old Town Toronto’s ties to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The free walking tour from Myseum of Toronto can be explored either online or on foot.
Near our province’s eastern border, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historical Site in Dresden is open to visitors year-round. But for those who can’t make it to the property, the site offers impressive 3D digital tours and a filmed tour providing insight into the area’s Black history.
Then, to build on your understanding of Black history, listen to community leaders looking to the future, like those featured in Toronto Public Library’s speaker series.