January 31, 2025
While we believe it’s important to do this work all year long, this month offers a particular opportunity to reflect on the experiences and accomplishments of our Black community members, while working to dismantle anti-Black racism in our industry. Here are 5 things you can do to acknowledge and celebrate this month:
1. Learn About Black Histories: Commit some time this month to browse through A Black People’s History of Canada, The Canada Black Music Archives, It’s About Time: Dancing Black in Canada, or the History of Black Canadian Theatre. We recommend picking one resource that interests you, and taking a deep dive.
2. Donate to a Black-led arts organization, like Nia Centre for the Arts, RISE Edutainment, dance Immersion, Obsidian Theatre, b current Performing Arts, or an organization located in your own community. Black arts and artists from the African diaspora have been historically underfunded and are underrepresented in our mainstraim arts institutions. Donating is one way to redistribute resources and support the development of Black excellence and leadership in our sector.
3. Find out what’s on during the Year of Black Performance in Canada, and go see a show featuring Black artists!
4. Go deeper and consider abolitionist futures in the arts with videos and podcasts from the NAC’s Stages of Transformation project. You could start with their first podcast episode on abolition and the arts, “Conflict is a Door”.
5. Commit to making change at your arts organization and take the Black Pledge! This project “offers a series of commitments to aid live arts organizations in dismantling anti-Black racism at the structural level to affirm and advance Black people working in live performance across Canada.”