Nia Centre for the Arts' Service Needs Report

CommunityResearchReport

ME_dia Arts Program Lady Bugs At Afrochic Photo Credit: Letecia Rose

Abstract

The goal of this research project was to determine the identity of the demographic of youth Nia Centre seeks to service. The goal changed to identifying youth needs, existing organizations, service gaps and the value that Nia Centre could bring due organizational objectives put forward in strategic planning. The method of research used for this project was surveys, interviews and small focus groups with youth-leaders, social service workers, and youth group participants that identify with various ethno-cultural communities. The results outlined the personal and social service needs of youth. Also identified are arts, cultural, youth-led and social service organizations according to the communities they focus on. Gaps in services that included a lack of groups that carter to all youth or focus on skill development, is apparent within the results. As well as the value that can be added to existing groups through space, partnerships and the arts. A discussion analyzes the results in terms of their significance to Nia Centre, and presents challenges and critiques of how the results were obtained. Recommendations put forward address current ways that Nia Centre can support youth needs through skill development, organizations to partner, methods for partnership and outreach as well as ways to provide space. Long term goals that Nia Centre should work toward such as, methods of addressing the needs of high-risk youth are also recommended.

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Contents

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Definition Introduction Method

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Specific Needs of Afro-Diasporic Youth

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Existing Community Youth Organizations and Services

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Service Gaps That Can Be Filled By Nia Centre

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Nia Centre’s Value To Existing Services & How Nia Centre Can Add Value Provided By Other Organizations

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Discussion

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Recommendations

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About Nia Centre

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Works Cited

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Appendix

Research Coordinator: Felicia Mings Cover Photo By: Aden Abebe Report Layout: Bianca Channer

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ME_dia Arts Program Lady Bugs At Afrochic Photo Credit: Letecia Rose

Definitions Afro-diasporic: People of African descent whose experiences have been racialized as “black” within the North American context.

Priority Neighborhoods: The City of Toronto and United Way designated 13 areas of Toronto where significant resources and investment need to be made.

Those neighbourhoods are the following: Jamestown, Jane-Finch, Malvern, Kingston-Galloway, Lawrence Heights, Steeles-L’Amoreaux, Eglinton EastKennedy Park, Crescent Town, Weston-Mt. Dennis, Dorest Park, Scarborough Village, Flemingdon Park-Victoria Village, Westiminster-Branson.

Target Demographic: The main group of people that Nia Centre is aiming to serve; marginalized, underserviced and criminalized Afro-diasporic young people across Toronto’s 13 priority neighbourhoods.

Nia Experience Model: The Nia experience model is a framework and the essence of Nia Centre programs. It provides a wider context, deeper understanding of art practices, artists and art events. It does so by encouraging the exploration of Afrodiasporic identity and history, integrity in relation to an art practice, career / entrepreneurial opportunities through the arts.

LGBT: The acronym stands for lesbian, gay bi-sexual and transgendered. Within this report the acronym is used to represent the spectrum of people that self-identify as part of the queer community.

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Introduction In March 2010 Nia Centre’s Target Demographic report cited Afro-diasporic youth populations and the areas they live in Toronto most in need of support and resources to address personal, social and systemic barriers. Nia Centre decided to build upon the Target Demographic report through field research of surveys, interviews and small focus groups from June 2010 to November 2010. This report’s research was anchored in theories of youth There is no singular ‘black’ or development that focused on Afro-diasporic experience; it is youth-led, holistic, arts engagement important to understand the and programmatic ways to address distinctive histories, needs, youth’s personal, social and interests, tradition and arts of systemic barriers. Because there is individual ethnic groups. no singular ‘black’ or Afro-diasporic experience it is important to understand the distinctive histories, needs, interests, tradition and arts of individual ethnic groups. Also, in highlighting differences commonalities can be found. All of this is helpful in building culturally relevant and holistic programs.

The goal of the June to November 2010 research was to define Nia Centre’s target demographic in terms of: • • • •

Identity Strengths/ challenges Arts and cultural interests Organizations currently supporting them.

A needs assessment was listed as a task within Nia Centre’s six month strategic plan, created in October 2010. Therefore, the intent of this paper has shifted from defining Nia Centre’s target demographic to detail the requested outcomes of a needs assessment. This paper will: • •

• •

Identify and confirm specific needs of Afro-diasporic youth Identify and confirm existing community youth organizations and services Identify service gaps that can be filled by Nia Centre Identify how Nia Centre can add value to existing services provided by other organizations

Method Nia Centre’s Target Demographic report highlighted Somali, Ethiopian, and Jamaican youth populations in Toronto to be those most in need of resources and support. Nia Centre focused on connecting with youth workers between 16 to 29 years old of these ethnic backgrounds, but also interviewed older youth-workers and the following: •

• • • • • •

Youth of Eritrean, Somali, and Ethiopian descent that presently or in the past led ethno-cultural youth-led organizations A youth community member of Jamaican descent A dancer of Jamaican descent A Director for Diversity at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Lawrence Heights Youth Outreach Workers A Lawrence Heights Harm Reduction Worker Participants of Supporting our Youth’s Black Queer Youth Group

Interviewees were selected based on the following: • • •

Knowledge and experience as members of particular communities Experience working with Afro-diasporic youth Willingness to participate

A base of questions was created and used for online and sometimes in person surveys. The survey responses were probed further through audio recorded interviews. All groups were asked questions that fall within the frame of requested outcomes of the needs assessment as well as questions focused on ancestry and the value of the arts. Ethno-cultural groups were also asked questions focused on culture, migration and settlement. While the CAMH professional was asked questions that centered solely on the mental health of Afro-diasporic youth and how Nia Centre could support some of these issues.

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Community Update Event Berhane, Drummer Photo Credit: Nia Documentation Team

Specific Needs of Afro-Diasporic Youth Participants were asked to identify: • Young people’s largest barriers to personal and professional success • In regards to age and gender, the demographic of youth most in

susceptible to barriers • Mental health issues prevalent among Afro-diasporic youth • How issues of mental health, physical ability and sexual orientation

are viewed in their communities Responses have been paragraphed together under bolded headings that highlight youth needs.

Access To Support For Mental Health Stigmas and misinformation around mental health are barriers to youth accessing the support that they need (BQY). Mental illness is not a term that is always used in Afro-diaporic communities, and with mental disorders that one cannot visually diagnose like schizophrenia or epilepsy, older generations may deem them as spiritual issues (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph). Depending on how it manifests, there can be a hesitancy to look at mental illness through a medical lens (Ali & Yassin-Omar) (Abebe, Alawi & Ayderus). Also, parents often see mental illness as a reflection of something they did wrong making it a difficult topic to discuss (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph).

Not growing up in two parent stable homes, can sometimes result in children acting out. Abuse, sexual, physical and emotional that doesn’t get addressed can all affect a young person’s mental health (Litchmore).

Clinical depression that can manifest as an individual not feeling good about their lives, options for the future, being moody, cynical and pessimistic are mental health issues affecting Afro-diasporic youth. General depression is more prevalent in females. Schizophrenia is a diagnosis that statistically is prevalent in Afro-diasporic males, but greater cultural competency is needed in diagnosing to ensure that statistics accurately reflect Afro-diasporic communities mental health needs (Kafele). In addition, post -traumatic stress is a reality for many immigrants, especially from the horn of Africa (Kafele) (Ali & Yassin-Omar). Also, there is a perception that there would be a lot of intolerance towards mental health, but that isn’t always the case. Ethiopian association does a good job of raising the profile of mental health in the community (Abebe, Alawi & Shash).

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Access To Information To Decrease Homophobia Homophobia is a challenge for young people that self-identify as members of the LGBT community. People don’t want to go places where they will be rejected, and not respected for who they are. With such varied identities that are not always accepted within one’s cultural community or Canadian society at large feelings of isolation and powerlessness can set in; especially, for LGBT youth that have newly immigrated to Canada and are unable to connect with anyone (BQY).

Many youth keep their sexual orientation hidden, maybe not among their peers but within their home environment (Alexander, Duhaney &Hall). The downtown area of Toronto seems to be a bit more open to the LGBT community than the east or west of Toronto (BQY). Many LGBT youth live in the suburbs close to their parents and come downtown to be who they are.

So they are living literally two different realities (Ormsby).

Within mainstream Jamaican culture the LGBT community is largely pushed to the margins (Litchmore). Within Eritrean, Ethiopian and Somali Communities it is often not acknowledged (Mings) (Abebe, Alawi & Shash).

Safe Spaces To Pursue Education and Educational Supports Afro-diasporic youth of all ages that self-identify within the LGBT community are lacking safe, positive and supportive spaces to pursue education (BQY). Also, many first generation Canadian’s of Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali descent whose parents are not versed in Canada’s education system are in need of school related supports (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall). Although, the parents may emphasize education they don’t always have the time or knowledge to navigate the education system by helping their children to pick classes, etc (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph).

Correlated to the educational barriers that many youth between 12 to 16 years old face are; high dropout rates, criminalization, lack of meaningful employment and opportunities for upward mobility. The latter largely affecting those in the 17-29 age category (Mings).

In relation to learning disabilities this is an area that often isn’t talked about within Afro-diasporic communities or even homework clubs. Although, when these challenges are acknowledged supports are usually available within schools (Ali & Yassin-Omar).

Access To Services In and Beyond One’s Neighbourhood Communities with a high population of newcomers are often transient, with less resources and investment directed to that neighbourhood (Ali & YassinOmar). Also, beyond Toronto’s priority neighbourhoods, within suburbs of Toronto and areas such as Brampton youth are much more racialized in their communities there youth tend to have even less access to supports (Abebe, Alawi & Shash).

The chart below details the neighbourhoods of Toronto and the Greater Toronto area in which Jamaican, Ethiopian, and Somali people currently live according to survey results: Community

East Priority Neightbourhoods

West Priority Neighbourhoods

Other Areas of Toronto & GTA

Jamaican

• Malvern

• Weston Mt. Denis

• • • • •

Eglinton Oakdale Ajax Brampton Pickering

Ethiopian

• Scarborough • Crescent Town • Malvern • Eglinton East: Kennedy Park • Flemington Park: Victoria Village

• Cataraqui

• • • • • • •

Regent Park Bleeker Esplanade Moss Park Eglinton East Brampton Markham

Eritrean

• Scarborough

• Rexdale

• Bleeker

Somali

• Steeles— L’Amoreaux • Scarborough

• Jamestown • Lawrence Heights

• Jane-Finch

• North York

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Mentorship and Role Models Mentorship and continuous support in expanding one’s professional networks is currently lacking for Afro-diasporic youth. The affluent community within Toronto values arts, sports and being social, and it is in these spaces that decisions are made. Access to and understanding of different people, networks and systems is needed for young people to personally and professionally advance (Ali & Yassin-Omar).

Within programs, hiring needs to take into Youth need inspirational account lived experiences and cultural role models that can relate competency (Abebe, Alawi & Shash). In to participants experiences, addition to facilitators with technical skills look like them and speak youth need inspirational role models that their language. can relate to participants experiences, look like them and speak their language (Ali & Yassin-Omar). Young people should have real mentors and role models from their communities that they can see themselves reflected in (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall). Positive females and individuals that self identify as part of the LGBT community are needed (BQY) (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph).

Support To Pursue Their Own Interests Parental restrictions can be a challenge. Young people age 12-16 years old do not always have the option to spend after school hours developing their skills within their areas of interests. And, simply due to gender, females commonly have more restrictions than males at home (Mings).

Young people are in need of access to information and support in pursuing their own defined paths on a personal and professional level. In relation to employment Afro-diasporic youth need information and assistance in pursuing career options, post-secondary opportunities, apprenticeships, and entering the trades (Abebe, Alawi & Shash) (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall).

Increased Communication Youth need communication and advocacy skills. It is important that they know how to advocate for them because often youth are brushed to the side until somebody needs them for something (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall).

Other •

•

In Lawrence Heights, formalized programs that focus on basic life skills, and gang intervention for young people and their families experiencing violence (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall).

Broadened perspective by programming that encourages youth to organize around different things, beyond religion and community (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph).

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Gallery 44 Partnership Program Models Photo Credit: Documentation Team

Existing Community Youth Organizations And Services Participants were asked to identify: • Organizations and individuals supporting youth in overcoming barriers • Spaces, festivals and organizations where young people can engage

with their arts and culture • Examples of resources and activities that is making the work of these

organizations successful Results on organizations largely came from surveys. Organizations are listed according to the particular community that they service and the type of organization that they are. Details on some organizations are written in short paragraphs that follow.

Jamaican Community

Social Service Organization • Tropicana Community Services • Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) • Black Coalition for Aids Prevention (Black Cap) • African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO)

Jamaican identity for the longest time has been very much co-align

and interchangeable with black identity, depending on the context

(Litchmore). Tropicana, JCA and Black Cap serve the wider black

community in terms of addressing social service issues (Litchmore)

Ormsby).

Arts • Heritage Singers (performs Caribbean folk songs) • d’bi young (dub poetry) • b current (performing arts) • Kay Ann Ward (dancer) Festivals • Jamaica Day Celebration • Jambana

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Eritrean and Ethiopian Communities

Youth-led • Eritrean Youth Coalition (photography workshops, monthly speakers

series, arts programming) • Young Diplomats (Homework club and leadership camp) Arts • Sound the Horn Selam Youth Festival (leadership development

and education through visual and performance arts) The Eritrean Youth Coalition, Young Diplomats and Selam youth festival all do a great job at getting youth involved in their communities, and addressing HIV/AIDS prevention and a whole host of other topics that are taboo.

Selam Youth Festival has always been good at mixing Ethiopian traditions and culture with contemporary North American culture. Last year part of the performance was one girl drumming, one playing the qerar to the beat of the hip-hop song, ‘Grindin’ by the Clipse, while youth danced. It all mixed together well. The young people loved it and to a certain extent the parents do too (Abebe, Alawi & Shash).

Social Service • Eritrean Canadian Community Centre (homework club) Festivals • Soccer festival

Somali Community

Social Service • Somali Women’s Association • Somali Aids Society Youth-led • Gashanti Unity • Somali Youth Association of Toronto (SOYAT) There are different organizations that were created as Somali’s settled in Toronto, with each cultural group making their own organizations. Although they have left Somalia the pain still exists. The young people haven’t experience the same trauma, don’t remember, and so Somali youth-led organizations are not based on where you geographically came from like some organizations formed by the older generations (Ali & Yassin-Omar).

LGBT Community • • •

Supporting Our Youth (SOY) Black Queer Youth Group Sweet life program for youth Outwards

A lot of youth are unaware of other services that are offered to them as black queer youth. SOY’s Black queer youth group is one of the only places that has been running for 8 or 9 years that runs specifically for youth of colour.

Individual role models that the LGBT youth look up to are each other, and people from their communities that reflect them, such as Kim and Nat of the People project (BQY).

Education •

Pathways to Education

With Pathways to Education one can see the results. A lot of youth that are connected to youth outreach workers in Lawrence Heights are connected to Pathways. The youth themselves say that it is a good program (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall).

Mental Health • • • •

Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Redemption Reintegration Services The Francophone Centre Wendy Martin Social Worker in Lawrence Heights

Women’s health in women’s hands deals with women of colour and their health issues. They see a lot of mental health problems and challenges and do primary intervention around assessment, basic counseling support, workshops and so on. The francophone center at Yonge and College do a lot of work with francophone youth. Redemption reintegration services and For Youth Initiative have a major focus on mental health, dealing more with prison populations (Kafele).

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Gallery 44 Partnership Program Ebti and Idil Photo Credit: Buruk Early

Service Gaps That Can Be Filled By Nıa Centre Participants were asked to identify: • The gaps in programs and services currently being provided Common responses have been paragraphed together under bolded headings, while responses that only came up once are listed under the heading ‘other’.

Moving Past Service Delivery To Skill Development Young people need spaces and support that will enable them to be proficient thinkers, allow for open dialogue, increase their interpersonal skills and help them learn to advocate for themselves (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall) (Abebe, Alawi & Shash).

Afro-diasporic youth need programs and services that move beyond ghettoizing themselves to the realm of service delivery (Abebe, Alawi & Shash).

There’s not a real emphasis on talent. Organizations are trying to keep young people off the streets (Lictchmore). Programs need to develop young people’s skills and talents by introducing them to professional individuals, spaces and the business side of the arts. (Abebe, Alawi & Shash)(Litchmore) (Ormsby).

Programs should cover all bases. If it’s a music program everything could be taught, from how to do mastering, production, management, and engineering (BQY).

Servicing All Youth Programming should be available for all youth. Their shouldn’t be groups for just Caribbean or East African youth, so that no one is being isolated. Neighbourhoods have youth from all over so when programs separate young people in this way it causes segregation (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall)

Other •

•

There should be more focus on family engagement, daycare space and support for single mothers within priority neighbouhroods (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall).

In Lawrence Heights there should be more formalized programs that focus on gang intervention, something that goes beyond debriefing incidents but includes follow through (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall).

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Summer aRts Partnership Program With bcurrent Photo Credit: Felicia Byron

Nia Centre’s Value To Existing Services & How Nia Centre Can Add Value Provided By Other Organizations Participants were asked to identify: • The types of support needed for youth-led organizations • What they would like to see from organizations coming into

their community • Supports young people need to develop skills in/ through the arts

Common interview and survey responses to how Nia Centre can add

value to existing services are paragraphed together.

Safe, Affordable, Quality Space Young people need venues or space to self-express through the arts, space to come and talk collectively, office space and community spaces that are safe, not politically or religiously aligned (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph) (Ormsby).

Young people need state of the art facilities to develop their skills. Spaces that contain everything, from a gym, to a pool, art studio, library and daycare are needed. It is important for young people to have options when they walk into a space because you can’t force people to walk into a place where they don’t feel comfortable (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall). Black LGBT youth want a space where they can be gay and know that they can do that and be safe. A space somewhere central, downtown in areas they deem less homophobic is preferred (BQY).

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Partnership Agencies must try to work with people that are already in the communities they are entering. Organizations need to work to coordinate services to be proactive, offer a continuation of services and follow through. People should be working with community partners, and becoming members of neighbourhood inter-organizational networks (Alexander, Duhaney & Hall). Instead of working with individuals, there are great organizations servicing communities that could just use more support and resource sharing. (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph) (Ormsby).

Programming needs to be Parents are more inclined to support sensitive to a participant’s and encourage youth involvement household, especially when in arts programs when a positive working with immigrant connection to education, transferable communities, otherwise skills & career development are visible. program participants will primarily be Afro-Caribbean youth (Abebe, Alawi & Shash). Parents are more inclined to support and encourage youth involvement in arts programs when a positive connection to education, the building of transferable skills, and tangible connections to career development are visible. It is important for parents to have a clear sense of what their children are participating in, so that they don’t see it only as time that could have been spent on homework (Hagos, Hagos & Joseph).

Delivering programming through partnerships with cultural organizations and having someone from that ethnic community that parents respect and trust as a link or ‘community connector’ between Nia Centre programming and parents may be a first step (Abebe, Alawi & Shash).

Afro-diasporic Art: Infusion, Appreciation and Presentation Nia Centre can build and support sustainable, interactive arts programs (Litchmore)(Hagos, Hagos & Joseph). Programs should be broad in their focus of skill development, and have a good amount of quality materials and equipment (BQY).

Nia Centre can support the presentation of work (Litchmore) (BQY). In relation to Black LGBT artists, they have a harder time getting their work out there and really just getting known (BQY). There needs to be more recognition of black arts as legitimate art forms, it needs to be taken from the fringes and appreciated, supported and funded (Litchmore).

Nia Centre can promote the successes of Afro-diasporic cultures (Litchmore).

Nia Centre can add infrastructure in terms of a multiplicity of arts related resources for people and organizations to tap into (Ormsby).

It’s a disservice to young people when they don’t know the tradition from which contemporary things come from. Youth need to see the value in tradition as well as where the tradition has gone so if they want, they can take it further.

Below is a small example of roots within Afro-diasporic music and dance, where it has gone that youth can pick up from.

[Call and response is an African tradition and it comes in dance in different forms where you call, you respond. …And there are many poly-rhythms. We dance not just with, … in the European tradition you dance with your arms, you dance with your legs but in most Afro-diasporic traditions you dance with multiplicity of rhythms through our bodies and it’s the same thing in music it’s the same thing in ... If you listen to dancehall, Elephant Man is good doing polyrhythms. At one point he’s singing on a falsetto then he goes into the base and he might be doing call and response in what he’s saying so he is actually playing the role of two people at once to communicate his idea in a song] (Ormsby).

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Community Update Event Photo Credit: Nia Documentation Team

Discussion Results Discussion The results show that youth need personal supports that will enable them to be well-rounded and holistically develop their potential, in addition to social services to overcome societal and systemic barriers. For Nia Centre this means that there are immediate ways that young people can be supported through arts that align with not only young people’s need but Nia Centre’s present capacity.

Many youth-led, arts and cultural organizations identified are those that youthleaders interviewed are connected to. For Nia Centre this means that relationships have already been formed and only need to be maintained and further developed. Organizations addressing mental health, LGBT youth support, violence intervention and basic social services are areas where Nia Centre needs to begin to forge relationships.

The interviews highlighted a need to focus on skill development for young people, building on their ideas, interests and providing tools for youth to holistically develop their potential. The significance of this for Nia Centre is that much of the social service supports that youth need should be built in through partnerships.

Nia Centre should be a space that focuses on hard and soft skill development through the arts.

Results show that people working within neighbourhoods see a need for services that cater to all youth that live there, while culturally specific organizations focus on serving their own community but are often not neighbourhood based.

Therefore, Nia Centre should that Nia Centre should focus on serving a diversity of Afro-diasporic youth, through cultural organizations. And when partnering with neighbourhood-based organizations, or schools. Nia Centre may want to be a bit flexible in who is permitted to attend the program.

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Nia Centre has always been aware that a great facility will add value to many organizations and programs across Toronto. The results have highlighted the need for safe, high quality affordable space. Because these types of spaces currently exist in Toronto, one of the largest challenges for youth and organizations to access them may be the cost. For Nia Centre, this highlights that further work needs to be done in figuring out how to obtain the quality of space that young people need and sustain it with dollars outside of what the youth groups and organizations can contribute.

Building strong partnerships to coordinate the work being done in communities to Youth need personal make it more effective and to build social supports that will enable service supports are results put forward that them to be well-rounded Nia Centre needs to act on. Partnerships in and holistically develop terms of outreach to participants through their potential. community connectors, is work that Nia Centre has begun and needs to continue.

Access to, and infusion of Afro-diasporic arts is needed and wanted by individuals and organizations. There are individuals practicing art and connecting it to Afro-diasporic history, experiences and identity. Therefore Nia Centre has the opportunity to bring these people, art forms and resources together and coordinate ways that these practices can be enhanced and integrated into schools, organizations and various spaces

Challenges and Critiques There were a few constraints to this research project. One being that Nia Centre’s needs changed during the course of the research. The initial intent of defining Nia Centre’s target demographic became less of an organizational priority in comparison to determining youth needs, existing organizations, service gaps and the value that Nia Centre could bring.

Another challenge was that the research was conducted with a very small sample size. Those interviewed were mostly youth-leaders as oppose to those considered “at-risk” youth that Nia Centre aims to serve. This has impacted the research’s ability to provide an accurate representation of communities and their needs, as only a few people’s voices have been captured. However this is mitigated by fact that those surveyed and interviewed are leaders connected to particular communities, and experienced in working with an array of youth.

Surveys and interview questions were not previously tested before being used in this research project. The spectrum of areas covered in the research was vast, and invited rich stories that gave insight into cultural histories, traditions and values. All of this information can support staff in building their cultural competencies to create relevant and holistic programs, but much of this insight did not fall within the frame of this report.

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Recommendations The recommendations address areas written in the results section under slightly different headings. In addition, in relation to organizations, recommendations come directly from the research as well as learning through programs and meetings that Nia Centre was a part of between June 2010 and February 2011.

Neighbourhoods To Work Within To Address Youth Needs It is recommended that Nia Centre begin to build a presence in Scarborough, specifically Malvern but also branch out to work within other Scarborough priority neighborhoods. It is also recommended that Nia Centre continues to work within Lawrence Heights to build on and further develop existing relationships with youth, Youth Outreach workers, and Toronto Community Housing.

Addressing Youth Needs Through Great Leaders and Skill Development Until Nia Centre has built the capacity and or partnerships to address young people’s mental health, education attainment and violence prevention needs, it is recommended that Nia Centre is not the first point of contact for the majority of its programming and events. Programming should be offered and inserted into existing services in Toronto such as youth cultural organizations, social services spaces and schools. The groups that youth are connected to before Nia Centre will be the ones referring participants to services in their neighbourhood. These groups will be the ones to address young people’s social service needs in a continuous way.

Anti-oppression, mentorship, role models, increased communication skills, and support to pursue one’s own interests are areas that Nia Centre can support, largely through staffing. Staff and volunteers should have youth and cultural competency, inspirational personalities and strong hard/soft skils.

In considering the mission of Nia Centre, Nia Centre should offer the organization’s current capacity and networking, mentorship, the needs of youth it is recommended and skill building through that Nia Centre focuses on the personal arts experiences and and professional advancement of young people connected to the people. Nia Centre should offer networking, African Diaspora. mentorship, and skill building through arts experiences and people connected to the African Diaspora. This can be done through ongoing workshops, trips and internships that utilize the framework of the Nia experience model.

It is evident that this may result in Nia Centre servicing a profile of youth that are not considered the most marginalized and underserviced youth. This profile of youth may live outside of priority neighbourhoods, attend school, and have minimal if any experience with the justice system. It is recommended that Nia Centre is flexible to work with this profile of youth when they are dedicated, interested and willing to participate. These young people are connected to the demographic that Nia Centre aims to reach. If programs and events are vibrant, welcoming and engaging, Nia Centre’s target demographic will become connected via their friends. Furthermore, Nia Centre can always ask organizations to recommend youth that they feel are most marginalized, underserviced and from priority neighbourhoods to participate in programs and events, to ensure that Nia Centre is working with its target demographic.

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Addressing High Risk Youth’s Needs High risk youth, meaning those that are not at all engaged in the education system, are frequently coming into contact with the justice system, are another profile of young people that Nia Centre should service. It is recommended that Nia Centre works toward building the infrastructure, partnerships, curriculum and staff capacities to adequately and continuously support this profile of youth.

In relation to infrastructure it is recommended that Nia Centre begins to maintain participant profiles and track young people’s development on an ongoing basis. In regards to partnerships it is recommended that Nia Centre builds partners with youth outreach workers and or social service organizations to refer young people for ongoing support with issues of mental health, legal counseling, violence, education attainment, etc.

In terms of curriculum, Nia Centre should utilize the framework of the Nia experience model alongside that of an organization focused on decreasing youth violence, experiences with the justice system and or education. This curriculum should be a core program that is at minimum 8 weeks long and includes follow up with participants. It is recommended that Nia Centre takes the time to build its capacity and adequate supports to successfully service this profile of youth.

Afro-diasporic Arts It is recommended that Nia Centre builds a roster of arts facilitators that can provide workshops in a range of artistic mediums and utilize the components of the Nia experience model. Offering arts engagement connected to Afrodiasporic history, experiences and people will enhance existing services, currently lacking artistic and afro-diasporic content.

It is also recommended that Nia Centre offers monthly trips, workshops or events that build on the framework of the Nia experience model to engage young people in the arts on a regular basis

Cultural and Youth-led Organizations To Partner Because Nia Centre is mandated to work with Afro-diasporic youth it is recommended that it works to integrate various Afro-diasporic ethno-cultural groups. It is recommended that Nia Centre begin to partner with cultural organizations such as Young Diplomats, the Eritrean Youth Coalition and Gashanti Unity. Young Diplomats and Gashanti Unity are focused in the East end of Toronto whereas the Eritrean Youth Coalition primarily serves youth coming from the east and west end. Because these groups are youth-led and focus on serving their cultural communities, young people from across Toronto’s priority neighbourhoods and beyond, participate in the organizations. Working with these groups will enable Nia Centre to reach out first and foremost to Afrodiasporic populations. This will build an awareness of Nia Centre among young people across Toronto that may translate into a willingness to travel to Nia Centre once the arts centre is achieved.

It is important that Nia Centre is Afro-centered not only in partnerships but in the curriculums, events and experiences it provides. In relation to events, volunteers and program partnership it is recommended that Nia Centre is open to sometimes serving and working with young people that don’t self identify as members of the African-Diaspora.

Partnerships Reducing Social and Systemic Barriers Redemption, Reintegration Services, Breaking the Cycle and Pathways Education are groups that should be next in the development of partnerships. Experience within the Justice system, and education are two of the most measurable barriers toward young people’s personal and professional advancement. Challenges to attaining education are a clear area in which Afro-diasporic youth need support.

Pathways to Education support young people in gaining secondary school education, and has a site focused in Lawrence Heights. Lawrence Heights is a neighbourhood with a large Caribbean and East African community, and an area in which Nia Centre is connected to youth, the neighbourhood interorganizational network and Toronto Community Housing.

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Breaking the Cycle focuses on working with youth that are involved with the criminal justice system and that aren’t currently acquiring education. Breaking the Cycle works within schools in Rexdale and Scarborough through the Catholic District School board and will be expanding to work with the Toronto district school board. Nia Centre could partner in supporting youth through the arts in these school settings.

Outreach and Partnership Methods There are many organizations working with the demographic of youth that Nia Centre would like to service. It is recommended that Nia Centre works with specific organizations in particular ways. Below is a list of organizations and ways to partner with them.

In addition, groups highlighted are those recommended as place to find community leaders that can be bridges between Nia Centre and particular communities, and provide strategies around family engagement. The bolded red names are organizations that can be supportive in infusing education and career development.

Social Service Organizations That Nia Centre Can Build Relationships With To Refer Young People To: • Jamaican Canadian Association (have youth outreach workers for all

west end priority neighbourhoods) • East Metro Youth Services (have youth outreach workers for all east

end priority neighbourhoods) • Women’s Health in Women’s Hands (primary intervention work around

mental health) • Black Coalition for Aids Prevention (Black Cap) • Supporting our youth (SOY)

Organizations To Partner With To Build Core Programs Specifically For High Risk Youth: • Breaking the Cycle • Redemption, Reintegration Services • Pathways to Education

Organizations To Outreach To For Participants For Nia Centre Organized Trips, Events, Volunteers, and Interns: • Gashanti Unity (Scarborough) • Eritrean Youth Coalition (Scarborough and the west) • Young Diplomats (Scarborough and the west) • Young and Potential Fathers (Weston Mt. Denis) • Breaking the Cycle (Rexdale& Scarborough) • Oasis Alternative School (Downtown) • Black Queer Youth group at SOY (Downtown) • Jamaican Canadian Association Youth Outreach Workers • The Lady Bugs girls group (Lawrence Heights) Organizations To Work With To Support The Presentation Of Visual and Performance Art: • Sound the Horn Selam Visual Arts Festival and Selam Youth Festival • Black Queer Youth group at SOY • Heritage Singers

Providing Space Nia Centre is working to build a community oriented, multi-disciplinary art centre.

It is recommended that Nia Centre works toward building this space in one north and central location, because young people will travel to wanted services. Also, a central location can encourage networking, and the integration of communities.

Until Nia Centre is able to create its own space, it is suggested that Nia Centre builds partnerships with the city of Toronto, creative spaces, arts, culture and educational institutions to provide state of the art facilities, and resources at a low cost to the youth groups and communities that Nia Centre currently works with. Some institutions to build partnerships with could include: • • • • • • •

Royal Ontario Museum Art Gallery of Ontario Ontario College of Art and Design Theatre PasseMuraille TIFF Lightbox building Art Gallery of York University The National Film Board

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Nia Community Update Event Taejon, Nia Documentation Team Photo Credit: Buruk Early

About Nia Centre for the Arts In 2008, the Youth Challenge Fund (YCF) convened a group of youth, artists and community leaders to form an interim board of directors that would lead the creation of Nia Centre, an innovative arts and cultural hub that would support the holistic advancement of young Afro-diasporic Canadians. In December 2008 YCF approved a proposal for the creation of Nia Centre after supporting a four-month research and development phase. The research and development phase allowed for community consultation, the planning of Nia Centre’s mandate, programming and space. With the support of YCF and Nia Centre’s trustee Microskills Community Development Centre. Nia Centre is poised to significantly contribute to Toronto’s already rich cultural fabric. Nia Centre aspires to be a collaborative arts centre that represents Afro-Diasporic arts and culture both locally and internationally, while working with young people through art to foster social change.

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Quentin Vercetty, painter Photo Credit: Nia Documentation Team

Interviewees and Surveys Abebe, Alpha, Ayderus Alawi and Nabil Shash. Personal Interview. 29 June 2010 Alexander, Hasha, Wayne Duhaney and Wilton Hall. Personal Interview. 30 Sept. 2010 Ali, Khadra and Amina Yassin-Omar. Personal Interview. 30 July, 2010 Black Queer Youth (BQY). Focus Group. 6 Oct. 2010 Hagos, Dahab, Temesgen Hagos and Aharon Joseph. Personal Interview. 12 Aug. 2010 Kafele, Kwasi. Personal Interview. 8 Oct. 2010 Litchmore, Othniel. Personal Interview. 24 Sept. 2010 Mings, Felicia. Eritrean Community Survey. Toronto, ON. 5 July 2010.

Unpublished survey.

Mings, Felicia. Ethiopian Community Survey. Toronto, ON. 21 June 2010.

Unpublished survey.

Mings, Felicia. Jamaican Community Survey. Toronto, ON. 8 July 2010.

Unpublished survey.

Mings, Felicia. Somali Community Survey. Toronto, ON. 6 July 2010.

Unpublished survey.

Ormsby, Kevin. Personal Interview. 9 July 2010

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Nia Centre’s 2011 AGM Shi Wisdom, singer Photo Credit: Nia Documentation Team

Appendix a) Additional Results To Support Program Development Arts, Culture and Tradition Within Diasporas Participants were asked to identify: • Strengths and assets of their communities that Nia could support • Arts and cultural practices valued by their communities • How art forms are passed on through generations • What arts and cultural forms resonate among adults and among older

generations Commonalities in responses are highlighted within the opening paragraph, while responses that are particular to specific ethno-cultural communities are within the paragraphs that follow.

Among Afro-diasporic communities interviewed religion, and art practices that are often considered tradition are valued. There is a bit of a reluctance from older generations to pass on arts and culture, and there is a devaluing of the importance of art for many reasons such as; the arts not being a viable career where they are from, a repression of arts and culture during particular political climates, arts and culture currently clashing with religion, as well as a romanticizing of arts and culture as tradition that is meant to stay the same, due to a sense of loss that comes from being within the Diaspora. Arts and cultural practices valued by youth and older generations across the ethno-cultural communities interviewed are oral art forms such as music, and poetry as well as cooking, and activities that promote family and community engagement.

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b) Research Participants Othniel Litchmore Staff at Rexdale Employment Services Kevin Ormsby Artistic Director of Kashedance Khadra Ali Co-founder of Gashanti Unity and former Director of Community Movement Strategies at Schools Without Borders Amina Yassin Omar Managing Director of Art Starts Neighbourhoods, and former Executive Director of the Somali Youth Association of Toronto Alpha Abebe Program Manager for Youth Programs at the Mastercard Foundation and CoFounder of Young Diplomats Ayderus Alwai Executive Director of Beyond the Lyrics Nabil Shash Former Chair of Beyond the Lyrics, volunteer with Sound the Horn and Admin and Finance Coordinator for Nia Centre for the Arts Dahab Hagos United Way’s City Leaders Coordinator and leader within the Eritrean Youth Coalition Aharon Joseph Staff of Grass Youth Collaborative and leader within the Eritrean Youth Coalition Temesgen Hagos Participant within the Eritrean Youth Coalition Hasha Alexander Black Action Defense Committee’s Youth Outreach Worker for Lawrence Heights Wilton Hall City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry and Recreation Youth Outreach Worker for Lawrence Heights Wayne Duhaney New Heights Health Centre, Mental Health and Community Services, Harm Reduction Officer Kwasi Kafaele Former Director of Corporate Diversity at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Youth Participants of Supporting Our Youth’s Black Queer Youth Group

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Afro-Diasporic

[af-roh-dahy-as-por-ik] (adj.)

– NIA Centre for the Arts staff – circa.,2011

“peoples of African descent who have been racialized as black in the North American context.”

Contact Us: Nia Centre for the Arts P: 416 535 2727 F: 416 907 4805 E: info@niacentre.org Join our Facebook Group Follow us on Twitter: @NiaCentre Visit our blog: www.niacentre.org