Scarborough Arts Annual Report 2021-22

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The land in which Scarborough Arts is located has been the home of Indigenous people and nations long before colonial documentation of time and is specifically the land of the Huron-Wendat, Anishnabek, Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Haudenosaunee.

We are all treaty people. Many of us have come here as settlers, immigrants, or newcomers in this generation or generations past. We also acknowledge the many people of African descent who are not settlers, but whose ancestors were forcibly displaced as part of the transatlantic slave trade against their will, and made to work on these lands. We honour and pay tribute to the ancestors of African origin and descent.

We as an organization are composed of people from various walks of life. All of us at Scarborough Arts encourage you to support and advocate for Indigenous people and communities, everywhere.

Learn more at scarborougharts.com/land-acknowledgement-resources

Front Cover Photograph: Featured Artist - Jones Howard, Indigenous Mural Making Program In Partnership with 7th Generation Image Makers and artist Mo Thunder Photo Credit: Emily Peltier, 2022

We Bring Artists to the Community and Community to the Arts.

Scarborough Arts, a not-for-profit charitable organization, serves the Scarborough community by developing, delivering, and promoting innovative arts programming and cultural initiatives in collaboration and partnership with the community.

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Manifesting Peace, artwork installation by Destinie Adelakun - Cultural Hotspot Signature Partnership 2022All that is Golden
of Contents 6 Message from the Chair, Board of Directors, Suman Roy 8 Message from the Executive Director, Derek Spooner 11 Strategic Plan and the Year Ahead 13 Our Programs & Message from the Program Team, Emily Peltier & Faith Rajasingham 20 Treasurer’s Report, Ashish Shah 23 Staff & Board of Directors 25 Funders & Community Partners
Table
Report Design by Kyle Jarencio Illustration by Sarah Alinia Ziazi

Board of Directors

It is with great pleasure that I report that Scarborough Arts (SA) continues core work in the community while forging forward with new initiatives to stimulate local economies and support artists as we recover and rebuild from COVID-19.

This includes our City of Toronto Main Street Innovation Fund and Government of CanadaFederal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario funded project, Culinary Everywhere! Food Tour Guide Training Program. We welcomed 10 graduates in the first cohort, who in pairs, integrated aspects of public art, local architecture, cultural learnings, and local food hotspots into 5 food, cultural and neighbourhood tours to promote our local communities in reengaging with public activities, and supporting economic development and recovery for local businesses. The program has been highly successful. Currently, we are developing long-term programming and funding models to begin upscaling the program. We partnered with East End Arts, Wexford Heights BIA, Greektown on the Danforth BIA, Culinaria Research Centre at UTSC, and Feed Scarborough to bring this unique program to life, driving traffic and engagement back to local artists and restaurants hard hit by COVID-19.

Over the past few years, we have experienced unforeseen challenges that have forced us to pivot in many ways, overhauling how we deliver programs and engage with our community. During COVID-19, we successfully adapted all our programs online for high-quality, accessible community engagement and connection. We developed new and significant community partnerships that we look forward to growing. As the SA office remains closed for flood repairs and AODA renovations, our team is hopeful for the future. We look forward to building our community presence through program

Message from the Chair,

engagement and activations at various locations in the local community, while we anticipate our reopening at 1859 Kingston Rd. as a fully accessible community art, cultural, and resource hub for all community members. Our dreams for an accessible community hub space are coming true through the generous support of the City of Toronto, IBI Group, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). Through the OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant that we received this year, we will be acquiring much-needed computers, film equipment, and digital software that will be publicly available when we reopen. We don’t have a concrete timeline of reopening yet, but we will keep you posted via our media channels.

In early 2023, we begin an intensive 12-24 month strategic planning and operational revitalization project that will include community consultations, and sustainable operational models. This year, we have made strides in strengthening our financial processes and policies, instilling Human Resources supports for our administrative team, and offering training and resources for our Staff and Board on accessibility, inclusive facilitation, and supporting LGBTQ2S+ people in the workplace. We have developed funding over the past 3 years, which supports ongoing Staff training and professional development as well, facilitating opportunities for lifelong learning and career development.

Intensive strategic planning activities will kick off in early 2023. We invite all our stakeholders, artists, local businesses, and grassroots collectives to join us for stimulating conversations and consultations around the objectives, directions, hopes and dreams for not only SA, but the arts and cultural scene in Scarborough for the years to come. Our objective is to conduct sustainable strategic planning as an ongoing priority at the organization, acknowledging that our community, demographics, and arts and cultural landscapes in Scarborough are “living” things, and part of broader arts and cultural

ecosystems in the GTA. Given this, we want to position ourselves on several levels including, community arts, professional artistic development and “launchpad” type programs, and clearly define precisely what we will offer to support this dynamic artistic and cultural ecosystem, and the artists and community members developing their skills, practices, networks, health, and connection to community.

Alongside you - our most valuable asset - we look forward to making 2023 a year to remember for the arts in Scarborough!

Sincerely,

Suman Roy, Chair, Board of Directors

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Message from the Executive Director

As I head into my 5th year of service at Scarborough Arts (SA), I reflect with pride on the organizational growth I have witnessed since I began in 2018. I am proud to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our Staff and Board, who have risen to the occasion and worked tirelessly this year with a singular mission in mind: to serve you, the Scarborough community, in bringing meaningful and relevant arts and cultural programs, services, and advocacy opportunities to local neighbourhoods.

This year, much of our work has included projects for the City of Toronto’s ArtworxTO initiatives, as well as supporting artists, community members, and local businesses in recovery and rebuilding amid COVID-19. SA is here to champion and facilitate artistic development and cultural engagement, spurring change, disrupting long-held colonial systems, and acting as a catalyst for civic engagement through arts and culture.

Our brilliant Staff team and Community Partners are behind our success, which is evident in the thoughtfulness, commitment and passion they bring to the table each and every day. Collectively, this has resulted in a transformative and dynamic year at SA, and for each and everyone of the people engaged in our work, mission and vision.

In October 2021 as part of ArtworxTO, Dr. Vasuki Shanmuganathan, Gnanushan Krishnapillai, and Krish Dineshkumar of the Tamil Archive Project took community members on a free art and cultural neighborhood walking tour with “Discover Agincourt’’. Guests learned about murals, artists, and people who have built our communities from the ground up over the past 250 years, shaping current cultural landscapes of North Scarborough-Agincourt. In spring 2022, Howard Tam, Ivan Liu and Muryani Kasdani of Eat More Scarborough Food Tours, took another cohort of guests on a delectable series of food, cultural and neighbourhood tours, including the Scarborough RT Stands for “Really Tasty” tour,

which of course, included the famous Warden Station Patty. To the great delight of our guests, this tour was followed by three additional walking and bus tours that explored: the art and architecture, Egyptian shawarma and bakeries along the Lawrence-Wexford corridor; Turkish, Asian and Indian cuisines and public art installations along the Golden Mile; and, histories of tea, fusion-cuisines and the Asialicious festival in North Scarborough.

Our Program Manager, Emily Peltier, led the #NoVacancy project, engaging youth artists from Toby’s Place and Royal Crown Academic School in animating local business storefronts with public artworks and video installations. Participating businesses included SR Beauty Salon, Congeetown, and Cliffside Village Books. While two of these establishments have closed due to COVID, it is evident that such programs are critical in creating economic development and engagement opportunities for local artists and businesses across Scarborough.

For the Cultural Hotspot Signature Partnership program, we collaborated with photographer, Tony Gebrehiwot, who led a group of emerging youth photographers in the INTERSECTIONS photography program. INTERSECTIONS applied the metaphor of the intersection to engage youth in critically examining how our regional and geographic locations interact and intertwine with our social memory. Themes such as racism, classism, xenophobia, misogyny, mental health, and homophobia were explored through group dialogue, technical and aesthetic training, and photographic practice. Tony and the youth photographers produced a large-scale exhibition at Kennedy and Scarborough Centre TTC stations.

We were privileged to work with Scarborough Town Centre, the site of the ArtworxTO Cultural Hub EAST. Our activations included two installations on the Scarborough Sign featuring original artworks by Curtia Wright and the youth mural-making program with 7th Generation Image Makers, featuring an anthology

mural created by Indigenous youth and led by artist-facilitator, Mo Thunder.

I am pleased to report that we have finished the fiscal year with a surplus, and as we move into a period of intensive organizational growth, strategic planning and fund development over the next 12-24 months, we invite you to engage in arts and cultural activities in Scarborough.

There’s always something happening at Scarborough Arts! As we move into 2023, a year of new opportunities for creativity, self-expression and wellness, we invite you to come out, get involved, and explore local arts and cultural offerings. And, to continue to deepen your commitment to the arts in Scarborough.

Yours in community,

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Eating our Way Through Agincourt Food Tour, a part of ArtworxTO #LocalDiscoveries joint-LASO program, Led by Howard Tam of Eat More Scarborough Food Tours; Photo by Videsh Brijpaul

Strategic Plan & The Year Ahead

In 2023, we are excited to announce a slate of online and hybrid arts programs, coupled with in-person workshops, events and activities at accessible locations across Scarborough. Our activities continue to meet the health and safety needs of COVID-19, while also providing engaging arts and cultural experiences for local communities. We continue to deliver high-quality programs as we await the reopening of our office space at 1859 Kingston Rd. Now, almost 3 years into the pandemic, we have honed and developed facilitation techniques in a digital environment, where the demand for hybrid, digital and in-person programming remains high. In the coming 2023 fiscal year, we remain committed to providing accessible programs for people of all ages to enjoy!

Accessibility Upgrades to the Scarborough Arts Building Continue in Process

Originally built in 1927, the Scarborough Arts offices experienced a severe flood in January 2021 due to a faulty HVAC system resulting in a burst pipe. Since then, we worked closely with contractors and City staff to complete the design files for the building repairs and AODA upgrades. As we work with contractors, City staff, and architects to revitalize the space, visitors can expect wider wheelchair ramps, a fully accessible washroom on the main floor, and an elevator lift. We’ll be adding a new maker’s lab in our former Board Room on the lower level, hand-washing and paint-brush-washing sinks, and a widened kitchen space for visitors to enjoy, among others.

High Quality Online and Hybrid Online/ In-Person Programming

We continue to develop our skills, in partnership with the LASOs, Nordicity and the Community Arts Canopy, to strengthen our understanding of best practices around online programs and virtual events, as well as growing our aptitudes in digital engagements. We will continue to prioritize opportunities for folks of all abilities and ages to participate in Scarborough-based programs. Stay tuned for more innovative approaches to online and in-person programs in 2023!

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Scarborough Arts Marketplace

Scarborough Arts Marketplace is our online shop which opened in March 2022. While we currently have a modest selection of items for sale, including our Big Art Books and Tote Bags, stay tuned for more merchandise, artworks, cookbooks and publications for you to enjoy in the coming months. All proceeds directly support our programs and initiatives in Scarborough!

Food, Culture and Neighbourhood Tours

After two successful projects with Eat More Scarborough Food Tours, SA is embarking on new and exciting projects to connect artists, businesses, and restaurants to the local community for sustainable economic and cultural development in recovery and rebuild amid COVID-19. Our objective is to connect people back to the community to support local businesses for the long-term by offering food, cultural, and neighbourhood tours. Guests will continue to explore the rich culinary and cultural histories in Scarborough and Toronto’s East End neighbourhoods, and get reconnected back to the local community!

Strategic Planning & Community Consultations

Scarborough Arts’ strategic planning intensive begins early 2023. Opportunities to participate in surveys, events and community consultations will be released in Spring 2023. Based on the illuminating conversations that took place at our By Way of Community - A Scarborough Arts Symposium, a part of ArtworxTO Cultural Hubs EAST programming, we want to work to galvanize and unite the many important conversations and activities currently happening across Scarborough. Explorations on cultural hubs, coalition building, and wellness, have planted the seeds for what we hope is a transformative movement in arts and cultural development and advocacy in Scarborough. We want to expand and continue to develop the profile and impact Scarborough arts and artists make in the world today alongside our community.

“Building Back Stronger”

Strategy

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Continued Alignment with the City’s 10 Year Public Art

SA continues to align with the goals and strategies of the City of Toronto, the City’s Public Art Strategy 2020/2030, the TORR Report, the Economic Development and Culture Divisional Strategy 20182022, and such programs as ArtworxTO, Cultural Hotspot, Toronto Urban Health Fund, etc. These City programs and pandemic recovery initiatives continue to support arts, culture and economic development and growth, aligning with SA’s goal to provide programs, training and mentorship opportunities for Scarborough artists, local businesses, grassroots collectives, and many more in the coming year.

Page 13 Photograph: Artist Raoul Olou leading an En Plen Air gouache painting class at Rosetta McClain Gardens, part of COMMUNITY+Connects; Photo by Emily Peltier
17,119 Social Media Followers 209 Artists Engaged 11 Public Performances 100+ Workshops+ Online Talks/ Exhibitions 275,000+ Visits to the Scarborough Sign 6 Exhibitions Programs 13 16 Seniors Engaged 6 Wards Served 58 Youth Mentored + Employed

Message from the Program Manager

This year, I reflect on the memories of programs we delivered, events enjoyed by the community, our members and patrons, and the network of connections we have made. I am filled with joy, pride, and gratefulness to be part of a continually growing, thriving team. Despite COVID-19, Scarborough Arts’ (SA) programming advancements are made possible by the tireless work of our Staff, Board, volunteers, members, patrons, partners, and the community. I would like to acknowledge our exceptional new team members, Faith Rajasingham and Sarah Alinia Ziazi, who, in a short time, have become invaluable members of SA through their level of experience, community connections, and creative talents.

SA services a unique area of Toronto with many people and communities from a wide range of lived experiences - and lots of Scarborough pride! We want to be a mirror of the Scarborough community through all-ages, culturally-specific programs and spaces that reflect the needs and experiences of all. As public-health regulations have lifted and the world has opened up, our programming objectives have pivoted to providing high-quality programming for participants of all ages and levels of experience both online, and in-person. Our programs continue to fill service delivery gaps and support local economies, businesses, artists, and community members.

Our EAST H.E.A.R.T. 2SLGBTQ+ 3-Year youth program, funded by the Toronto Urban Health Fund, has successfully finished its second year of programming. Led by Youth Coordinator, Jega Delisca, youth participants developed digital art and animation skills while receiving facilitation, training and and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing on topics in 2SLGBTQ+ sexual health, well-being, HIV/STI prevention, and healthy relationships. This program is necessary in Scarborough as there are too few 2SLGBTQ+ youth programs available, with an additional gap in 2SLGBTQ+ sexual health

education in the Ontario School Curriculum, at present. community and health studiesindicate that when access to life-saving services, including trans-specific health care, mental health services, and social groups, are not available for youth, they are statistically at a higher risk for STI/HIV contraction, loneliness, and poor mental health. As we move into Year 3, this community-led intervention will continue to provide needed peer-to-peer support while increasing the resiliency of 2SLGBTQ+ youth in the Scarborough community.

As a part of the much-celebrated ArtworxTO: Cultural Hubs EAST programming, we had the opportunity to provide widely attended public art programs through the Scarborough Sign. With the installation, “Out For A Stroll,” Scarborough-born artist, Curtia Wright, provided audiences at Scarborough Town Centre with a colorful glimpse into the natural world of Scarborough while celebrating memories of the Scarborough Town Centre, shared collectively by many who grew up here. Through generous new partnerships, the summer months of 2022 saw Indigenous youth artists building their skills in large-scale mural-making through the mentorship of local artist, Mo Thunder. This program was made possible in partnership with 7th Generation Image Makers. Set against the backdrop of beautiful Scarborough summer skies, in partnership with Feed Scarborough, the artists painted outdoors at the Scarborough Junction Community Farm in Scarborough-Southwest.

As Curtia Wright’s work on the Scarborough Sign highlighted the natural world of Scarborough, the Eat More Scarborough Food Tours and Tamil Archive Project brought our community members to the people, businesses, and food of Scarborough. As our mission states - “we bring

artists to the community, and community to the arts”. Our public art, food and cultural tours included five ArtworxTO #LocalDiscoveries tours, Maps of these tours created by Daniel Rotsztain, The Urban Geographer, and the Discover Agincourt and Scarborough RT Stands for “Really Tasty” Self-Guided Tours, still available on the Driftscape app. Installations for #NoVacancy, a part of ShowLoveTO, highlighted the unique offerings of Scarborough’s dynamic neighborhoods. As we continue to grow and build programs rooted in economic and cultural development, we will also continue to expose the public to new artworks by emerging Scarborough artists.

As always, I will end with a heartfelt thank you to all our patrons, supporters, funders, Board Members, volunteers, and of course, our Staff. Our collective, ongoing advocacy for the Scarborough community ensures the success, well-being, and expansion of the creative talents of all who access our services.

Be well and take care,

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Message from the Program Coordinator

Hello everyone! Allow me to formally introduce myself - my name is Faith Rajasingham and I am the Program Coordinator at Scarborough Arts. These past 3-4 months with the team have been some of the most fulfilling months in my professional career. I jumped into the Programming Team wide-eyed and filled with visions for our future. As an organization that embeds our programs with love and care for the communities we serve, I am incredibly excited to see where we go in the next few years. Scarborough is no ordinary place. This, we know. It is filled with philosophers, creators, builders, and so much more! Our future, as a community-centric organization is to create spaces so that all these pluralities can thrive. Therefore, it is my personal goal as Program Coordinator to make Scarborough Arts a household name - one that is recognizable as an advocate for your everyday, locally-produced, homegrown artists. I sincerely look forward to working with more of you in the near future to continue harvesting spaces of community that is uniquely Scarborough.

With much gratitude,

Faith

Program Coordinator

“The COMMUNITY+Connects: Online program has made it possible for me to connect with new students in my area, grow my self-esteem to apply for Grants and other programs. The participants in return have become friends! It really has Connected the Community.”

Laurie Poirier, Facilitator, COMMUNITY+Connects: Online: Chainmaille Jewelry Making

“It was really amazing and exciting to be working with Scarborough Arts. Through their support, we were able to build out our food tour guide training program and offer free community food, culture and neighbourhood tours to local residents that honoured the Scarborough food scene and brought more attention to our amazing restaurants!”

Howard T. Tam, Partner, Eat More Scarborough Food Tours

“As our community tends to be neglected in arts and policy spaces, the Symposium helped me connect with community members and learn about the important community-led initiatives that exist in Scarborough.”

Rahul Balasundaram, Scarborough Arts Presents: By Way of CommunityA Scarborough Symposium.

As part of ArtworxTO

AGINCOURT FOOD, CULTURE & NEIGHBOURHOOD TOUR

SCARBOROUGH SIGN

Our Programs 2021-2022

PROGRAMS & EDUCATION

• ArtworxTO #LocalDiscoveries joint LASO public art re source website

• COMMUNITY+Connects: Online - 2021-2022

• COMMUNITY+Connects: Online Satellite Partnership with Workman Arts, Yr. 1

• East of Tarragon, Educational Program Partnership with Tar ragon Theatre and playwright, Chelsea Woolley: Playwriting With Restrictions, Write Your Own Adventure: Text-Based Video Game Design Course

• System Update - EAST: H.E.A.R.T. 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Program, Yr. 2

PUBLIC ART ENGAGEMENTS & EXHIBITIONS

• SCARBOROUGH Sign: My Seat At The Table, In partnership with Scarborough Food Security Initiative, As part of ArtworxTO - Out for a Stroll, Curtia Wright, on the SCARBOROUGH SIGN, As part of ArtworxTO - Indigenous Youth Mural Making Program with 7th Generation Images Makers and Mo Thunder on the SCARBOROUGH Sign

• Cultural Hotspot Signature Partnership: INTERSECTIONS with Tony Gebrehiwot

• Driftscape App Self-Guided Tours

• Discover Agincourt Self-Guided Tour

• A Cross-town Cultural Cruise on Scarborough’s LRT Line!

• Clark Centre for the Arts, Dear Queer Scarborough Exhibition

• 36th Annual Juried Exhibition, New Depths

• Big Art Book 8

ADVOCACY & COMMUNITY SUPPORT

• Community Arts Canopy - Town Hall & Survey (with Arts Etobicoke, East End Arts, Lakeshore Arts, North York Arts, UrbanArts, Jumblies, Vibe Arts, SKETCH, and ArtStarts in partnership with Neighbourhood Arts Network)

• Community Food Garden - in Partnership with and Led by Feed Scarborough

• Pollinator Garden - Partnership with Birchcliff Butterflyway

• Saudade Film, produced by Riverbed Entertainment

• Scarborough Arts Marketplace

• Black Women Film! Black Girls Film Camp

• 360 Stories: The Land of Scarborough Adventures Program and Book Launch Project Partner

• Scarborough (2021) - Compy Films (project partner)

• Flourish Research Cluster of Scholarly Prominence: Arts, Wellness, Community - University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), Community Research Partner

• Mentor-in-Residence Program, Neighbourhood Arts Network (Mentor: Derek Spooner)

ALL THAT IS GOLDEN
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Catherine Hernandez and Compy Films addressing the cast, crew and family members of the film, “Scarborough” (2021) at Scarborough Arts Photo by Kyle Jarencio

INTERSECTIONS

Tony Gebrehiwot’s Cultural Hotspot Signature Partnership youth photography exhibition launch at Kennedy Station;
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Photo by Nithursan Elamuhilan

Treasurer’s Report

I am thrilled to report to you on Scarborough Arts’ financial results for the year ended June 30, 2022.

Reflecting back, it has been an incredibly busy year as the Scarborough Arts team has worked tirelessly to maintain robust legacy programming, add dynamic new initiatives all while we collectively manage external market forces including rising inflation and interest rates.

Despite these pressures, the team and community have truly stepped up to deliver continuous, quality programming for the community when they needed it the most. Be it the introduction of the Scarborough Food Tours program or continuation of the Healthy Arts for Seniors program dating back to 2013, Scarborough Arts as an organization consciously strives to strike the balance between old school vs. new school, vintage vs. innovative, or legacy vs. modern programming to serve all walks of life that make up the fabric of our community today.

As the year wrapped up with whispers of broader economic uncertainty or a looming possible recession, Scarborough Arts has yet again turned a net profit. This marks the 3rd consecutive year of net surplus representing a fundamental and positive shift in the way Scarborough Arts operates and now manages finances through a lens of stability, self-sustainability, and building reserves for long-term growth plans.

The organization’s total revenue for fiscal 2021-2022 was $601,279, while total expenses were $559,331, resulting in a net income of $41,948. The majority of revenue continues to stem from government grants and assistance (87%). Total expenses were composed of Programs (60%), and Administration (40%). Scarborough Arts shall be undergoing a strategic review, including a critical look at fund development in 2023 to continue diversifying funding sources as we have already begun to do.

An organization’s current ratio (calculated as current assets over current liabilities) is an indicator of an ability to pay down any short term obligations at a point in time, where any ratio over 1 is considered positive. With a ratio this year of 2.60, Scarborough Arts continues to demonstrate strong financial standing.

As part of the leadership and governance oversight for Scarborough Arts I am personally very excited by the year to come and sincerely thank all the contributors to the organization’s success, from our volunteers and members, to our passionate broader community.

Financial results for Scarborough Arts are prepared by bookkeepers and are fairly presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. These financial results have been audited by our external auditors, Hogg, Shain & Sheck.

Condensed Balance Sheet on June 30

Condensed Statement of Operations for the Year Ended June 30

Condensed Statement of Changes in Net Assets for the Year Ended June 30

Scarborough Arts Core Staff Photo by Videsh Brijpaul
2020-2021 Staff & Board of Directors Core Staff Derek Sponer, Executive Director Amanda Singh, Administrative & Operations Coordinator Emily Peltier, Program Manager Faith Rajasingham, Program Coordinator Sarah Alinia Ziazi, Marketing & Communications Coordinator Kyle Jarencio, Social Media & Marketing Specialist Project Staff Tony Gebrehiwot, Program Coordinator, Cultural Hotspot Signature Partnership, INTERSECTIONS Tara Dorey, Program Coordinator (Summer 2021)ArtworxTO & Cultural Hubs: EAST Jah Grey, Project Coordinator - ArtworxTO & Cultural Hubs EAST Mariam Magsi, Project CoordinatorHealthy Arts for Seniors: Cooking Up Feminism! Shennel Simpson, Youth Program AssistantCultural Hotspot Signature Partnership ProgramAll that is Golden Scarborough Arts Staff 2021 Canada Summer Jobs Issaq Ahmed, Program Assistant Nadine Rifai, Program Assistant Kyle Jarencio, Marketing Assistant Sarah Alinia Ziazi, Marketing Assistant 2022 Canada Summer Jobs Shaun Fernandes, Program Assistant Rainee Nelson, Program Assistant Alysse Mills, Marketing Assistant Canada Summer Jobs Team Suman Roy, Chair Ashish Shah, Treasurer Daniela Paolantonio, Mathura Karunanithy, Johnny Zhang, Kesava Kumar, Derek Spooner, Board of Directors Jega Delisca, Youth Coordinator Sky-Ravinn Ffrench, Peer Mentor Kyana Graham, Peer Mentor Rainee Nelson, Peer Mentor EAST: H.E.A.R.T. Program 2020-23 Victor Wong, Designer Marla Hlady, Advisor Greg Hefford, Consultant Kyler Jones, Engineer, Mirkwood Engineering Scarborough Sign Creative Team Victor Wong, Lorena Salome, Nabiha Rizvi, Claudia Wong, Louis Wang, Shirin Karoubi, and Patrick Atienza Scarborough Sign Build Team, University of Toronto Scarborough 23

The Scarborough Arts team would like to honour the wonderful spirit and dynamic life of City of Toronto Councillor, Cynthia Lai.

Cynthia was an ambitious trailblazer and community leader who led an incredible life and career. A true “go-getter”, she held vast experience across many sectors, from her role as bank teller to flight attendant, tour guide to lab technician, real estate broker and relocator for the Canadian Forces, all before being appointed as City Councillor for Ward 23Scarborough North. Cynthia was someone who turned dreams into actions and worked hard to bring opportunities and relief to her constituents and peers.

Her commitment to the community is evident in her philanthropic efforts and volunteer activities for many organizations such as Spirit of Life, Daisy of Hope, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, United Way of Greater Toronto, Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, Centre for Immigrant and Community Services, Toronto General Hospital, Mon Sheong Foundation, Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity GTA.

She was the kind of leader that had an unwavering sense of direction and fierce determination to deliver initiatives that would benefit and push Scarborough residents forward. She was an unshakeable force, always with a smile and ready to laugh. Our team holds fond memories of working with her over the past few years, and recently, on the AsialiciousTO festival and Scarborough Sign initiatives.

We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to her family, friends and loved ones and will continue to follow her three tenets in life, “Work hard, Live well & Give back”. Cynthia, you will be missed.

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In Memoriam Councillor Cynthia Lai, Ward 23Scarborough North

Funders & Community Partners

Thank you to the community partners, sponsors, and service agencies who worked with us this past year, allowing us to elevate our programs, engage with new audiences, and extend our organization’s reach.

Our Operating Funders

Project Funders

City of Toronto

#NoVacancy

#ShowLoveTO

ArtworxTO

ArtworxTO - Cultural Hubs EAST with special thanks to Jenn Goodwin, Jaclyn Quaresma, and the Spoken Soul Collective Clark Centre for the Arts - Opening Exhibition - Dear Queer Scarborough

Cultural Hotspot - Signature Partnership 2021 - Tony Gebrehiwot’s INTERSECTIONS

Cultural Hotspot - Signature Partnership 2022 - All that is Golden PollinateTO

Toronto Urban Health Fund (TUHF) - EAST: H.E.A.R.T. (Health, Education, Art, Resilience, Together)

Foundations

J.P. Bickell Foundation MakeWay Foundation (formerly Harbinger Foundation)

PayPal Giving Fund TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Tides Canada / East Scarborough Storefront

Corporate Scarborough Toyota Municipal Delta Downsview Bingo & Gaming | OLG Provincial Ontario Trillium Foundation - Resilient Communities Fund

Federal Employment and Social Development CanadaCanada Summer Jobs Employment and Social Development CanadaNew Horizons for Seniors Program Government of Canada - Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

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Media Partners

CTV News at 6

OMNI Filipino Scarborough Mirror The Bluffs Monitor Toronto.com Toronto Multicultural News Network Toronto Tamil Radio

Co-Producing Partners

7th Generation Image Makers, Native Child and Family Services

Black Women Film! Cliffside Village Books Compy Films Congeetown

Curtia Wright

Daniel Rotsztain, The Urban Geographer Driftscape App

Eat More Scarborough! Food Tours

Feed Scarborough / The Scarborough Food Security Initiative

Francine Freeman Mo Thunder Next Stop Productions Oxford Properties

Pattison Outdoor Advertising Royal Crown Academic School SR Beauty Salon

Tamil Archive Project

The Culinaria Research Centre at UTSC The Greektown on the Danforth BIA

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

The Wexford Heights BIA

Toby’s Place

Tony Gebrehiwot

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) - Healthy Arts for Seniors: Newcomer & Refugee Program

Wexford Heights BIA Workman Arts

Corporate Supporters

Above Ground Art Supplies

Art Gallery of Ontario Cineplex Entertainment Curry’s Art Supplies Deserres

Home Depot #7001 KPMG

Scarborough Spots Scarborough Town Centre The Birchcliff Coffee Bar XVXY Photography

Community Partners

Agincourt Mall

Agincourt Village Community Association (ACSA) AIDS Committee of Durham Region

Alicia Reid

Anique Jordan

Anthony Gebrehiwot Arts Etobicoke

ARTSIDEOUT

ArtStarts

BGC of East Scarborough Birchcliff Butterfly Way Birchcliff Neighbourhood Community Centre Birkdale Arts Festival Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention Black Women Film! Canada Council for the Arts

Carol Baker, Birkdale Arts Festival - Cherry Blossoms Event

Catherine Hernandez

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre Centennial College

Chelsea Woolley Chester Le Community Corner Cliffside Village Books Community Arts Canopy Community Arts Guild Community Impact Consulting, with special thanks to Parul Pandya and Sienna Pandya-James

Compy Films

Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA)

Curtia Wright

Daniel Rotzstain, The Urban Geographer Diana Nazareth Diriye Hassan

Dr. Vasuki Shanmuganathan East End Arts

East Scarborough Storefront Eat More Scarborough! Food Tours Elicsir Elliot Ella Cooper Esmond Lee

Feed Scarborough / Scarborough Food Security Initiative

Friends of Guild Park Gnanushan Krishnapillai

Greektown on the Danforth BIA Guild Alive with Culture Howard Tam Ivan Liu Jess Bozzo

Jonathan Vallely, Broken Pencil Jumblies Theatre

Kerolos Saleib KPMG

Krish Dinsehkumar Lakeshore Arts

Laurie Poirier

L’Amoureaux Community Recreation Centre Maithily Uthayasangar Mariam Magsi

Marjan Verstappen

Michèle Pearson Clarke Mural Routes

Muryani Kasdani

Neighbourhood Arts Network

Next Stop Productions and Stephanie de Bem

North York Arts

Oxford Properties

Phoenix Academy of the Arts

Planned Parenthood

Raoul Olou

RISE Edutainment

Riverbed Entertainment Sayword Artforms

Scarborough Bluffs Community Association (SBCA), with special thanks to Val Bibb Scarborough Business Association (SBA)

Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU)

Scarborough Civic Centre, with special thanks to Katheeshan Ramachandran & Team

Scarborough Community Renewal Organization (SCRO)

Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO)

Scarborough Spots Scarborough Town Centre

Scarborough Walk of Fame Scarbrite Collective Seniors Write SKETCH

Spoken Soul Collective STEPS Initiative Story Planet Tamil Archive Project Tarragon Theatre Téa Mutonj

The Culinaria Research Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)

The Reading Partnership - 360 Stories Program The University of Toronto Scarborough Toby’s Place

Toronto Arts Council Toronto Zoo

UrbanArts

Vibe Arts Toronto Wandy Cheng Wave Art Collective Wexford Heights BIA Workman Arts

XVXY Photography

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