Throughout history, personal and global crises have been the reason for waves of influential and meaningful art. As Toronto and the world navigate through the current crisis felt by everyone, many people look for ways to reflect on their experiences and express some of the confined emotions.
Art can play a valuable role in empowering people to deal with their changing lives while also producing inspiring pieces of artwork. However, with theatre filled with empty seats and art exhibits put on pause, pursuing art professionally during a crisis can lead to new layers of struggle and frustration. To help navigate some of these themes and questions, Hart House’s Demo team and Debates and Dialogue Committee brings together a group of esteemed artists to share their experiences.
This group of artists, each well-known within their fields, will speak on the value of art in crisis and give tips on how to navigate challenging times while sticking to one’s artistic pursuits, whether professional or recreations.
Guest Speakers
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SpeakerColton Curtis
Actor
Colton Curtis is an actor from Canada's East Coast. Curtis has trained in Canada, the U.S. and Italy while performing with Charlottetown Festival, The Shaw Festival, and, most recently, the Stratford Festival. Since starting at the Stratford Festival in 2016, Curtis has performed in “A Chorus Line” at the Stratford Festival. Since then, he has been in “Guys and Dolls”, “HMS Pinafore”, “The Music Man”, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Billy Elliot”. Colton also launched his photography business in July of 2020, and his work can be seen on instagram & Facebook.
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SpeakerNathalie Bertin
Artist
Nathalie Bertin is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist from Toronto with roots in Michilimackinac & Nipissing. Bertin’s current body of work focuses on positive images of indigenous people as a means of confronting their romanticized depictions as seen throughout art history. She focuses especially on the women role models who have had an impact on her. Bertin’s art has been featured in exhibits and galleries across the country. She recently co-founded this new Breathe project during the pandemic that brought into discussion Indigenous experiences and resilience and the history of pandemics and plague.
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SpeakerSabby Sousa
Singer
Sabby Sousa, the self-proclaimed “queen of Floss Pop,” has been releasing melodic bops since 2016. With fan favourites such as "Cloud Boy" and "Xanax" the singer plays around with dreamy lyricism, metaphors and melodies dripping of sweetness. Sousa released her breakout “Cream n’ Frosting” in late 2019, which saw success on Tik Tok. It was produced by rising production duo, House of Wolf (Cheat Codes, Carlie Hanson). The song sits at 3 million streams on Spotify, and she has now signed with Crowned Records — an imprint of 300 Entertainment. Her sound is jubilant, bouncy, juicy, and catchy. She sees the “Floss Pop'' genre as something to be adopted by others, and a way of marking her place in the pop world. Get ready for what she calls a bubblegum infusion of new music, set to be released in late 2020!
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Tynomi Banks
Drag Entertainer
With over a decade of experience, Tynomi Banks is a world class Drag Entertainer. Recognized best for her full production performances, Banks dominates a stage while radiating a powerful, but playful energy. Her hustle led her to become the first Drag Entertainer to perform in Toronto’s Dundas Square during World Pride 2014. Tynomi Banks was also featured in international campaigns with Netflix and Ikea. In 2019, she became the first Drag Entertainer to be the trophy bearer at the 7th Annual Canadian Screen Awards. You can also catch Tynomi Banks on Season 1 of Canada's Drag Race on Crave!