Arts Ahead Presents LOST, FOUND AND UNBOUND: EXPLORING OVERLOOKED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTS ENGAGEMENT

Centennial College's annual student-run symposium, Arts Ahead, will present the first in-person edition since the pandemic on the theme Lost, Found and Unbound: Exploring Overlooked Opportunities for Arts Engagement, running February 15, 2023, at Society Clubhouse in Toronto.

Through a series of panel sessions and workshops with industry professionals, this event will explore overlooked opportunities for arts engagement in an ever-changing world, identify creative channels for audience development, and discuss efforts to break industry barriers, especially concerning accessibility, diversity, and equity.

Arts Ahead 2023 will host panelists across various arts disciplines and through the lens of urban planning. A panel, "Art in Unexpected Places", will gather Anjuli Solanki of STEPS Public Art; Anna Gallagher-Ross from the Bentway; and Rui Pimenta of Arts Spin. Together, they will explore new and exciting ways to use art to reclaim public spaces and disrupt everyday routines.

"Breaking Barriers", a second panel, will provide an opportunity to hear the perspectives of Deanna Cadette, talent and industry advisor for Warner Bros. Discovery; Ilter Ibrahimof co-Founder and Artistic Director of Fall for Dance North; and Keshia Palm, Artistic Producer, Paprika Festival, as they discuss creative avenues to improve accessibility, diversity, and equity.

"Pitch, Please!" will be a "Walrus Talks"-style forum that will reflect on the importance of arts integration across a variety of fields, and will feature Ariana Moscote Freire of Ontario Creates; Christina Giannelia of North York Arts; Jasmine Vanstone of TO Live; Kyla Radoja of Toronto Artscape Inc.; and Andrew Davies of Workman Arts.

Participants will enjoy a performance-based workshop, "The Art of Drag," by Miss Shay Dee, a Toronto-based drag performer, as she reveals to participants the artistic and entrepreneurial secrets behind a successful drag performance career. A second workshop on the topic, "Everyone is an Artist" will be facilitated by Mollie Garrett, playwright and dramaturg, as she guides participants to discover their abilities in creating works of art regardless of background or training.

The event will start at 10 am on February 15, 2023, and run till 4 pm, giving attendees plenty of opportunities to engage and network. In addition, there will be a silent auction and catered lunch.

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