6 May
Asian and Jewish heritage month events. Poetry in Dutch. An Anishinaabe artist exhibits her work beyond the AGO. The German jazz group Subtone plays at the Rex. Jewish, Christian and Muslim clerics have a stimulating discussion. Our Irish theatre gives a special performance. The Textile Museum shows some stunning Japanese kimonos.
A book launch helps explain what’s happening in Korea today. Our Public Library has an international comic arts festival and gives Yiddish lessons. Palestinians rally; Japanese Buddhists show a helpful film. Talk by art historian Noah Charney about lost art. An Irish Ceili benefits a home for victims of human trafficking.
These are just a few of the events in our multicultural city for free or almost free. Do I expect you to go to any of them? It would be good if you could but knowing that our city is full of these opportunities makes me happy that I’m living here. I might not agree with all the politics, but I’m glad we are able to express them here without fear.
Asia. China. Opening Ceremony of Asian Heritage Month Festival & Asian Heritage Month Art and Photo Exhibitions. May 9. 7pm. Free. Metro Hall Rotunda, 55 John Street. Presentations and workshops on Unity in Diversity: Fusion of Communities in Canada. Photographs by members of the Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto (CCPST). Talks. Exhibition: May 1 – May 10. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/asian-heritage-month-opening-ceremony-tickets-44838685716
Dutch. Netherlands. Author, illustrator and performer Joke van Leeuwen presents poems (in Dutch). May 14. 8pm. UoT Alumni Hall, 121 St. Joseph Street. Price for admission unknown. For this and other Dutch events in Ontario: http://www.dutchtreat.ca/.
First Nations. Connecting With Our First Family. Visitors are invited to attend the exhibition’s public opening. May 9. 6:30-8:30pm. Free. Community Gallery, Weston Family Learning Centre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas Street West. http://artmatters.ca/wp/2018/04/technology-takes-art-beyond-the-agos-walls/?utm_source=New+AGO+Master+List&utm_campaign=036cd043d3-AGOinsider_06-01-2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d4ab708299-036cd043d3-246029457
Germany. Jazz Ensemble Subtone. May 15. 9:30pm. $10 cover. Rex, 194 Queen St. West, http://www.therex.ca/get_content.html?id=3181&year=2018&month=05\. For ticket information: 416-598-2475.
Interfaith. 32nd Annual Interfaith Event. May 9. 7-9pm. $10. Neighbourhood Interfaith Group. Beth Tzedec, 1700 Bathurst Street. Panel Discussion on Context, Conflict, Cooperation – Interfaith Relations Past, Present and Future with Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl (Beth Tzedec Congregation); Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton (Christ Church Deer Park); Shaykh Yusuf Badat (Islamic Foundation of Toronto). Dessert Reception.
To purchase tickets: Email – admin@noorculturalcentre.ca ; Phone 416-444-7148 ext. 222. Purchase deadline: May 7, 5pm. http://northtorontointerfaith.ca/
Ireland. Toronto Irish Players presents Little Gem by Elaine Murphy. Thursday, May 10. 8pm. $15 minimum. Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley Street. For ticket reservations call 416-440-2888 or online tickets www.torontoirishplayers.com
“TIP’s acclaimed production of Little Gem has been chosen to perform at the Theatre Ontario Festival in London in May. To get this show, which is set in Dublin, on the road, we present an Open Dress Rehearsal Performance.” www.torontoirishplayers.com.
Ireland. Spring Ceili to Benefit Aurora House (a home for victims of human trafficking). May 12. 7–9pm. (Doors open at 6:30). $10 adults, $5 students at the door. Pegasus Studios, 361 Glebeholme Blvd. Dances called by Maureen Mulvey-O’Leary. All are welcome! For this and other Irish events, subscribe to Maureen Mulvey-O’Leary’s newsletter mailing list. To get on her mailing list of Irish events, register at moleary2001@rogers.com or phone 416-446-6993.
Japan. Artistry in Silk by Japanese artist, Itchiku Kubota. Exhibit on now until May 13. http://www.textilemuseum.ca/plan-your-visit/hours-admission. $6-$15. Textile Museum of Canada, 55 Centre Avenue. 416-599-5321. info@textilemuseum.ca. Thanks to Nancy Whitla for telling us about “these huge silk kimonos, some four in a row on which are painted landscapes of mountains, with texture added by tiny stitching- extremely beautiful. Hard to describe. Very intricate work and quite visionary.”
Japan. Palestine. Film Screening: Be Free. May 12. 11am-1pm; 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Tao Sangha, 375 Jane Street.
Jewish. Jewish Heritage Month. Schedule of events: http://ontariojewishheritagemonth.com/
Jewish. Ashkenaz. Komets-alef: o! Back to School at the Yiddish Kheyder. May 7-July 31, 2018. Free. Robarts Library, 130 St. George Street. “Yiddish was at one time the international language of Ashkenazic Jews (the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe and their descendants). A hybrid of Hebrew and medieval German, Yiddish takes about three-quarters of its vocabulary from German, but borrows words liberally from Hebrew and many other languages from the many lands where Ashkenazic Jews have lived.” http://www.jewfaq.org/yiddish.htm.
For more information about the school: https://www.discoveringyiddish.com/the-yiddish-kheyder
Korea. Book Launch. Patriots. Traitors and Empires with Author Stephen Gowans. May 16. 7-9pm. Donations welcome. A Different Booklist, 779 Bathurst Street at Bloor. This book is an “account of modern Korean history, written from the point of view of those who fought to free their country from the domination of foreign empires… Japanese colonialism starting in 1905 to North Korea’s current efforts to deter the threat of invasion by the United States or anybody else by having nuclear weapons…“ https://gowans.wordpress.com/2018/04/26/toronto-may-16-launch-of-patriots-traitors-empires-at-a-different-booklist/
Multicultural. Toronto Comic Arts Festival Returns to the Toronto Reference Library. May 12. 9am-5pm; May 13. 10am-5pm. Professional Development May 11. Special Events May 5-13. Some events free. 789 Yonge Street and various other venues. http://www.torontocomics.com/ 2
“ Every year for the past decade, the TCAF has brought about 20,000 fans of comics and graphic novels to the Toronto Reference Library to meet one of the greatest annual assemblies of comics authors from around the globe, to attend workshops and to mingle with their comic book compatriots.” https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/163224e317d1b728
Image from Comic-Arts-Festival website.
Multicultural. Museum of Lost Art. Talk by art historian Noah Charney. Tuesday, May 15. 7-8pm. $15-$20. Reception to follow. Royal Ontario Museum, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B. President’s Choice School Entrance on Queen’s Park. Contact: 416-586-5797 or programs@rom.on.ca.
Dr. Charney’s new book The Museum of Lost Art, will be available for sales and signing during the reception. “Celebrate Museum Month… as he delves into the vast museum of lost art, which has more masterpieces than all the world’s museums combined. Focusing on works that have been lost to theft, war and other accidents of history, this lecture will examine how 21st century museums and the stories they tell are impacted by these twists of fate.” https://www.rom.on.ca/en/whats-on/the-museum-of-lost-art. About his book: https://noahcharney.smugmug.com/Books/Museum-of-Lost-Art
Palestine. Rally for Gaza and Commemoration of 70 Years of Nakba. May 12. 1:30-3pm. 180 Bloor Street West. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/833352156872943/ and http://samidoun.net/2018/04/12-may-toronto-rally-for-gaza-and-commemoration-of-70-years-of-nakba/
Note from Ruth: TorontoMulticulturalCalendar.com chooses to promote events that encourage a feeling of community in our culturally diverse city. Mention doesn’t mean endorsement but we try to include events we think readers will find stimulating in the cultures of other groups. If you go to any of our mentioned events, please send us corrections or an account of your impressions so we will know whether or not we should promote these events in future. Please continue to send us posters. We don’t charge to post them and we don’t accept paid advertising. Post comments on “Leave a Reply” below. Email us at: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com. Subscribe to our Newsletter above.