Film Screening/Onyx Cinema Night & Live Performances @ OCAD University, Toronto, ON - Sun Mar 3rd!

COME OUT FOR AN ANOTHER FREE INSPIRATIONAL NIGHT
where we will be screen short films and having an inspirational
talk with local professional artist with amazing live performances
at OCAD University (100 McCaul St.), Toronto, ON
in ROOM 190

From 6p - 10p

Admission:  FREE!

with Mark "Kurupt" Stoddart (Artist\Designer\Entrepreneur\ LIWI)
www.liwi68.com
Theme: Not forgetting your Roots\Routes

Special Performance by Esie Mensah & Kobena Aquaa-Harrison

About the featured facilitating Artist of the night
Mark "Kurupt" Stoddart was born in Nottingham, U.K., and moved to Toronto with his family at the age of seven. As a graduated from Sheridan College hebecame a graphic designer, adopting the alias “Kurupt.” He later returned to his true calling which was painting through that medium it reflected his passion for sports, black cinema, and music. work has since been exhibited at several galleries and private events around Toronto, and his portfolio of paintings of Jazz icons have received widespread acclaim.
· liwi68.com

About the performers
Esie Mensah is a professional dancer and choreographer to the Canadian industry. She has built an extensive resume that includes an appearance in the Shawn Desman's Alive movie, Coca Cola’s“Freestyle” commercial and Walt Disney film“Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam”. Esie has danced for industry icons such as Jannelle Monae, Deborah Cox, Anjulie, Flo Rida at the MuchMusic Video Awards, and many more. Appeared in videos by Cascada, Jully Black, Keisha Chante, Shamar Forte, Lauren Pritchard, Anjulie Grammy Award winner Nelly Furtado.

Travelled to China on a dance contract with SDT Dance Company performing on live television with recording artists across the country. Competed and placed within the top 100 dancers onSYTYCD Canada Season one, two and debuted her AfroHouse choreography on season four! Performed on stage with the hit South African musical Umoja! Choreographer for World Vision Canada’s “The Other Side of the River” a new youth musical emerging across Canada. Esie is the co-choreographer of Artists in Motion, winners of MuchMusic’s Best Dance Crew sponsored by Xbox Kinect. Apart of the Urban burlesque group “Urbanesque” and traditional African company “Lua Shayenne and Co.”
http://esiemensah.tumblr.com/

Fumu Jahmez is a performing artist who specializes as a dancer, singer, poet, and writer. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this multi-talented individual strives to create, unite and inspire. He arrived in Canada at an early age and quickly demonstrated a passion for the arts with a strong focus on dance. His dance training began in Quebec city where he was trained in jazz under Michèle Carrier. He later became a member of the group Elektric Dance where he toured throughout the Quebec region. He has performed with Congolese artists such as Papa Wemba and Ray Lema. He moved to Toronto in 1993 and entered the Toronto arts scene performing at an open mic event where he utilized his gifts as a dancer, poet and singer. In 2009 Fumu self produced his third show at the Revival Stone Lounge that included open act artists Telmary from Cuba Justine Gogoua from Ivory Coast, Donné Roberts from Madagascar, and a seven piece band along with three back up singers and five dancers. He has worked with a variety of artists and dance companies including; Nouvel Exposé, Subliminal, Waleed Abdulhamid, CanaAfric Theatre, Akwaba, Fojeba, Ngoma Ensemble and more recently he often performs with Red Slam Collective. Fumu has been able to put his choreographic skills to work has he choreographed a Congolese piece for newly put together group “Beyond Sound Empijah”. It is with that same group that the piece was featured in the Emancipation festival in Georgetown, Guyana in 2011. Fumu has completed one year as an apprentice performer with COBA (Collective of Black artists) and is now focusing on taking his career to the next level with a music album to be released in 2013. He recently performed his original material with a five piece band at this year's Afrofest. The sky is the limit for this emerging artist.
http://fumujahmez.com/en/

Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison is a creative catalyst. Back in high school, HIS MUSIC TEACHER CALLED HIM AN ENIGMA. He responded, "a nig-what?" he has since become a MULTI-MEDIA MAVEN IN CANADA where he is based for half of each year. The consumate performer is the founder and artistic director of MICHÈZO! INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, an annual island celebration of african games and culture. It is fitting the he was recently made music director of the TORONTO AFRICAN FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL (2009). His work in MUSIC (performance, production, promo), FILM (music & acting), RADIO (host), PRINT (writer), TELEVISION (jingles) and THEATRE (music) makes him renoun as a multi-talented specialist - "IT'S ALL THE SAME TO ME - SPIRIT, SPACE, ENERGY, TEXTURE, WORD, SOUND..... VIBES"
www.myspace.com/kobe.aah
www.michezofestival.com


About
Onyx Cinema Series is a chance for the public, most specifically young people to come and watch films that are focused on artist(s) and artisan(s) of the African diaspora and their work. These series of nights will also be complimented with a discussion or activity with renown Artists that will shed light on their own stories and their correlation to the theme of the night as well as the featured film and the nights will be seasoned with some engaging live performances.

About
The Onyx Society at OCADU (OSO) is a student run organization first conceived in 2010. The organizations purpose is to provide a sense of community, and support network for students of African descent as well as those interested in being members. Within OSO , students will have the ability to easily network and collaborate with those in other disciplines at the University. We also have another aspect called OSO Collective which extends to the community outside of the University like other collaborators, alumni and people who are interested in supporting the arts who wish to contribute to the cause.