Toronto’s Best Queer Performers Celebrate Black History Month

TORONTO, Ontario – The popular monthly open mic series, WRITE ON!, presents its first Black History Month Showcase featuring neo-soul singer/songwriter Ashley Bea on February 27, 6:30-10 p.m. at The 519 Church Street Community Centre in Toronto.

WRITE ON! is a monthly open mic nite series that was launched in winter 2013. The series provides a community-based performance platform for queer artists of colour.

Backed by hip hop/jazz ensemble, THE FLOW, Ashley Bea writes and performs music about love and the human experience. The evening of music, poetry, dance, comedy and dialogue, co-hosted by spoken word phenom Naomi Abiola and triple threat Twysted, will feature several queer artists of colour.

Also performing will be some of Toronto’s best queer creative minds: recording artist Troy Jackson, Sedina Fiati, playwright/poet Kwame Stephens, dancer Joy Adjemian, burlesque performer Coco La Crème, poet Kirk DeMatas, comedian Zena Lord, singer Ryan Graham Hinds, drag performer Jada Hudson and DJ Dickie.

The showcase will close with an open mic and will be preceded by a panel discussion focused on encouraging the creation of Black queer art and culture in Toronto. The panellists, including DJ Nik Red, Travoyintheflesh, Polly of PollyPerryCo and others, will examine the supports that are necessary to further develop Black queer arts and culture in Canada’s largest city.

“There is tremendous talent in Toronto’s people of colour queer community and we’ve assembled the best for one evening of fierce, freestyle performance and dialogue. This event is the first of its kind and not to be missed,” says Akhaji Zakiya, writer and producer of WRITE ON! and moderator of the panel discussion.

WRITE ON! Black History Month Showcase is part of the TD Then & Now Black History Month Series, curated by Black Artists in Dialogue Network (BAND).

Tickets are $10 advance, $15 door. For more information about WRITE ON! events, please visit @writeonopenmic and facebook.com/writeonopenmic.