2018 Finalists

Bios and interviews

Click on the links below to learn more about the 2018 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards finalists

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  RISE Edutainment, 2018 Finalist 

  Arts For Youth Award

  Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere (RISE) is a youth-led grassroots movement that provides opportunities and spaces for youth to develop artistically, socially, and spiritually. RISE creates safe and inclusive spaces that foster self-expression and healing through the performance arts and storytelling. RISE came from a need by young people to have a safe space to express and be themselves; to tell their stories about their lives, and their successes and challenges to inspire positive change.

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  The Power Plant, 2018 Finalist 

  Arts For Youth Award

  The Power Plant is Canada’s leading non-collecting, public art gallery dedicated exclusively to contemporary visual art from Canada and the world. It is a vital forum for advanced artistic culture, engaging diverse audiences with cutting-edge exhibitions and public programs. Power Youth began in 2014 for youth ages 12-17 in underserved communities providing access to mentorship–based arts education.

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  UforChange, 2018 Finalist 

  Arts For Youth Award

  Since its inception in 2009, UforChange has worked to ensure every young person confidently pursues a future rich with opportunity. UforChange seeks to achieve this goal through its eight month Core Arts program and drop-in arts workshops offered to racialized, LGBTQ+, newcomer and underserved youth between the ages of 16-29.

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  Ritesh Das, 2018 Finalist 

  Celebration of Cultural Life Award

  Musician, composer, and teacher Ritesh Das, founder of the Toronto Tabla Ensemble, has brought his unique musical heritage and vision to Canadian audiences for more than 25 years, through his recordings, performances and his tireless dedication to training future generations in the South Asian musical tradition at his tabla academy in Toronto

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  Ruth Howard, 2018 Finalist 

  Celebration of Cultural Life Award

  Ruth Howard is the founding Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre. She has created multi-year residencies in a series of Toronto neighbourhoods, resulting in large-scale productions and independent Offshoots. She has worked as a theatre designer and mentored many artists and organizations. Recent projects include the 2016 Touching Ground Festival, the Four Lands tour, and Round the Table, a musical meal.

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  Dan Yashinsky, 2018 Finalist 

  Celebration of Cultural Life Award

  Dan Yashinsky is a Toronto-based storyteller, writer, and community animator. He founded 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling and the Toronto Storytelling Festival. In l999 he received the Jane Jacobs Prize for his work with storytelling in the community. He has been a storyteller-in-residence at The Stop Community Food Centre, Toronto Public Library, Storytelling Toronto, and currently is the artist-in-residence at Baycrest Health Sciences, where he created the concept of "storycare."

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  Britta Johnson, 2018 Finalist 

  Emerging Artist Award

  Britta Johnson is a composer, lyricist and writer who loves living in Toronto. Her work has been produced by Canadian Stage, The Musical Stage Company, Theatre Passe Muraille, Theatre Sheridan, Ballet Moscow, Outside the March, and the Blyth Festival. She is the Crescendo Artist-in-Residence with the Musical Stage Company, which includes a commitment to produce three of her shows in three years.

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  David Norsworthy, 2018 Finalist 

  Emerging Artist Award

  David Norsworthy is a Toronto-based dance artist who is “an exceptionally lucid performer, technically impressive and articulate with choreographic detail” (Globe and Mail). As a choreographer, dancer and teacher he has worked with companies, festivals and educational institutions in Canada, the USA, Sweden, Tanzania, and Australia. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and is a recipient of the Ron Lenyk Award.

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  Jivesh Parasram, 2018 Finalist 

  Emerging Artist Award

  Jivesh Parasram is multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and facilitator of Indo-Caribbean descent. His work has played across Canada, and Internationally. He is the Artistic Producer at Pandemic Theatre and the Associate Artistic Producer at Theatre Passe Muraille. Jiv grew up in K’jipuktuk (Halifax) and currently endeavours to split his time between T'karón:to (Toronto) and the Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver).

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  Mitchell Marcus, 2018 Finalist 

  Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition

  Mitchell is the founder and Artistic & Managing Director of The Musical Stage Company. As the leading and largest not-for-profit musical theatre company in Canada, The Musical Stage Company develops and produces thought-provoking musical theatre with contemporary relevance, while building and enriching communities through musical storytelling.

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  Musicworks, 2018 Finalist 

  Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition

  Since 1978, Musicworks has been a cornerstone of Toronto’s experimental music community, evolving from an artist-driven, DIY endeavor into an internationally recognized publication that explores and showcases the innovative works, ideas, and perspectives of a diversity of Canadian artists. From its Toronto vantage point, Musicworks connects a global community through a print magazine, companion recordings, digital platforms, and outreach activities.

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  The WholeNote, 2018 Finalist 

  Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition

  Now in its 23rd year, The WholeNote is an independent, Toronto-based monthly print and online magazine, supporting live local musical culture. With 30,000 free copies per issue in print and an active website (www.thewholenote.com), we publish free event listings, reviews, columns and features, in genres from classical, new, and world music, to jazz, opera and musical theatre.