About Us

2008:

• Nia Centre for the Arts is awarded three years of funding through the Youth Challenge Fund to build an Arts Centre dedicated to holistically supporting young people from the African diaspora through the arts.

2009-10:

• After a year of research and development, Nia moves into its first office space at 720 Bathurst St and hires its first Executive Director, Program Manager, and Communications Manager.
• We launch the Point of View workshop in Lawrence Heights & Weston-Mount Denis communities teaching young people photography.
• At this point, we are governed by a Steering Committee and our first Youth Steering Committee who together develop strategic plans to guide the organization’s future direction.

2011:

• We continued to launch new programs including: Outside the Lines program, the Media Arts program in Lawrence Heights.
• And our first international project Project Groundings in Kingston, Jamaica, in partnership with York University, Jamaica Youth Theatre, and Woodside Community Development.
• We also hosted several events to kick off a week-long commemoration of the United Nations International Year for Peoples of African Descent.
• Our first summer camp program, Footsteps to Success, was a success in partnership with the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
• We published a Community Research Report that identified the needs of Afro-Diasporic youth in Toronto and highlighted gaps in services.

2012:

• We partnered with TDSB to produce Word, Sound, Purpose, an interactive spoken word program and Learning Beyond The Walls: Education Done Differently with Dr. Carl James.
• Launched Art of Facilitation workshop series for over 30 emerging artists, that infuses arts education with presentation and facilitation skills.
• Started the Business of Our Art program in partnership with the City of Toronto working with young artists to develop and refine tools to assist in building and developing business acumen in the arts.

2013:

• Nia Centre presents a series of interactive workshops for more than 500 elementary and high school students in the Peel District School Board.
• Partnered with Onyx Society of OCAD and Northsidehiphop.ca to showcase the T-Dot Pioneers 3.0: The Future Must Be Replenished exhibit at Toronto’s SOHO Lobby Gallery.
• Nia Centre is selected to provide the official documentation team for Canadian hip hop icon, author, and actor Maestro’s 25th anniversary event.
• Working with Archie Alleyne Scholarship Foundation, we expanded their arts-based scholarships to provide financial assistance to young people pursuing post-secondary studies in arts.
• The Centre is awarded a Bhayana Family Foundation award for Innovation and Creativity.

2014:

• Nia Centre launches its Masters @ Work Series in partnership with OCADU featuring Wendy ‘Motion’ Brathwaite and Lawrence Hill.
• Nia Centre obtains charitable status.
• Nia Centre hires architectural firm Oleson Worland to support efforts to assess the capital project.

2015:

• Nia launches its first curated and juried Exhibition, Exposed 2015 Skin Deep: ReImaging the Portrait is curated by Pamela Edmonds.
• Nia launched its B-Sides Event Series focused on celebrating and promoting black music. Featured artists include hip hop pioneer Michie Mee and photographer Michael Chambers.
• Nia hosts its annual Art of Facilitation course in partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario.

2016:

• We partnered with Ryerson Fashion Zone to develop a carnival costume designed using new technology.
• Secured approval from the City to take over the building at 524 Oakwood Ave.

2017:

• Hosted BlowOut Blocko with performances by the Real Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Ammoye and more.
• We hired our first set of summer students with support from the Summer Jobs for Youth program.

2018:

• Re-designed our space to make it more useful for artists, including adding a photography studio, recording studio and co-working space.
• Launched our first Artist In Residence program providing free studio space, professional development and curatorial guidance for six emerging artists.
• Expanded our Creative Connect mentorship program.

2019:

• Hosted our first art fair, showcasing over 20 artists and 57 pieces of artwork.
• Awarded the By Blacks People’s Choice Community Arts award.