Featuring 175 Indigenous youth from 14 communities with special guests: Nimkii & the Niniis, STOiK, Plex, Jah'kota and Semiah Smith
Canada’s foremost Indigenous youth charity Outside Looking In (OLI) is pleased to announce award-winning Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi multi-disciplinary artist Tamara Podemski will produce the 17th Annual Showcase at Toronto’s Meridian Hall on Friday, May 10. The organization’s most ambitious production to date, the exhilarating two-performance showcase (11am and 7pm), will kick off with a thrilling new opening piece. Under Tamara’s creative direction, the show will have a different twist this year, calling upon the powerful messaging found in street art and murals to inspire a theatrical storyline.
The 17th Annual Outside Looking In Showcase
Returns to Toronto’s Meridian Hall, Friday, May 10
Podemski, supported by co-producer Emma Jaconello, will use her experience across all arts mediums to create an unforgettable, theatrical dance spectacular featuring 175 Inuit, Metis and First Nations students from 14 remote and urban communities, seamlessly fusing Indigenous culture, drumming and musicians, with hip-hop and street art in an embodiment of the concept “leave your mark.” Tickets are on sale at olishow.com.
An exciting lineup of leading Indigenous musicians will join the students on stage: JUNO Award-nominated musical group Nimkii & the Niniis; Indigenous band STOiK, known for their fusion of EDM and traditional Indigenous music; award-winning Ojibway Cree hip-hop artist and producer Plex; CBC Trailblazer Award recipient, Jah’kota; and Kanien’kehà:ka (Mohawk) pop electro-RnB songwriter, producer, and multidisciplinary artist Semiah Smith.
Plus, artworks by Windigo Army, an Indigenous street art and activist collective from Chippewas of Rama First Nation, will be featured throughout the show as well as custom flags representing each of the 14 Indigenous communities in the showcase.
OLI is expanding, with rising demand across the country, two new communities taking part this year (noted in bold below) and more than 30 communities currently on the waitlist to join the program. The communities taking part in the 2024 Showcase are:
- Big Island Lake Cree Nation, SK
- Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation, ON
- Garden Hill Anisininew Nation, MB
- Hamlet of Baker Lake, NU
- Long Lake #58 First Nation, ON
- Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, ON
- Pikangikum First Nation, ON
- Pinaymootang First Nation, MB
- Red Sucker Lake Anisininew Nation, MB
- St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation, MB
- Tataskweyak Cree Nation, MB
- Tasiujaq, QC
- Wasagamack Anisininew Nation, MB
- Webequie First Nation, ON
“Outside Looking In is a life changing program,” adds Sanderson. “In the remote areas where our participants predominantly reside, access to in-school arts programming, mentorship and the opportunity to perform on a major stage are scarce. As Indigenous communities continue to face ongoing mental health challenges, programs like OLI are indispensable, fostering visibility, driving high school graduations, inspiring aspirations, and nurturing untapped potential among our youth.”
Through the power of the arts, OLI’s programs empower Indigenous youth to complete their education, gain valuable skills, persevere through challenges and develop a positive vision for their futures. Since the inception of its dance program in 2007, OLI has played a critical role in emboldening thousands of Indigenous youth from over 30 communities, achieving high school graduation rates of 96 per cent among program participants compared to the average graduation rate of 63 per cent among Indigenous youth – 46 per cent for youth who live on reserve. Plus, 80 per cent of participants report improved mental health and self-esteem; 90 per cent place an increased level of importance on education, and 86 per cent achieve better grades.
OLI’s programs include:
OLI Dance: the organization’s flagship program is an intensive high school-accredited dance program for Indigenous youth in grades 7-12. Guided by professional choreographers and supported by educators, youth learn contemporary and hip hop dance with opportunities to perform both in their home communities and on one of Canada’s biggest stages in Toronto.
OLI Future Leaders: this dynamic mentorship program, also accredited, for students in grades 10 to 12 fosters leadership, career education and personal growth, and counts as a credit towards graduation.
OLI Alumni: designed to support OLI participants after high school graduation, this career readiness program includes mentorship, weekly seminars and guest lectures on topics ranging from digital and financial literacy to health and wellness, and field trips to businesses and post-secondary institutions to learn about academic admissions processes and career avenues.
Event Details
Date
Friday, May 2024 at 11am & 7pm
Location
Meridian Hall, 1 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1B2
Tickets:
11:00 am Matinee: $10
7:00 pm Performance: $55 – $100
Tickets available at: olishow.com, Ticketmaster, TO Live, by phone at 1-855-985-2787 or 416-368-6161 x1 and at the Meridian Hall Box Office.
About Outside Looking In
Founded in 2007, Outside Looking In is a nationally registered charitable organization that empowers Indigenous youth through the transformative art of dance, while they pursue education, increase their mental and physical health, and engage in self-expression. For information, visit olishow.com.
