Opening
Thursday, September 25, 2025
6 to 9 pm
Arts education mentorship program with Paulina O’Kieffe-Anthony, Jayda Marley, and Naeisha Marques
Pass the Mic: Shaping Radical Futures
Program development: June to September
Youth workshops: Mondays and Wednesdays throughout September and October, 2025
In the Pavilion and offsite at The Spot
Showcase: October 30, 2025, 6 – 9 pm
In the Pavilion
During the summer and fall of 2025, The Goldfarb Gallery presents Pass the Mic: Shaping Radical Futures, an arts mentorship, arts employment, and arts education program that engages youth from the Jane Finch community.
The first phase of the program has emerging Jamaican-Ojibwe poet Jayda Marley being mentored by renowned spoken word poet and educator Paulina O’Kieffe-Anthony. This mentorship consists of twenty-five hours of artistic development, with O’Kieffe-Anthony working closely with Marley to develop a spoken word poetry curriculum for youth that prioritizes creativity, empowerment, and self-discovery. Marley will work on defining her own teaching style, developing pedagogical tools that encourage innovation, experimentation, and risk taking while simultaneously creating a supportive environment that fosters participant belonging and validation. As part of the process, Marley facilitates trial workshops, giving O’Kieffe-Anthony the opportunity to provide constructive feedback on her skills. Sessions explore how to prepare for a live performance with coaching on vocal delivery, pacing, and establishing a strong physical presence on stage. This mentorship contributes to Marley’s professional development as an arts educator, equipping her with the skills, qualifications, and confidence to design and deliver enriching spoken word poetry workshops to youth in the Jane Finch community.
The second phase of the program consists of Marley facilitating fifteen spoken word poetry workshops at The Spot, a youth drop-in centre at Yorkgate Mall in Toronto. Jane Finch youth Naeisha Marques will assist Marley and Allyson Adley, The Goldfarb Gallery’s Education and Community Engagement Coordinator, with program marketing and promotion as well as youth outreach and engagement. Marques will co-design and co-facilitate the last three spoken word poetry workshops with Marley and will also receive personalized coaching to prepare her to perform in the showcase.
The program culminates with the Pass the Mic showcase in the Pavilion on Thursday, October 30, from 6 to 9 pm. Organized by Marley and Marques, the showcase is hosted by Sydanie and features music by DJ Troy Budhu along with performances by Jayda Marley, Naiesha Marques, Jadyn Hardie-Bardy, Hamada, Brainer Nwabeke, Angelique Dancel, and workshop participants from The Spot. A bus will depart from Yorkgate Mall at 5:30 pm to bring community members to The Goldfarb Gallery.
Jayda Marley. Photograph: Clea Cristakos-Gee
Jayda Marley is a nationally acclaimed Afro-Indigenous poet and activist of Ojibwe and Jamaican descent. She is co-founder of Not Another Black Life and Program Director of Between the Lines, a creative writing program designed to empower BIPOC youth writers.
Paulina O’Kieffe-Anthony is an award-winning artist, curator, arts educator, and creative consultant based in Windsor, Ontario. As an artist, her high level accomplishments include being featured in When Sisters Speak, co-curating Scarborough: The Backbone as part of Toronto’s Year of Public Art, co-producing the Spoken Soul Festival, and representing Toronto as a 2x national team finalist in the Canadian Festival Of Spoken Word. In 2019 she was a TEDx speaker and in 2020 an excerpt of her play How Jab Jab Saved the Pretty Mas was featured as part of Piece of Mine’s Black Women in Theatre Festival.
Naeisha Marques is a human rights advocate who is studying psychology at George Brown College. She is one of the leads for a sex trafficking prevention group supporting young women in the Jane Finch community.
Jadyn “machinegunfunkk” Hardie-Bardy is a queer Kanienʼkéha꞉ka and Jamaican poet and prevention worker based in Toronto. She is a self-published author of i am a wandering spirit and has been featured in projects organized by R.I.S.E. Edutainment, Vibe Arts, and Give and Grow, among others.
Angelique Dancel is a multidisciplinary creative and singer-songwriter. Through her artistic practice, she prioritizes self-reflection, emotional expression, and personal growth.
Troy Budhu is a social sector professional, community organizer, DJ, and lifelong resident of Jane Finch. Budhu is currently the co-chair of the Jane Finch Economic Opportunities Action Group and the Jane Finch Community Hub and Centre for the Arts Organizing Committee.
Toronto-born Jamaican-Trinidadian artist and mother Sydanie is levelling all expectations and setting the bar high for women in Toronto’s hip hop scene. While creating an array of texturized, synth-driven sounds, Sydanie unapologetically carries her south side Jane neighbourhood in tow.
Hamada is an Eritrean-Canadian multi-disciplinary artist based in Toronto whose work is centred around his community and social issues.
Brainer Nwabeke is an emerging artist and member of Flaunt It Studio. She is a musician who plays thirteen instruments and often composes songs and poetry. Her poem “I Always Knew Death Was A Familiar Feeling” focuses on an encounter she had with the Toronto Police, centering around stifling pressures to conform.
Pass the Mic: Shaping Radical Futures is a City of Toronto Cultural Hotspot Signature Project and is also an iteration of The Goldfarb Gallery’s Lead Time program. This program is presented in partnership with The Spot.
The Goldfarb Gallery extends its gratitude to Abdul Nur and the staff at The Spot for supporting this program.
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