RING OF FIRE
A 300-person-strong street procession

Featuring:

Wisdom (Nibwaakaawin) [Sun]
Duke Redbird … The Sentinel
Moose … The Orator with Anna Wren as ASL Signer
Sophia Daley, Carleen Robinson, Renee Burnett, De Vaughn Francis, Daniel Thompson, Cherith Burke, Hafsa Isse, Nicole Marcano, Chaad Pierre, and Keisha James … The Entourage
30 Wise Individuals … The Public

Courage (Aakode’ewin)
Mark Brose … The Sentinel
Bidhan Berma … The Orator with Sage as ASL Signer
Tammy, Harpreet Sandhu, Mariana Maciel, Liz Forsberg, Kevin Yates, Susan Shaw, Loren Delaney, Doulgas Hurst, Cheyanne Turions, and Taylor Hammond … The Entourage
30 Courageous Individuals … The Public

Respect (Minaadendamowin)
Wanda FitzGerald … The Sentinel
Jacob Augustin … The Orator with Anthony Turner as ASL Signer
Beverly Smith, Krista Lee-Bath, Alysha Faubert, Tevin Thompson, Isha Joshi, Zoë Heyn-Jones, Geoffrey Glimour-Taylor, Reena Katz, Rachel Sheinin, and Terrance Ho … The Entourage
30 Respectful Individuals … The Public

Honesty (Gwayakwaadiziwin)
Sheila Boyd … The Sentinel
Suvianna … The Orator with Gaitrie Persaud as ASL Singer
Darryl Robinson “Thunderclaw”, Donald Barrie, Amefika Browne, Emily Clarke, Raven Waters, Da Jeong Kim, Andrae Treleven, Allyson Adley, Andrew Shaver, and Meirav Even-Har … The Entourage
30 Honest Individuals … The Public

Truth (Debwewin)
Cathie Jamieson … The Sentinel
Zeinab Aidid … The Orator with Tamyka Bullens as ASL Signer
Rachele King, Tabitha McNautha, Mark Green, Tyrell King, Michael Maranda, Shannon Saint, Sandra Brewster, Maju Tavera, Sarah Christoper, and Suzanne Carte … The Entourage
30 Truthful Individuals … The Public

Humility ((Dabaadendiziwin)
Torrance Ho … The Sentinel
Nadia Adow … The Orator with Marwa Normohamad as ASL Signer
Marcio Mendes, Sojin Chun, Marissa Blake, Jega Delisca, Andrew Tay, Gaétan Genesse, Derek Grey, Tatiana Ramos, Julian Diego, and Philip Monk … The Entourage
30 Humble Individuals … The Public

Love (Zaagi’idiwin)
Melissa Addison Webster … The Sentinel
Destiny Henry … The Orator with Cassie Rehman as ASL Signer
Durelle Harford Mcallister, Kit Mcallister, Alexis Pastuch, Minna Muralles, Natalia Pushkar, Thuy Nguyen, Samantha Cutrone, Sumaira Naz, Percy Campos, and Megan Rigelhof Norwick … The Entourage
30 Loving Individuals … The Public

Moon
Kareem Bennett … The Orator with Hope Rehman as ASL Signer

&

Alternative Roots … Procession Soundscape
Michael O’Connell … Music Production

Marlon Griffith … Artist, Costumes, Design, & Concept
Emelie Chhangur … Project Curator & Procession Dramaturge

At 2 pm the RING OF FIRE procession culminates in a choreographed performance that opens the TO2015’s cultural program at Nathan Phillips Square that day, featuring a 300+ person round dance, a message delivered by Duke Redbird, a musical performance by Alternative Roots on the Big Drum, and original musical score by Rachele King and Cathie Jamieson.

 

For more information on the project and to view images of the work in progress, please visit:
Ringoffire.theAGYUisOutThere.org

Follow (all of) us on Twitter at:
#RingofFireTO

@A_G_Y_U
@hostnationTO15
@ArtStartsTO
@SKETCHToronto
@PicassoPRO
@EqualGrounds

See what we’ve been up to for the last two years on Instagram:
Instagram.com/a_g_y_u

Ring of Fire is commissioned by the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) and co-produced in partnership with York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, Art Starts, and SKETCH, where “mas camps” have been developed and hosted. Activist Rose Jacobson and legendary Elder Duke Redbird are project mentors. Ring of Fire is the culmination of a two-year collaboration between Picasso Pro, Equal Grounds, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, Capoeira Angola, and young spoken word poets from Jane-Finch, Malvern, and Regent Park.

Ring of Fire is generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council, IGNITE Ontario and IGNITE Toronto, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Toronto Arts Council, York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, and through the passion and commitment of every individual and organization involved in this project. “Mas camps” were produced by AGYU in collaboration with Art Starts & The Lawrence Square Shopping Centre and SKETCH; Music workshops in collaboration with Alternative Roots and the SKETCH Band; movement workshops in collaboration with SKETCH, Picasso PRO, and Capoeira Angola. AGYU’s year-long spoken word poetry program was developed in partnership with The Malvern S.P.O.T, Success Beyond Limits, and COBA with the support from the Honey Family Foundation and the Vital Toronto Fund at the Toronto Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council: Targeted Enhanced Funding. Special thank you to Community Living Toronto for their incredible in-kind support of Ring of Fire and Strathcona Paper LP for donating the paperboard material for masks. Thank you to the Ontario Legislative Assembly, Toronto Police Services, and 52 Division of the Toronto Police.

Symbols of Endurance, an exhibition of Marlon Griffith’s work takes place at the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) from 23 September – 6 December 2015 and a book, generously supported by the Partners in Art (PIA), will be published in 2016. Celebrate the exhibition’s opening at AGYU on Wednesday 23 September, 6 – 9 pm. Everything at AGYU is FREE.

The Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) is a public, university-affiliated, non-profit contemporary art gallery supported by York University, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Province of Ontario through the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and by its membership.

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For more information on Ring of Fire, or to request images or interviews with the artists, or for accessible versions of our promotional material, Wheel Trans locations, ALS interpretation, or Audio Description for the exhibition, please contact Emelie Chhangur, Assistant Director/Curator at Emelie@yorku.ca or 416 736 5169.

Image: Ring of Fire, 2015. Poster by Marlon Griffith