RUCKUS! is a free activism & antiracism conference for high school-aged youth of Colour, their Allies and concerned youth. It is back for another exciting year promising to bring an amazing selection of engaging workshops that will get youth to think critically about themselves and the world we live in today. Register by February 8th to reserve your spot!

Become engaged, register today and take action for a better future ! 

Got something to say.. but don’t know how to say it? Say it here ! At RUCKUS! this year we put an emphasis on activism through the arts. We aim to provide a space whereby youth feel safe and able to express themselves artistically! Submissions will be placed in the Youth Gallery for all to see! We are looking for poetry, photographs, videos, etc to be displayed at the Youth Gallery.

Submissions are due by February 12 2010. If you have any questions or inquires please email Sandra Vides Martinez at svm89@yorku.ca

Empower: Youth, Arts, and HIV/AIDS Activism Launch Party!

Check out Drag Performances, Interactive Panel Discussions, Fashion,
Visual Art Exhibitions, Discussion Panels, and Sexy Safer Sex Information! Come out to
an interactive, action-packed World AIDS Day event with performances,
exhibitions and discussions by local youth activists and educators,
service providers and community organizers. This is a Queer Positive
space.

This FREE interactive symposium will launch “Empower: Youth, Arts and
Activism: An HIV/AIDS Activism Manual for Youth by Youth.” For more
information on the manual, see below.

Everyone is welcome. Snacks & Refreshments Provided. Guests will
receive a free copy of the manual upon arrival.

For questions or more information, please contact cuhi.admin@utoronto.ca

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: November, 26, 2009
Time: 6:00 - 9:00pm
Place: William Doo Auditorium*,
New College, University of Toronto.
45 Willcocks
(SW Corner of Willcocks and Spadina. Closest Subway Station: Spadina)

* Wheelchair accessible.

*** The launch will be preceded by a talk by Dr. Jessica Fields
(Sociology, City University of New York), “Under Lock and Key: Sex
Education and the Effort to Prevent and Protect”, as well as a
networking reception. These events are organized as part of the Youth
Sexual Health RIG.

Event date/time: November 26, 2009
4:00 - 5:30: Dr. Jessica Fields talk - Women and Gender Studies
Lounge, 2nd Floor Wilson Hall Residence (20 Willcocks)
5:30 - 6:00: Networking Reception
6:00-9:00: Manual Launch & Symposium - William Doo Auditorium (45 Willcocks)

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Empower: Youth, Arts, and Activism

The manual, Empower: Youth, Arts, and Activism, is designed for youth
by youth, and features a diverse range of projects put forward by
passionate, inspiring and fired-up individuals committed to social
change. Each individual, group and project is committed to challenging
social and structural issues around HIV and AIDS. From HIV positive
youth fighting stigma to peer education projects and safer sex
parties, this manual honours the work of communities creating spaces
to talk about the issues that matter most.  And? each project is
accomplished with the use of art!

Partners of Empower: Youth, Arts, and Activism:

Youth Action Network
www.youthactionnetwork.org/

Gendering Adolescent AIDS Prevention (GAAP)
www.utgaap.com

Centre for Urban Health Initiatives (CUHI)
www.cuhi.utoronto.ca

Printing of the manual has been generously supported by CATIE.

To order a FREE copy of the manual after the launch, please visit the
CATIE Ordering Centre at www.catie.com after the launch. CATIE Centre
Catalogue Number ATI-26158.

More details about online availability of the manual will be available
after the launch.

Interested? Great!

Click here for more info

Start date: Week of June 22nd

Ruckus Conference Co-ordinator

Part-time (20 hours per week)

Youth Action Network (YAN) is looking for a conference coordinator. YAN is dedicated to helping youth become more informed and actively involved in order to move towards a just and sustainable society. We strongly believe in the ability of youth to affect change in the world. We understand the need for a stronger voice and for greater participation in our local and global communities. The main functions of YAN are to provide information and promote action. YAN is always looking to develop the capacities of youth in a variety of different manners and through this position are interested in helping a young person develop organizing, outreach, planning, and marketing skills.

Your primary responsibilities as Ruckus Coordinator will involve planning and implementing Ruckus during November 2009.

Ruckus! is a two-day, anti-racism conference for youth, and a week-long series of events leading up to the conference.

See full post for details on applying

Check out our latest issue of Youth Action Forum Magazine for Youth Week 2009! Featuring youth activists Kimia Ghomeshi, Che Kothari, and Amanda Sissons, plus a full Youth Week Schedule, the BCBF Action Kit, and articles on a number of awesome topics relating to youth activism through the arts. Big thanks to Josh Barndt our Youth Week Coordinator and the Forum Editorial Collective for helping get this issue out to print! Just a preview of the amazing events to come, and the energy being put into Youth Week 2009. Check out the upcoming events and plan your Youth Week schedule for the week of May 1-9th. More events keep on pouring in, so be sure to check out the Youth Week events page on our website.

Peace and love!

TRUESAY Workshop
Toronto’s Response to an Uncertain Economy
Specifically Advantaging Youth

Metro Hall - 55 John Street - 6pm.

Host: TYC (Toronto Youth Cabinet)

The youth-led TRUESAY workshops empower people of all ages to achieve their goals through education, goal setting and planning

TRUESAY is comprised of 3 components:

1. An opportunity for any person to learn easy personal finance, establish clear goals and take home a personal budgeting strategy (built by the participant themselves and structured to achieve their own objectives).

2. A chance for any youth to become a facilitator of TRUESAY and learn the skills required to lead others to financial independence.

3. A link to a wide variety of opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area including employment services, education, financial advisors, business startups and networking opportunities with organizations focused on developing the people of Toronto.

Do not wait for high levels of government to solve your problems! Take action! Your future is now!

Contact: Andrew McNab at amcnab5@gmail.com,

Hotline: Call the TRUESAY hotline at 416-273-5312

Website: www.thetyc.ca

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May 7th

Free Breakdancing Workshop with Lady Noyze
Thursday May 7th, 4:00pm-5:30pm
Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre, 341 Oakwood Ave (at rogers rd)

Host: Art Starts

Drop In break dancing Workshops with Toronto’s own B-girl Lady Noyze.
Learn a variety of break dancing moves and participate in a real cypher. Beginners welcome!
“Hip Hop is often misrepresented by media, and thus, is often pigeon holed by society solely as “gangster rap”. Hip Hop is in fact its own subculture. It is a way of life that reinforces respect, the development of confidence and originality. These qualities set the foundation of our cultural dance known as “break dancing”. ” (Taken from Lady Noyze’s Artist Statement)

Art Starts: Art Starts is an arts-based community development organization operating in the City of Toronto. Our mandate is to build healthier communities using the arts. At Art Starts we understand that the arts are a medium for engaging residents, creating a shared sense of identity, identifying challenges and collectively working to overcome them. We offer high quality, responsive and relevant creative opportunities to those who do not have access – namely people living in under-served and stressed communities. We bring together professional artists with people from various neighborhoods and create projects and programs in all artistic media, with all ages, with artists and participants from various ethnic backgrounds. We reflect the cultures of the neighborhood and build bridges among them. We also function as an advocacy and referral organization for the artists with whom we work. Though we provide programming for all age groups, the bulk of our programs engage children and youth.

Website: http://www.artstarts.net/

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May 8th

Friday May 8th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
The Manifesto Studio (358 Dufferin Street - Suite 104, just South of Queen)

Keeping with Youth Week’s theme of engagement in social justice issues through the arts, ReelChange is a showcase of films by young artists engaging in a creative form of activism. Meant to encourage aspiring filmmakers, ReelChange is also a chance for those who have participated in our city’s abundance of youth-film-making programs/workshops or schools, and self-starters to unite in one event as a community.
–>now with submissions from Vancouver and Montreal<–
—>enjoy music by @J_Lab throughout the night<—

FREE and open to all.

Coordinated By: Chris Di Staulo & Jessica Denyer, Youth Action Network
Contact: reelchangeyouth@gmail.com

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May 8th

Concrete Dismissal
*OPENING: May 8th (5-8pm)
Ongoing event running: May 8th-June 7th (photo exhibit)

Address: 580 King St. W 2nd floor, Toronto, M5V 1M3 - 2nd floor

Host: SKETCH

Concrete Dismissal exposes the lives of people in the Dominican Republic displaced by their government to a barrio known as Hainamosa to make room for an oversize concrete shrine. The exhibit reveals the continued consequence of colonialism and appalling urban planning. What makes this story unique is the soul and spirit of the children who now inhibit the Hainamosa complex. Their dissent love for their island is what shines through in the photographs.

*All the proceeds from the sales of the photographs will be donated to an education fund for these children.

Sketch artists will be performing a free show & some Sketch art will be for sale @ this amazing event!!

*PLEASE JOIN US ON THIS DYNAMIC EVENING FOR A NIGHT FULL OF CREATIVE YOUTH INITIATIVES IN OUR UNIQUE SPACE!

Host: Sketch is a community arts development initiative based in Toronto that works to engage youth at risk through the celebration of unique stories and perspectives. Sketch recognizes these individuals and their stories as key contributors to overall culture. At Sketch, we Love to make things, live in the moment, overcome our struggles, influence others, build community and affect social change.

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May 9th

Hey Bear Woah Bear!!!
Freedom Clothing - 939 Bloor Street West
Saturday May 9th - 7:30pm

Spring is here and so to celebration Freedom Clothing collective is hosting the first session of our intimate in-store summer music and art series. Atop clothing racks and sock drawers, emerging singer-song-writer Tim Moxam of Hey Bear, Whoa Bear will debut his new socially reflective album fresh off the press. Electro smoothie David Ace Dean will also be on site, so this is a little show you should not miss. Finally, visual artist Joshua Barndt will be exhibiting a series of unsettling paintings and drawings about the collapse of our out of control society. We hope to see you there!!!

Grounded

A celebration of young peoples creative efforts to find balance, build community, and express hope.

WhipperSnapper Gallery
587A College Street, Toronto.
May 1st 7:30pm – 12:30am

Exhibition Runs: May 1- 6

Host: YAN

On Friday May 1st Youth Week 2009 kicks off with a jaw-dropping showcase of socially reflective artworks and politicized performances by young people. + We will be celebrating the release of the newest issue Youth Action Forum Magazine. Join us between 7:30pm- 12:30am at WhipperSnapper Gallery for Grounded.

The host of the evening will be Kaynose of Two Left (http://www.myspace.com/twoleft)

Performances by:

• YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN - Asian Diasporic psychedelic noh-wave opera
• Kamau – Hip-hop / poetry
• The Voyce – Hip-Hop
• rAiz’n ensemble - defin8: the next movement – Theater/ Movement
• rCurrentz - celebr8 full figure - Performance
• Kim Crosby - Theater

Artwork by: Alice Zilberg, sprOUT, Patrick Struys, Alisa Iris, Victor Manzo Meneses, Rosa Mindreau, The PhotoVoice Project, Elenor Simmons, Devin Wells, Matthew Hood, Robert Conali, LOFT Musik, Rachel Wilmshurst, Rita Smith, Caroline Mousseau, Nadia Alam, Amy Ball, Stephanie Bokenfohr, Katerina Lagasse, Brianna Oversby + more.

+ Neighbourhood1 Roundup Launch

Youth Week 2009 is looking for individuals, groups, and organizations that are interested in hosting their own event as part of Youth Week. The theme this year is Art and Activism. So if you are part of a radical theatre group, dance troop, artist collective, music group, environmental club, community video project, or any other socially engaged organization of youth we are looking for you! Your event can be an exhibit, screening, performance night, workshop, public intervention, protest, conference, or any other kind of event you feel will excite and inspire other youth to become active.

If you, your group, or organization is interested in hosting an event as part of Youth Week 2009 please contact Josh@youthactionnetwork.org or fill out our online registration form today!