Statement of Solidarity and Intent

Our organization is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We acknowledge that we are hosted on the lands of the Mississaugas of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

As part of working towards reconciliation, we recognize the many different paths that Kick Start Arts’ artists and stakeholders have taken to get to this land. Some are the descendants of settlers. Some are refugees fleeing from their land. Some are the descendants of enslaved people who arrived on Turtle Island, not as settlers but in bondage or as freedom-seekers. Some are Indigenous to this land. All of their varied experiences and histories inform our practice.

At Kick Start Arts, we founded our company, understanding that systemic issues of racism and injustice are at play in society. Our work is grounded in the foundational belief that in order to learn and grow together, we must connect deeply, we must listen, and, in particular, we must amplify voices that often go unheard. Central to our mandate is the belief that the arts can be a catalyst for positive social change, bringing people together across diverse experiences and cultures.

As our organization has matured, and our creative approaches have developed, we are intentionally working from the knowledge that a multiplicity of cultural teachings and perspectives exist and are valuable. We utilize embodied approaches to training and creation. With respect, and transparent acknowledgement, we are engaged in weaving together the best from all practices – creating something new, more engaging, and more equitable… together.

We approach this knowing it is the work of a lifetime, not a season. We are committed to a stance of openness, and a will to ask questions, with learning, understanding, and collaboration as our goals.

We stand in solidarity with Indigenous Communities across Turtle Island.

We stand in solidarity with the Black members of our community, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

We add our voices to the calls for justice for all BIPOC people.