Amanda found her passion in creating impact programming and experiences for the creative arts community in Toronto. With over 10 years of sector experience she has worked for Artscape Daniels Launchpad as Partnership Lead and most recently as the Director of Community Impact for Justice Fund Toronto, she brings strong experience in cultural programming and partnerships, working with organizations like Refinery29, Universal Music Canada, OVO and Tim Hortons. Amanda’s dedicated to creating expressive experiences that celebrate art, culture and social justice and is passionate about creating sustainable change.

Desiree Mckenzie is an award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, voice actor and programming manager at JAYU. Her poetry and voice have been featured in works for CBC’s Poetic License series, When Sisters Speak, Clearco Financial, Button Poetry, Kids Help Phone and Home Depot. She facilitates a range of community poetry programming for organizations like JAYU, VIBE Arts, Unity Charity, Poetry in Voice, and Shakespeare in Action. To continue refining her craft, she is currently an MFA candidate in the University of Guelph Creative Writing program. 

As program manager at JAYU, she curates free arts programming for equity-deserving youth, helping them to grow in their artistic careers. 

Sam Lu is a self-taught photographer, program coordinator, and emerging poet based in Toronto. In 2023, she received the Juror’s Choice Award for her photography-based installation The Restaurant Kid on Finch West at the DesignTO Youth: Blueprint exhibition as part of the DesignTO Festival. This year, her photography highlighting Scarborough sights was in the 2024 CONTACT Photography Festival, in partnership with Next Generation Arts.

Recently, she also stood on stage to share her poetry for the first time and has been using spoken word to reconnect with her physical voice ever since. She has performed at events for JAYU, Toronto Poetry Slam and Unity Charity. When not sharing her work, she is dedicated to enhancing her craft by taking workshops with Lakeshore Arts, Next Gen Arts and more. Sam is now at a fulfilling crossroad between the pen and the camera, and imagining ways to bridge the two together.

Nicole has worked in Toronto's community arts sector for 4 years as a relationship builder and fund development manager rooted in community, equity, and social justice. She has a Bachelor’s Degree with an Honours Specialization in Criminology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management, and a background working in diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, event sponsorship and coordination, and mental health services.

Outside of her academic and not-for-profit career, Nicole is an interdisciplinary artist who draws inspiration from her lived experience and the human condition to create through writing and performance. Nicole currently has two short films she co-wrote, directed, and produced in post-production with more creative works on the horizon.

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Taku Kumabe
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Don Lane
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Charlie Lindsay
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Ben Marans
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Fred Martin
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Tanya Mok
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