Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Angélique  Quebec's oft-denied history of slavery By Stephen Weir / Caribbean Camera It took twenty years but as the spring stage season draws to a close, the most important Black History play just hit the boards, not with a thud but an explosion.   Ang é lique is the true story of a young domestic slave, who was blamed for setting fire to Montreal and was tortured and hanged for her troubles. The 285-year old saga is not a state secret. However, the fact that there was slavery in Lower Canada (now the province of Quebec), and at least one black woman who fought back is not a well-known fact. Ang é lique  a classic Canadian play written by the late Lorena Gale, is based on the transcripts of the trial in 1724 of Angelique. The current remount produced by Factory and Obsidian Theatre (mounted initially by the Quebec - based   Black Theatre Workshop) draws a line from this relatively unknown event to the province ' s contemporary struggles with racism. Montreal

Primary School in Barbuda About To Be Reborn With Toronto Help Photo by Horace Thorne By Stephen Weir Toronto help is on its way to a still battered island of Barbuda.   A shipment of building supplies and an airlift of windows and doors will soon be on its way to help in the rebuilding of the Holy Trinity Primary School. Hurricane Irma passed directly over Barbuda in September 2017. Irma was the fifth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, and it reached peak intensity just before landfall, when 180 mph winds damaged almost every structure on the island, flattening many of them. Just days later, a mere “normal” hurricane, Jose, also passed over Barbuda. “ Most people think that life has returned to normal on Barbuda said Toronto volunteer Eric Delfish. “But that is not the case. Some are still in temporary housing, so while this shipment does answer a need, help is still needed.” The 20ft long container is currently in an Etobicoke forwarding company a

2019 CARNIVAL KICK-OFF By Stephen Weir The 2019 Toronto Carnival kicked off early early last Saturday morning, or late late Friday night (take your pick) with Tribal Carnival holding the first Toronto band launch of the season. A non-stop parade of stunning looking male and female models strutted across the Grande Luxe ballroom stage to show an enthusiastic audience what people will be wearing on the road August 3rd for the annual Caribbean Carnival Parade. Established in 2007 Tribal is one of the festival’s most successful touring Mas Bands. Tribal has not only competed successfully in Toronto’s annual festival but is also a driving force in the annual Cayman Islands’ spring Batabano Carnival. This past weekend’s costume launch attracted an estimated crowd of 500 revellers who came out to see Tribal’s costumes and sign up to play Mas with Tribal. Band founder Dexter Seusahai stood on stage and opened the show just before midnight with a silent tribute to people who

Michele Pearson Clarke Selected as Toronto’s Second Photo Laureate by City Council Toronto’s next Photo Laureate will be Michele Pearson Clarke, pending Toronto City Council approval on April 16. She will be the second photographer to hold this position. Featured widely at exhibitions in Canada and the U.S.,Michele Pearson Clarke works primarily in photography, film, video and installation. Using archival, performative and process-oriented strategies, she explores the personal and political by considering experiences related to longing and loss. Born in Trinidad and now based in Toronto, Clarke holds an MSW from the University of Toronto, and received her MFA from Ryerson. She is currently a lecturer in the Documentary Media Studies program at Ryerson University. Toronto’s Photo Laureate is the first position of its kind in Canada. It honours a photographer recognized for exceptional photography and whose work focuses on subjects relevant to Torontonians. The Photo Lau