
Upcoming events.

Kingston School of Dance presents“Bloom” into You
“BLOOM into You” features the senior students of KSD, and all elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. The theme has inspired our staff and students to reflect on growth, the magic of spring and floral fun. Get ready to journey through an enchanted spring ballet, upbeat jazz numbers, and more. Prepared to be moved by the reflections of our students and their journey through dance.
“I am looking forward to debuting 3 new works with the Kids this school year. Come watch these talented young dancers leave it all on the stage!” - Shanique Peart

Family Container
FAMILY CONTAINER IS LIVE!!! And what a gift it is to have an outlet/space for black art and expression. ✨
Family Container follows Terra, a pregnant single mother, and her five children navigating the complexities of housing while living in a Women’s Abuse Shelter. Dealing with themes of mental health, domestic abuse, housing, and prejudice. In this play resilience is expressed through love, family, and determination.
Family Container, a play written by Seymour Irons, is premiering in partnership with @theatrekingston @bcurrentlive and funded by the @genderaffirmingassistance right now until Sunday, April 6th!
PERFORMANCE TIMES:
• Wednesday to Saturday, at 7:30p.m.
• Saturday to Sunday at 2:30p.m.
Starring six local Black actors, with a diverse supporting cast.
Tickets are available on the Kingston Grand website, and the event will be held at the @tettcentre in the Rehearsal Hall.
Support BLACK theatre in Kingston y’all!!!! 🤗✨🎭

Growing Pains Exhibition
Growing Pains is a collaborative exhibition and coalition of works by artists Sumera Khan, Shamara Peart, Shanique Peart, and Alicia Udvari. Each artist delves into relationships with family, cultural identity, and community, to inspect the idea of growth and transition as they navigate through various stages in their lives and artistic careers.
Meeting through the Twofold Residency, led by Co-Directors Jill Glatt and Berlin Reed, four BIPOC artists were presented an opportunity to dive into their practice in community with others—sparking relationships, challenging discussions, and introducing new collaborations.
ARTIST STATEMENTS
Sumera Khan:
When my loved one was diagnosed with dementia, I felt the need to record every precious memory with her through videos, journals, and art. This therapeutic way of dealing with adversity organically found its way in my art style. My oil paintings, usually done in alla prima impressionistic style, capture stories that are representative of spaces and familiar objects that might not have a deeper meaning at first glance, but each image is a deeply felt emotion or memory. I strongly believe that art has the power to heal, bring communities together, and build deeper connections within the populace. Through my art, I want to provide an opportunity to members of the community to find moments of connections with each other. I find it rewarding to connect people through stories in the familiar and perhaps during that process, we all could bond with empathy and a deeper understanding of each other.
Shamara Peart:
My goal for my art is always to communicate a story. While doing so, I work to present an alternative perspective or use for an item. In the past, I've emphasized the importance of repurposing items through sculpture. Currently, I try to capture moments of life with my poetry. I challenged myself to write with an unfamiliar theme throughout the Twofold residency. Horror was selected, and I wondered how best I could write about the eerie elements of the Black lived experience. My family has always prioritized good storytelling, so I wanted to make that apparent in my work. As a result, this collection was created. I don't believe that art needs to be full of abstractions; instead, effort and creativity are two means that should always be on display. Since I use exploration as a driving force for what I do, I'm always open to being pushed into trying new genres or mediums. When I initially started creating, art was used as a means of better understanding myself. This summer encouraged me to look beyond that and experiment with a new genre and medium.
Shanique Peart:
As a multidisciplinary artist, my work bridges photography, dance, and storytelling to explore themes of nature, connection, and community. Each image is a dialogue, blending human movement with natural landscapes to celebrate the unity between body and environment. Through vibrant compositions and dynamic perspectives, I aim to tell stories that resonate with shared experiences and collective memory. My work invites viewers to reflect on the intersections of identity, culture, and the spaces we inhabit. Rooted in collaboration and inspired by community, I strive to create art that fosters connection, evokes emotion, and highlights the beauty of interconnected lives.
Alicia Udvari:
Muse was born from a simple desire: I wanted to make a puppet.
I wanted to figure out how to build a working puppet and break down how to create something inanimate that holds so much human emotion. My work is especially process-driven, and through stop-motion animation, sculpture, and printmaking, I can be deeply involved in every stage of creation. For me, art is an act of communication—expressing what I struggle to do with words—, and I show that through my process.
I have often felt a sense of imposter syndrome as someone who doesn't feel they always fit into the world of fine art. These same feelings that isolate me from the art world also make me irrationally hesitant to show vulnerability. Muse became a stand-in for myself and a way to display my vulnerabilities and insecurities, under the security blanket of being a silly puppet. Throughout my work, I often take inspiration from film, TV, music, and have been especially drawn to children's media, for the same reason I love puppets. They distill big problems with simplicity and charm, breaking them down into digestible pieces. This body of work is my experimental endeavour to unapologetically represent myself –my needs and wants, desires and insecurities– through the playful art I create.
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Project Room + Feature Wall: Union Gallery: January 14–February 15, 2025
Window Gallery: Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre: January 18–March 22
Opening reception: Saturday, January 18, 2025
12–2pm at Union Gallery, 2–4pm at Modern Fuel
Find out more about our journey here.

THE SAFE ROOM PODCAST GUEST
Join us tomorrow for another live interview on The Safe Room. This week, we’re joined by the founder of @thecandidcreative.co Shanique Peart. Shanique is a Kingston based multi-disciplinary artist with a passion for creation, dance and photography. She began her journey as a self-trained dancer exploring movement through Hip-hop and freestyle dance.
We’ll be covering her story and maintaining discipline within a work-life balance. Tune in tomorrow at 8:00 PM on @luvbay_onlineradio YouTube Channel or head to their website
https://luvbay-afrobeatmusiradio.com

Intercultural Arts Festival presented by Empire Life
The Intercultural Arts Festival is a celebration of our rich cultural diversity here in Kingston. Enjoy free, family-friendly activities, including live music and dance performances, workshops, international markets and cuisine. The festival also includes the final iteration of this year’s Katarokwi Indigenous Art and Food Market showcasing local indigenous artisans, crafters, and chefs.
I will be performing in a Afro fusion piece choreographed by Melissa Noventa. Sharing the main stage with Melissa Noventa and Churise Felix we would love to see you there! Come out, enjoy our cities diverse culture and lets celebrate the arts and community!

Family Container
Join us for the first ever public reading of Family Container, by Seymour Irons. Family Container follows the story of Terra, a pregnant Black single-mother and her 5 children, with little time left in a Toronto Women's Abuse Shelter. Watch local actors bring this unique story of Family, love, and resilience to life.
In the Tett Center Rehersal Hall
Doors will open at 6:15PM.
There will be a Talkback after the reading in the Theatre Kingston studio. Some refreshments will be provided.

Black Block Party
The Black Block Party is set to take place this summer on Saturday, August 3 on Ontario Street right in front of City Hall between Brock and Clarence street. Kingston has historically not been a place where Black folks feel safe to be seen and heard without racial violence. And so this Saturday in August is a day of affirmation, an opportunity for Black entrepreneurship to be highlighted and celebrated by the community and for Black artists, vendors and creators to see each other and even learn from each other. The significance of this day is not lost as it lands on the weekend after Emancipation Day (Aug1).
Come visit me at my booth as I will be selling prints in many different forms and looking to meet new and old faces from our city!

Ground UP Dance Festival: Mainstage PERFORMANCE
The annual main stage performance event is set to happen during dusk at the paved performance pad of Lake Ontario Park. Please join us in celebrating local and visiting dance artists. As well the debut Adaptations ll presenting work choreographed and performed by dance artists Shanique Peart and Shenel Williams
July 12 and 13 at 7pm
Advanced tickets on our website, or cash/e-transfer at the “door”
PWYC $15, $20, $25
$10 for youth 12 and under
$50 - 4 people pass
FREE - 5 and under
at the Paved Performance Pad in Lake Ontario Park, 920 King St W
Cover Photo by Celine Klein

Ground UP Dance festival 2024
Dance Artist: Petra Bahlman
Photographer: Shanique Peart
On the mainstage of this years 2024 Ground Up Dance Festival Shanique Peart and Shenel Williams will be presenting a brand new work entitle Adaptations ll. This trio turned duet is about the journey of navigating the Artist Space as a BIPOC Individual and the importance of finding your tribe.
We hope to create this performance piece in residency at the Kingston Grand Theatre this summer and transform Adaptations ll into a Dance film. Don’t miss our premiere on July 12th and 13th at Lake Ontario Park.

LOCAL ARTS RESIDENCY
local Arts Residency returns for a fourth year to Kingston Grand Theatre
Following an open call for applications earlier in the year, which resulted in 19 submissions, the 2024 artists-in-residence were selected by a jury of previous Residency program participants.
“We are thrilled to welcome the 2024 artists-in-residence to Kingston Grand Theatre and to provide support so that they can create new work, develop and showcase their ideas,” says Danika Lochhead, Director, Arts and Culture Services at the City of Kingston.
The Residency program first launched in 2021 as an initiative to support the local performing arts community impacted by the pandemic. In 2024, all three residencies are taking place in the Baby Grand, a black-box theatre that allows for a variety of stage and audience configurations and interactions.
This year’s artists-in-residence are Shanique Peart and Shenel Williams, Krista Muir, and Chantal Thompson, who combine multiple disciplines in their work such as dance, music production, videography, musical comedy and more.
Stay tuned to the City’s social media channels and the City of Kingston website for more information about the Local Arts Residency. Videos of past artists-in-residence can be viewed on the Kingston Grand Theatre YouTube channel.

TWOFOLD RESIDENCY: FOR EMERGING BIPOC ARTISTS
TWOFOLD RESIDENCY: FOR EMERGING BIPOC ARTISTS
Shanique Peart, Alicia Udvari, Shamara Peart, and Sumera Khan
Co-Directed by Berlin Reed and Jill Glatt
Co-Presented by Union Gallery and Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre
Led by Co-Directors, Jill Glatt (Artist/Instructor) and Berlin Reed (Curator/Artist), the Twofold Residency presents an opportunity for local BIPOC artists to dive into their practice in community with others—sparking relationships, challenging discussions, and new collaborations. The Twofold 2024 Artists in Residence are Shanique Peart, Alicia Udvari, Shamara Peart, and Sumera Khan.
Artists will work out of Union Gallery in July and Modern Fuel in August, with access to designated work spaces, professional development and mentorship, communal events, and the platform to share their practices through studio visits.
Modern Fuel and Union Gallery are grateful to the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area for their generous support of the Twofold Residency, contributing to a robust and diverse artistic community in Katarokwi-Kingston.

Fruition Berry Farm MINIs
HIYA, THE CANDID CREATIVE HERE!
I am excited to announce I am one of the vendors at this summers Mom Market.
Come spend a day with the friends and family at this gorgeous farm on Saturday June 15th from 9-2pm. There will be:
Free parking and admission
Swag bags
Ice cream cart 11-2pm
Free kids crafting section
Strawberry picking (weather depending) 🤞
And more!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BOOKING A MINI SESSION, CLICK THE LINK BELOW. I WILL ALSO BE SELLING PRINTS AND OTHER PRODUCTS! COME HANG OUT, PICK SOME BERRIES AND SUPPORT ALL THE AMAZING SMALL BUSINESSES ATTENDING. LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU ALL!

“ARRIVE Under the Sea” Kingston School of dance young dancers production
It is that time of year again, the Kingston School of Dance year end production at The Grand Theatre. Celebrating 56 years of dance excellence in Kingston, this year three shows will be produced on June 7th and 8th.
“ARRIVE Under the Sea” - June 8th at 1:30pm
will feature the students from the young dancers program including pre-primary, primary, pre-grade 1 and beginner level classes.
TICKETS: https://www.kingstongrand.ca/events/arrive-under-the-sea
and
"ARRIVE in Fantasy" - Friday June 7th at 7pm and Saturday June 8th at 5pm
will feature students from the recreational and pre-professional dancers program. Including elementary, intermediate and advanced level classes.
TICKETS: https://www.kingstongrand.ca/events/arrive-in-fantasy
The Candid Creative Co will be one of many local supporting businesses/sponsors donating towards the year end production.
Ground UP Dance festival 2024
Get your tickets through the link above or the Grand Theatre Box Office, you won’t want to miss it!

“ARRIVE IN FAntasy” Kingston School of dance annual youth production
It is that time of year again, the Kingston School of Dance year end production at The Grand Theatre. Celebrating 56 years of dance excellence in Kingston, this year three shows will be produced on June 7th and 8th.
“ARRIVE Under the Sea” - June 8th at 1:30pm
will feature the students from the young dancers program including pre-primary, primary, pre-grade 1 and beginner level classes.
TICKETS: https://www.kingstongrand.ca/events/arrive-under-the-sea
and
"ARRIVE in Fantasy" - Friday June 7th at 7pm and Saturday June 8th at 5pm
will feature students from the recreational and pre-professional dancers program. Including elementary, intermediate and advanced level classes.
TICKETS: https://www.kingstongrand.ca/events/arrive-in-fantasy
The Candid Creative Co will be one of many local supporting businesses/sponsors donating towards the year end production.
Get your tickets through the link above or the Grand Theatre Box Office, you won’t want to miss it!

aRT EXHIBITION
An art Exhibition hosted by The Ogo Tawa Black Artrepreneur Program held at Whiteshield Banquet Hall.
I will be “hard launching” my company The Candid Creative Co and presenting my photography along side my very talented Cohort.
For more information visit these links!

SPRING UP Fundraiser
The Ground UP Dance Festival has their first fundraising celebration. Join the Kingston Dance Community as we launch the artists and collaborators involved in this years Ground UP Dance Festival.
This is an all ages event - we have some great prizes to be won, a live action painting by our very own BirdGirlArts, fabulous live performances from local dance artists, music by Barbara McDougall, snacks and more!
A celebration of dance in Kingston - but really just a big dance party. Join the Ground UP Dance Festival, Movement Market Collective and some amazing guest performers for a fun filled evening.