Red Dress Productions: Communities Activate to Make Change

Friday, June 10, 2011

Communities Activate to Make Change

Alvaro Orozco – a young artist who contributed to the Sherbourne Health Centre Mosaic Project – is released from immigration detention on humanitarian and compassionate grounds!

Alvaro is a talented, passionate and motivated visual artist and photographer, dedicated advocate for queer and newcomer youth and recipient of the 2010 Street-Level Advocate Award from the Toronto Youth Cabinet and City of Toronto. Alvaro was arrested on May 13th, as an undocumented resident, and faced deportation to Nicaragua.

“Thank you. To all the people that signed petitions, that came out to rallies, all the organizations that have supported me, Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The detention centre is still full, with kids and families. It’s not fair. It’s not fair that police are working with immigration to arrest people. We need change now. I hope that people in the community will continue to fight for justice for immigrants and refugees.” Alvaro Orozco, May 31, 2011

No One Is Illegal – Toronto joins Toronto’s queer and arts community in celebrating the upcoming release of Alvaro Orozco from immigration detention. Alvaro had been in detention since Friday, May 13th, after being racially profiled and arrested by Toronto Police outside Ossington station.

Community power, grassroots organizing from St. John’s to Victoria, and Alvaro’s inspiring resilience in the face of immigration-detention created this people’s victory.

For more info, and to continue to support Status for All, go to the facebook group www.facebook.com/nooneisillegaltoronto

RED DRESS PRODUCTIONS (RDP) creates and disseminates original interdisciplinary performance, and works with/in communities on large-scale, community-engaged public artworks.

Founded in 2005 by Artistic Co-Directors Anna Camilleri and Tristan R. Whiston, RDP is particularly interested in the relationship between community narratives and urban public space.

CONTACT

Anna Camilleri and Tristan R. Whiston

URL reddressproductions.org

FB reddressproductions

TWEET @reddressprod

EMAIL reddressproductions@gmail.com

VIDEO vimeo.com/reddressproductions

VOX 647-937-1470

CURRENT

Promise in the Park: The Winchester Park Public Art Project, a 4-year community engaged permanent and ephemeral public art project.

 ASSOCIATE ARTISTS

Katie Yealland

Wy Joung Kou

Sage Willow

Jelani Ade-Lam

Alana McLeod

Ill Nana DiverseCity Dance Company

Syrus Marcus Ware

Heidi Cho

Parker Dirks

Alvis Choi

Shaunga Tagore

Kike Olajumoke

Moynan King

Andrenne Finnikin

Domanique Grant

Henry Campos

Pascal Trudel

Shamila Miller

Andrew Henderson

Jay Stewart

Emily Jones

Dorian Johnson

PUBLIC ARTWORKS

Everyone. Everwhere., 2013, a community engaged mixed media public artwork project in partnership with Arts Etobicoke, Creative Village Studios, and Amnesty International;

Dwelling, 2012, The Diane Frankling Housing Co-op Memorial Project, a 4'x12' mixed media visual project;

centre, 2012, the CTCHC Community Engaged Public Artwork Project;

Many Hands Make Light Work, 2011, a community engaged public artwork in partnership with the Sherbourne Health Center (18'x 8');

Flux, 2010, The 519 Church Street Community Center, based in the Church/Wellesley neighbourhood, Toronto (27’ x 5’) ;

untitled, 2009, The Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto project, based in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, Toronto (4 panels, each 5' x 2.5' high);

Scape, 2007, Bleecker Street Co-operative community, based in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, Toronto (17' x 5') ;

Tribute, 2006, Bleecker Street Co-operative community, based in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, Toronto (12' x 8').

PERFORMANCE WORKS

Sounds Siren Red, workshop production in December 2004 (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) : Sounds Siren Red, full professional production in January 2006 (Alchemy Theatre) ; Sounds Siren Red tour: Victoria, Vancouver, Kingston, Boston and Seattle ; The Acting Out Against Violence Project, a multi phase Ontario-wide public education arts initiative in partnership with Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, and the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres ; State of the Queer Nation, staged reading in February 2008 (Buddies in Bad Times Theatrre) ; Never Man’s Land, full production in February 2008, Alchemy Theatre ; Still Breathing Fire, full production in July 2008, Vancouver’s 10th Annual Pride in Art Festival. 

Camilleri and Whiston have collaborated on many community art projects since 2004, including Central Toronto Youth Services’ Gender Play Theatre Project for 6+ years as Artists in Residence.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Ontario Trillium Foundation, Neighbourhood Arts Network, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Arts Foundation, Toronto Arts Council, Laidlaw Foundation, FADO Performance Centre, New Adventures in Sound Art, Park People, Arts Etobicoke, Amnesty International, Emmanuel College (University of Toronto, The Church Street Murals Project, Sherbourne Health Centre, the 519 Church Street Community Centre, St. Lawrence Community Centre, Central Toronto Youth Services, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto, Diane Frankling Housing Co-operative, OWN Co-operative, the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres, Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Pride in Art Festival, Stone Tile International Inc, and Tile City Inc.