TORONTO, CANADA (Top40 Charts) Canadian singer-songwriter and social justice activist
Lorraine Segato has been named as Regent Park's honorary Artist in Residence as part of the community's new cultural program. This initiative is one of the most innovative of its kind in Canada, designed to foster artistic expression across the city.
Segato, co-founder and lead singer of iconic polyrhythmic 80s pop band, The
Parachute Club, will serve a two-year term in the honorary position.
Her mandate involves helping to envision and create a template for a future Artist in Residence program to augment and enhance Regent Park's already vibrant arts and culture scene with an active pool of creative talent.
"I am thrilled to be asked by The Daniels Corporation to become a member of the Regent Park community as the honorary Artist in Residence," Segato said. "I come to this appointment with a deep willingness to listen, and a great enthusiasm for a community that is brimming with creative talent and rich stories. My desire to forge respectful partnerships will no doubt yield interesting collaborations that also strengthen my own practice as an artist."
Segato will be tasked with finding ways to enrich, celebrate and draw attention to the developing area, while curating cultural activities and events that further the envisioning of an international caliber artist residency program.
"As a first initiative, we've created an Artist in Residence Legacy Fund that will contribute to the continuation of this project across Regent Park and the City of Toronto for years to come. My first contribution to the Legacy Fund will be the donation of proceeds from the new mastered gospel arrangement of The
Parachute Club's Juno award-winning hit 'Rise Up,' that we are calling 'Rize Time,' which features a prelude by 18-year-old Regent Park spoken-word artist and rising star Mustafa The Poet," Segato added.
"Supporting the arts is very much a part of our corporate culture and DNA," said Heela Omarkhail, The Daniels Corporation's Manager of Community Partnerships. "We're delighted to begin this journey with
Lorraine Segato, a multi-disciplinary artist with deep roots in the city of Toronto and with her own long history of collaboration, activism and creativity. Regent Park's Artist in Residence program is a natural next step as we help further the transformation of this vibrant neighbourhood and watch it continue to thrive with the help of this unique program."
The Daniels Corporation, the private-sector developer behind Regent Park's revitalization, is sponsoring this initiative. Embracing the arts has been a major part of Daniels' corporate philosophy dating back more than 25 years, when the company invited street artists to help create a graffiti board at a former Goodyear Tire site at its Lakeshore Village community in Etobicoke, ON.
Since then, Daniels incorporated artistic elements and programs into many of its projects across the Greater Toronto Area—from featuring rotating art exhibitions at its various sales offices, to designing and building a piano-themed walkway in honour of legendary Canadian musician Oscar Peterson at its FirstHomeTM community in Mississauga. The Regent Park Artist in Residence program represents an unprecedented expansion of that commitment to the arts and culture, and Daniels is delighted to help build the framework for this program that can be transferred to their other new home communities across the GTA.
In addition to the Artist in Residence program, Daniels has launched other arts and community projects in Regent Park, including contributing to the design and construction of Daniels Spectrum - a 60,000 sq.ft cultural hub, and developing a local arts procurement program, as well as partnering with the Regent Park Women and Families Quilting Group, which was commissioned to sew two one-of-a-kind quilts that have already become an integral part of the Regent Park social fabric.
To listen to the song Rize Time, click below:
For more information about Daniels Artist in Residence program, visit www.lorrainesegato.com/dair
About
Lorraine Segato
For the past 36 years,
Lorraine Segato has fueled an impressive artistic career that has produced some excellent and edgy cultural work. Segato's extensive experience as a respected musician, songwriter, filmmaker, event producer, artistic director, speechwriter, lecturer and social justice activist makes her one of Canada's iconic recording artists and leading cultural commentators. As the co-founder and lead singer of The
Parachute Club - one of the most critically lauded and commercially successful groups of the 1980s - Segato enjoyed an impressive career in the music industry before turning her attention to other creative endeavors such as directing, speechwriting, and producing large cultural events. Most recently, she has dedicated her time to a 2 yr film project that unveils the interesting stories of the many talented Homeless individuals who vie for shelter while playing the streets of Toronto. She has also finished a CD Invincible Decency slated for release in late 2014 and is about to workshop a one-woman show Get Off My Dress.
For more information, visit www.lorrainesegato.com
