FREEDOM HEIGHTS (A Song for Joshua Glover)
Mayor John Tory announced a new, year-long partnership between Soulpepper and the City of Toronto’s History Museums Awakenings program centred around artist mentorship. As part of the announcement the first chapter of a new music series called Kitchen Concerts at the Inn, co-curated by Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha premiered. Chapter 1: Freedom Heights (A Song for Joshua Glover), features Jully Black, Susan Carol, Savannah Ré, Emanuel, and Kardinal Offishall.
As an exciting addition, Freedom Heights (A song for Joshua Glover), has been adopted as an official anthem of the Toronto Raptors, and proceeds from the song will donated to NIA Centre for the Arts, Canada's first professional multi-disciplinary Black arts centre.
Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha had the pleasure of co-directing this stunning piece, A Revolution of Love, with Lucius Dechausay, created and choreographed by Esie Mensah. A Revolution of Love is a short film that follows a young Black woman as she grapples with the histories of her ancestors and the present-day violence ravaging her community, and begins to imagine what her future looks like through dance. Conceived by an internationally-recognized Black creative team and featuring the words and compositions of Assata Shakur and d'bi.young anitafrika, this piece spotlights 15 women as they come together to re-frame revolution in the name of love. Filmed at Toronto History Museums’ Fort York National Historic Site, A Revolution of Love is created in partnership with Soulpepper Theatre.
Choreographer Esie Mensah and Co-Directors Weyni Mengesha and Lucius Dechausay sit down at the Young Centre to discuss the creation and intention behind A Revolution of Love. Check out the compelling behind-the-scenes conversation.