Interlacing
Interlacing was part of our early investigations into the official and unofficial histories, personal and collective memories, and changing identities of East Scarborough. It explored how the threads of our lives and stories are interwoven with the fabric of where we live and come from. Where do these strands form a tight weave? Where do the threads get lost? Where do they unravel?
Interlacing
2016
Interlacing: Weaving Stories of East Scarborough was the Community Arts Guild’s annual evolving gallery show in 2016.
We invited visitors and participants to join us in co-creating an exhibition, drawing on the themes and art forms currently inspiring our work.
Interlacing
2018
Interlacing was a Signature Project of the Cultural Hotspot, produced in partnership with the City of Toronto. It was an interactive art installation based around a large scale 10’ x 5’ loom that travelled to different sites in North Scarborough, inviting people to weave together. Visitors to the loom helped create a timeline of Scarborough's history by writing and weaving in events and moments on strips of fabric.
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Lead Artist, Project Concept and Design: Sonja Rainey
Lead Artist and Artistic Producer: Beth Helmers
Outreach and Project Co-ordinator: Joanna Prescod
Sewer and Textile Artist: Marianne Alas
Facilitators, Staff and Artist Contributors: Ashley Riley, Beth Helmers, Diana Tso, Fiona Pereira, Gehan Udayanga Kolamba Tantrege, Jamie Oshkabewisens, Julia Tribe, Kaitlynn Rodgers, Karis Jones-Pard, Marianne Alas, Melanie Fernandez-Alvares, Munzir Rahman, Sam Egan, Sarah Miller, Sasha Tate-Howarth, Sharada Eswar, Sonja Rainey, Sylvie Stojanovski, Tijana Spasic
Technical Support: Kai Masaoka
Loom Construction: Steel and Oak
Graphic Design: Helah Cooper and Sonja Rainey
Story Prompts: Sasha Tate-Howarth
Research and Sources: Sarah Miller, Scarborough Museum, Multicultural History Society, First Story Toronto, Victoria Freeman and others
Special Thanks to: Caroline Hollway, Lily Ma, Ruth Howard, Leah Houston, Christine Shipley, and Mariam Desai.
And to everyone who has woven in a story, our deepest gratitude.A Signature Project of the Cultural Hotspot
Additional Funders and Partners: Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Government of Canada, City of Toronto, Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, ARTSIDEOUT, East Scarborough Storefront, Jumblies Theatre, Malvern Town Centre, Malvern Library, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, Nuit Blanche, Scarborough Town Centre and many more