Unity Charity dances into Winnipeg

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This article was published 21/10/2019 (2271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Toronto-based mental health charity is hoping to use hip hop and other art forms as a way to establish roots in Winnipeg.

Unity Charity teaches youth about mental well-being, resiliency, and community resources, through creative outlets such as dance, visual arts, beatboxing, and spoken word poetry.

The non-profit organization is bringing its programming to Winnipeg for the first time between Oct. 20 to Nov. 2.

The charity’s main goal is to gauge the interest in its work from community youth, said Jessey Pacho, the national program co-ordinator for Unity Charity. From there, the organization can explore the potential for offering year-round programming in the city.

“There is a want for our programming,” he said. “What we’re hoping is to see a sense of resiliency after the program.”

Events will get underway at the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre theatre on Oct. 22 and run till Oct. 25, and will then move over to Winnipeg School Division from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. A total of seven high schools across those divisions will get a taste of the charity’s work. One public engagement event is scheduled for Nov. 1 at Portage Place Mall from 6 to 8 p.m.

Each school and division will be provided with a local resource guide for students to use to become more aware of what’s available to them, Pacho said.

Multiple local organizations are also involved including Graffiti Art Programming, Youth Agencies Alliance, Aboriginal Youth Opportunities, and Studio 393.

The entire event will be an opportunity to exchange ideas and grow through exposure, said Elliott Walsh, manager of Studio 393.

“When you’re in Winnipeg you see things a certain way … It’s good to hear from other artists to see how they see things,” he said.

Currently, Unity Charity focuses its programming in various communities across Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Northern Alberta.

“We’re looking at shifting some of our programming to communities that are more aligned with what we do,” Pacho said. “Winnipeg is a special community due to the amount of community and youth organizations there are.”

After operating as a non-profit for 11 years, Unity Charity has helped more than 250,000 youth. Upwards of 70 per cent of people who participated in programming indicated having improved mental health and resiliency in the year prior to when the report was conducted in 2018.

If Unity Charity were to continue its programming in Winnipeg in the future, Pacho said he’s unsure of what that would look like at the time being, but the organization would work with artists and community groups on best practices.