Newcomer Facilitators
If you're an organization that is interested in facilitating community arts workshops, below is our roster of Newcomer Artists who have trained with us as community arts facilitators. We highly recommend them!
These artists bring a range of artistic practices, approaches, and languages with them and are available to lead or assist in arts workshops. You can contact an artist directly through the contact information listed on their biography, or reach out to us with any questions or recommendations you might need: wttncoordinator@mabellarts.ca
ARIF BAHADURI
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Languages: English and Dari (Persian)
Arif Bahaduri was born and raised in Afghanistan, in 1992. He is an artist who started learning art in 2007 in a private art class in Kabul. Through his process, He learned different skills and worked with different materials, and now uses them to give meaning to his artworks. In 2013, He was among the top 10 in Kabul for the Afghan Contemporary Art Prize, which helped him become familiar with contemporary art. His artworks are in mixed media, painting, and performance art. He has had solo and group exhibitions in and outside of Afghanistan and completed an artist residency.
ANTONIO ARRAUT
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Languages: English, Spanish, French.
Antonio Arraut is a multidisciplinary artist and engineer from Barranquilla, Colombia. He will soon be graduating from Centennial College in the Arts Education and Community Engagement program. Antonio is a prize-winning writer, a talented visual artist and a skilled project management specialist. He graduated from the District School of Arts of Barranquilla in 2021. Since 2015, he has balanced his life between working as a civil engineer designer and pursuing his passion as an artist and facilitator, using writing as a tool for emotional healing. In 2022, he decided to move to Toronto to fully transition to the art field.
CHICO TOGNI
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Languages: English, French, Portuguese
For over 15 years Chico Togni has been making large sculptures, and creating situations and happenings that take place in structures built with discarded wood, cardboard, metal and other found materials. Togni received a B.F.A. in Sculpture from The São Paulo University (USP), Brazil, and exhibited internationally, from South to North America and Europe, most recently in Paris, France, and Leipzig, Germany. Togni was also an Artist Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. and an artist in residency at Citè International des Arts, Paris, and Museumsquartier Vienna. In 2021 he started experimenting with quilting and developed the Bellaroche Stories, an expanding series that narrates the trajectory of rocks, power tools and visual puzzles, a work in progress which he continues to produce at his studio at the AKIN Auto Building since he moved to Toronto.
DANIELA GALAVIZ
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Languages: English, Spanish.
danspiraloficial@gmail.com
Dani is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, and educator. She was born and raised in Mexico (Cancun & Queretaro) where she studied performing arts and worked in theatre as a performer and coordinator. She has been an arts facilitator for 6 years and she holds a master's degree in Educational Technology. She is passionate about the learning process and applying the arts for the benefit of our daily lives and our development as human beings. She is a newcomer to Canada and recently graduated from the Arts Education and Community Engagement program at Centennial College.
As a personal project, she runs a Youtube channel where she shares theatre educational content for Spanish speakers. Her artistic practices include drama, clown & physical comedy, puppetry, makeup artistry, and watercolor, but she is always willing to experiment and find something new to try.
PAOLA PAZ-LOPEZ
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Languages: English, Spanish, French.
Paola Paz-Lopez is a Mexican performer, translator, writer and artisan. Passionate about arts in general, curious to go deeper in clowning, singing and dancing. Author of “3 seconds of empathy”, a diary about anxiety. She also writes about Feminism and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. She has participated in street performances in Mexico and Puppet Cabaret in Canada and had been doing crochet for 5 years. Recently obtained a diploma in Publishing- Books, Magazines & Electronic. Holds a BA in Modern Languages (Translation & English)
RUY NIEVES
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Languages: English, Spanish.
Ruy Nieves is a Mexican stage artist who has been the artistic director of two Non-profit organizations in Mexico, engaging in community theatre, opening alternative spaces and approaching art to disadvantaged environments; in addition he has developed Youtube channels and a local television show with educational and cultural content. He has worked in many different productions from classical to contemporary as an actor, director and playwright. He has a BA in acting and a MA in Literature.
AZUL BAEZ
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Languages: English, Spanish
Originally from Mexico, now operating in Toronto, Canada. I am a multidisciplinary artist, community developer and active listener. From my highly sensitive character, I create art practices that make us imagine greater futures, both personal and collective.
My educational training is in the History of Arts and Philosophy from the Universidad del Clasutro de Sor Juana, Mexico. Later my passion for community work led me to do a postgraduate degree in Art Education and Community Engagement at Centennial College, Canada. My professional experience includes curatorial and administrative work with museums and art organizations, as well as art direction for audiovisual productions for the film and advertising industry.
When I'm not working I enjoy spending time in nature, dancing and watching art films. I am an advocate for mental health and food justice, both are a recurring inspiration in my work.
MERCY VERDUGO
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Languages: Spanish, English.
Mercy Verdugo is a multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years of experience as a visual artist, actress, poet, arts advocate, and community facilitator. Her artistic journey has taken her from working in the heart of the Mexican jungle with immigrant children and families to leading workshops in Toronto for seniors and women with lived refugee experience.
CECÍLIA GARCIA
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Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese.
Cecília Garcia is a Brazilian arts manager, community artist, and emerging textile artist based in Tkaronto. Her artistic practice has included film, media, community arts, and textile arts. Her textile artworks are inspired by the memories of landscapes of her homeland and the nature that she is surrounded by currently.
AFSANEH ZAMANI
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Languages: English, Farsi.
Afasneh Zamani has produced and directed more than 15 shows for kids and adults, in collaboration with theater groups as a puppeteer, puppet maker, and set designer. Afsaneh has delivered several workshops in Iran, Armenia, and Canada in puppetry, storytelling and paper puppets, has experience as an art director and Jury member for many festivals in Iran, and has published articles about traditional Iranian puppetry and theatre. She was awarded the “Best in Heritage” award for the 21st UNIMA Congress and Puppetry Festival in China 2012. Education: BA in Dramatic Arts and puppetry. MA, in Researching Arts (Tehran)