The Music Gallery takes Toronto's oft-repeated "all are welcome here" diversity mantra to new heights with this year's X Avant festival XVI: You in Mind — the first under the leadership of artistic director Sanjeet Takar. This year's festivities will take place in person and online from October 14 to 17.
X Avant brings together artists, musicians, videographers, poets, community leaders and organizations to collaboratively listen, process and empower the city's diverse communities. Created with "you in mind," X Avant XVI includes four meaningful, intentional events dedicated to Toronto's cultural history.
On October 14, the fest's Listen event merges music and spoken word poetry, followed by Reasoning's spotlight on artist, singer-songwriter, filmmaker and activist Alanna Stuart on October 15. Process will drone on for eight hours on October 16 before the festival closes with Embody — an interactive dance class with Oneida Nation group the Ukwehuwe Connection highlighting Haudenosaunee culture.
The Music Gallery is committed to taking the necessary COVID-19 safety precautions so as many people as possible can feel at ease and be comfortably immersed in these events. In-person event tickets (limited to 20 percent capacity) are linked above. You can also attend X Avant XVI online at a pay-what-you-can rate.
See the full lineup of X Avant XVI: You in Mind programming below.
10/14 - X Avant XVI: Listen (7:30 p.m. ET)
A musical spoken word night dedicated to emotional explorations co-presented with RISE
Eyeda Sophia
Nathan Baya
Nasim
Moël
Nathan Smith
Vanese Smith
10/15 - X Avant XVI: Reasoning (7:30 p.m. ET)
A spotlight on Alanna Stuart and all of her shine
Alanna Stuart
10/16 - X Avant XVI: Process (1:30 p.m. ET)
An eight hour day to drone out and zone out
Naomi McCarroll-Butler
Scott Peterson
Pedram Khavarzamini
Amely Zhou
Araz Salek
Yang Chen
Colin Fisher
Debashis Sinha
Kat Estacio
Short Bloom
Yang Chen
Araz Salek
Bachelard
Zones & LordAUK
Aljumaine Gayle
Enna Kim
Maziar Ghaderi
10/17 - X Avant XVI: Embody (5 p.m. ET)
An embodied dance class co-presented with Native Women in the Arts
The Ukwehuwe Connection
X Avant brings together artists, musicians, videographers, poets, community leaders and organizations to collaboratively listen, process and empower the city's diverse communities. Created with "you in mind," X Avant XVI includes four meaningful, intentional events dedicated to Toronto's cultural history.
On October 14, the fest's Listen event merges music and spoken word poetry, followed by Reasoning's spotlight on artist, singer-songwriter, filmmaker and activist Alanna Stuart on October 15. Process will drone on for eight hours on October 16 before the festival closes with Embody — an interactive dance class with Oneida Nation group the Ukwehuwe Connection highlighting Haudenosaunee culture.
The Music Gallery is committed to taking the necessary COVID-19 safety precautions so as many people as possible can feel at ease and be comfortably immersed in these events. In-person event tickets (limited to 20 percent capacity) are linked above. You can also attend X Avant XVI online at a pay-what-you-can rate.
See the full lineup of X Avant XVI: You in Mind programming below.
10/14 - X Avant XVI: Listen (7:30 p.m. ET)
A musical spoken word night dedicated to emotional explorations co-presented with RISE
Eyeda Sophia
Nathan Baya
Nasim
Moël
Nathan Smith
Vanese Smith
10/15 - X Avant XVI: Reasoning (7:30 p.m. ET)
A spotlight on Alanna Stuart and all of her shine
Alanna Stuart
10/16 - X Avant XVI: Process (1:30 p.m. ET)
An eight hour day to drone out and zone out
Naomi McCarroll-Butler
Scott Peterson
Pedram Khavarzamini
Amely Zhou
Araz Salek
Yang Chen
Colin Fisher
Debashis Sinha
Kat Estacio
Short Bloom
Yang Chen
Araz Salek
Bachelard
Zones & LordAUK
Aljumaine Gayle
Enna Kim
Maziar Ghaderi
10/17 - X Avant XVI: Embody (5 p.m. ET)
An embodied dance class co-presented with Native Women in the Arts
The Ukwehuwe Connection