Celebrating Black History Month 2024 in Ottawa and Montreal

Happy Black History Month! Whether you’re in Ottawa or Montreal, there are plenty of ways to celebrate and honour Black History Month across both of Also Cool’s respective headquarter cities. Below, find a non-exhaustive list of events spotlighting our local Black communities and uplifting the power and influence of Black history, culture and creativity. Be sure to keep up with the programmers and curators of these events to enjoy and support their endeavours all year round!

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Ottawa Black History Month Roundup

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The second edition of “Crépu: Our DNA” returns this coming Sunday, February 4th, at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum from 5pm-9pm.

Presented in collaboration between Hors Pair Social, The Moving Art Gallery and Ingenium, “Crépu: Our DNA” is a multidisciplinary Black hair art show, showcasing the complexity and innovation that Black folks have engineered in hair care.

Following the event’s extremely successful launch in 2023, the second edition of “Crépu: Our DNA” features artists from both Ottawa and Montreal, and offers a wide range of programming, from workshops on curly hair care to a hair-art runway.

Advance tickets are sold out! A limited number of tickets will be available at the door - arrive early!

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In collaboration with the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition and Pass The Vibes, Produced By Youth presents FUBU (For Us By Us) at Club SAW on Wednesday, February 7th from 7pm-11:30pm.

Celebrating five years of Produced By Youth—a Black-led grassroots organization that delivers a unique music-making workshop program aimed at fostering a creative safe(r) space exclusively for Black youth ages 15-25—FUBU features a networking mixer, live performances, raffle prizes, games and more, for and by Black youth.

The FUBU lineup includes Produced By Youth Advanced Cycle alumni μames., Nonso, Chyme and Produced By Youth x Pass The Vibes DJs dj boatie & Mona Monet

Secure your pay-what-you-can tickets below!

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Hip hop takes centre stage throughout February at the National Arts Centre eleven-day Hip Hop Theatre Festival. On now until February 10th, the inaugural event revolves around the text-based essence of hip hop. Programming includes battle rap, spoken word, staged readings, panels, concerts and virtual events “aimed at broadening our perspective on how we view and experience theatre at its core.”

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On February 20th, Hors Pair Social invites you to celebrate Black History Month at the Algonquin Commons Theatre with The Ottawa Black Creatives Hub Performing Arts Showcase.

From 6:30pm-9pm, catch performances from musical artists, dancers, poets, and other multifaceted creatives representing Ottawa’s Black arts scene. The lineup includes Grey Brisson, N’nerjie, Sommer Knight, Malaïka Urbani, Chloe Bonnet, Miss Mcleod, Christjay, KingH509, Noni, Mxzy, Olivia Onuk, Carleton Afro Dance Crew AKA CADC, Jacqui Du Toit, Fitch Jean, and Kiera Meeks. 

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BLKGURL Prom takes Club SAW February 24th and this year’s theme is The Elements. Organized by BLKGURL—a grassroots collective dedicated to creating space, building community and uplifting Black women and gender diverse folks—BLKGURL Prom is the ultimate celebration of Black girl/gender non-confirming magic.

There is no dress code, but get ready to strut your stuff on the dancefloor! The event is free, and donations are welcome to support BLKGURL.

Please note that this a dry event. BLKGURL Prom is a closed event specifically for Black women, girls and gender/sexually marginalized people.

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Montreal Black History Month Roundup

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Also Cool had the pleasure of attending the opening night of Black Theatre Workshop’s Diggers at Segal Centre for Performing Arts. On until February 17th, this brilliant co-production with Prairie Theatre Exchange is the world premiere of the story of three essential workers—grave diggers—who make the best of a bad situation as townsfolk grow increasingly distant when illness hits their town.

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This Saturday, February 3rd, the second edition of Frky x Listen takes La Sotterenea from 8pm-10:30pm to celebrate Black musical heritage on the dancefloor. Spanning multiple genres, from jazz, hip hop, house, afrobeat and more, this free event brings together members of the music scene to honour Black history month and the rich tapestry of Black music and its influence.

The lineup features Mauro Pezzente, Donald D, Lexis (Music Is My Sanctuary), Dapapa, Blackgold, Sisters of Sim, Living Legends, Mathieu Grondin, Quest, Inobe, Jesse Walker, ESC, Duke Eatmon, and Supernature.

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The next edition of Also Cool x Mags Drink n’ Draw is coming up on February 21st at Système! Bring your friends (or make new ones), vibe to tunes supplied by DJ JU!CE, and enjoy the best food and drink in town as you unlock your artistic side. This Drink n’ Draw will have a special colouring page for Black History Month, made in collaboration with a surprise local music group!

More details coming soon - save the date!

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BLK WinterFest is fostering nothing but Black joy in the middle of winter! Organized by Hike Mtl, BLK WinterFest is a month-long happening, offering winter activities (skating, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice climbing) every weekend for the Black community throughout the month of February.

Open to all ages and skill levels, BLK WinterFest is the perfect opportunity to gather with family and friends for a fun outdoor excursion!

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From February 7th to March 10th, experience the story of American Black civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin. Presented by the Phi Centre, Colored: The Unknown Life of Claudette Colvin, is an augmented reality installation that uses the HoloLens 2 (an augmented reality headset) to transport the viewer through Colvin’s life in segregated Alabama.

Learn more about this immersive and powerful exhibition here.

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For more Black History Month programming in Ottawa, see this list compiled by Hors Pair Social and visit Black History Ottawa.

For more Black History Month programming in Montreal, visit mtl.org and Table Ronde.

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Debaser's PIQUE Returns for a Winter Edition at Arts Court and Ottawa Art Gallery

PIQUE poster by @mouthoftiger, original wordmark typeface created by Moritz Esch

Here to heat up December’s frost is PIQUE – back once again at Arts Court and the Ottawa Art Gallery.

The winter edition of PIQUE, a forward-thinking artist-driven music and multimedia arts event series produced by Debaser, offers live performances, in-person and online screenings, movement, installations and performance art. The multi-level building-wide arts event and digital program takes place December 4th, 2021 in-person in and around the Arts Court and Ottawa Art Gallery.

PIQUE’s third edition will feature live music performances and DJ sets, sound art installations, an in-person and online screening program of audio-visual works curated by cross-country co-presenters, performance art and original movement. PIQUE is produced by Debaser, Ottawa’s leading independent and underground music presenter.

PIQUE poster by @mouthoftiger, original wordmark typeface created by Moritz Esch

PIQUE is experimental in form and content. Its third edition features:

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Immersive sonic and visual live experience with Jerusalem in my Heart; a forging of modern experimental Arabic music wed to hand-made visuals using analog 16mm film

Photo courtesy of Ayla Hibri

Live performance by experimental Egyptian vocalist, producer and sound artist Nadah El Shazly, with visuals by Pansee Atta (visuals curated by Amin Alsaden)

Photo courtesy of Paddington Scott

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live modular synth performance by Tkarón:to-via-Seoul based producer and DJ Korea Town Acid, with visuals by local psychedelic analog artist Hard Science

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live performance by Tkarón:to-based psychedelic rock band Mother Tongues

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live performance by Tkarón:to-based queer Black electronic producer & singer-songwriter shn shn

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Photo courtesy of Debaser

‘dahan, dahan’ – a meditative sound installation created by discs of ice melting onto amplified metal sculptures by multimedia artist April Aliermo (PHÈDRE) in collaboration with Kat Estacio (Pantayo) and Kristina Guison

Photo courtesy of Debaser

A danceable, beat driven live electronic performance by Tkarón:to-based act PHÈDRE, with visuals by local psychedelic analog artist Hard Science

Photo courtesy of Debaser

The first live performance in four years by local art-pop band Pony Girl

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live performance by Tkarón:to-based pianist, composer, and singer Morgan-Paige, whose work blends contemporary, lo-fi genres with western-romanticism musical nuances, spoken word, vocals and projected visuals

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live improvised set by experimental electronic musician Liliane Chlela

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live ambient electronic drone performance by Kat Estacio (Pantayo)

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live music and performance art by local pianist Stephen Eckert, performing with piano prepared with electronics

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live set by local electro pop producer and singer-songwriter ISØBEL

Photo courtesy of Debaser

DJ mix by local free-form DJ and producer Osita

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Movement by contemporary dancer and surreal ‘mad artist’ amelia rose griffin in collaboration with Ottawa Dance Directive (ODD).

Photo courtesy of Gary Franks

Guest curation by Amin Alsaden (DARC), a curator, scholar, and educator whose work envisions novel spatial responses to questions of displacement, exile, and belonging, and whose research explores modern and contemporary art and architecture in the Global South

Photo courtesy of Debaser

Light and projection installation “Bathed in that twilight gold” and performance by Nigerian-Canadian visual artist Kosisochukwu Nnebe (curated by Amin Alsaden)

Photo courtesy of Kamryn Cusumano

Jude Abu Zaineh explores the soft power of food for diasporic communities with a precarious connection to ancestral homelands with Ingesting Home. Comprising a performance, screening, and dinner gathering hosted by the artist, Ingesting Home convenes guests around Palestinian food, poetry, and folk stories (Ccrated by Amin Alsaden)

Photo courtesy of Katherine Takpannie

Photo courtesy of Claudia Mock

Photo courtesy of Debaser

The event also features in-person and online screenings of audio-visual works curated from the 2021 programs of co-presenters: EVERYSEEKER, Suoni Per Il Popolo, Sled Island, Long Winter, and from Debaser’s own archives:

• Silla and Rise live from Club SAW for the Many Moons Concert Series (Debaser)

• KMRU (Suoni Per Il Popolo)

• Amy Nelson live at the Central United Church (Sled Island)

PIQUE is produced in partnership with SAW, Ottawa Art Gallery, Wall Sound, Artengine, DAÏMÔN, Digital Arts Resource Centre, Firegrove Studio, Le Seltzer, Dominion City Brewing Co, Also Cool, Ottawa Fringe, Ottawa Dance Directive, CKCU FM, CHUO FM, Apt613, EVERYSEEKER, Suoni Per Il Popolo, Long Winter, and Sled Island, and is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, City of Ottawa, SOCAN Foundation, and FACTOR.

Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $30-$50. Tickets are on sale now on Eventbrite.

Information on COVID-19 policy, accessibility and more is available at the Eventbrite link above. For all other inquiries, please contact Rachel Weldon at hello@debaser.ca. For participating artists’ images and biographies, visit here.

Check out the full schedule for PIQUE’s winter edition below!

Debaser

Website | Instagram | Facebook

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The Second Edition of Debaser's PIQUE Takes-Over Arts Court on September 11th, 2021

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PIQUE poster by @mouthoftiger, original wordmark typeface created by Moritz Esch

The second edition of PIQUE, a new forward-thinking artist-driven music and multimedia arts event series produced by Debaser, offers up music, art, comedy and drag in its hybrid in-person/online program.

The multi-level building-wide arts event and digital program takes place September 11th, 2021 in-person in and around the Arts Court and Ottawa Art Gallery buildings, and online at thisispique.com.

PIQUE’s second edition will be a hybrid event featuring live in-person outdoor performances, indoor screenings and installations, a skill-sharing workshop, and a virtual program of audio-visual works available on-demand. PIQUE is produced by Debaser, Ottawa’s leading independent and underground music presenter.  

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PIQUE poster by @mouthoftiger, original wordmark typeface created by Moritz Esch

PIQUE is experimental in form and content. Its second edition features:

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Live performance by Polaris Prize-winning rapper and producer BACKXWASH with original set design by Méchant Vaporwave

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Photo courtesy of Debaser

An immersive audio/visual play by Vancouver-based experimental artist/composer Debby Friday featuring AI deepfake tool Holly+ (developed by musician and researcher Holly Herndon)

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Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live performance by Toronto spitfire “rapper supermom” and scene builder Sydanie, curated by Shaya Ishaq

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Photo courtesy of Debaser

Live performance by Toronto-based RnB and electronic pop artist Quinton Barnes with visuals by Justin Atkins

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Frosty Valentine by Jesi Jordan

A site-specific performance by drag artist, pop star and “retired cartoon” Frosty Valentine with her animatronic back-up singers, live dancers, and projections

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Photo courtesy of Debaser

A playful immersive audio installation exploring childhood diary entries by local artist and composer Yolande Laroche

Virtual video performances by innovative artists New Chance, La Neve, Abdu Ali and Amanda Lowe, which will be screened in Club SAW at the in-person event

Photos courtesy of Debaser

Live performances by local artists Jules Filmhouse, Lady Charles, and Randy Schmucker

Photos courtesy of Debaser

Pass the Vibes logo

“Infinite Vibes”, an intro to DJing workshop, curated by Shaya Ishaq and facilitated by QTBIPOC-centring artist collective Pass the Vibes

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Photo courtesy of Debaser

Guest curation by interdisciplinary artist, designer, writer and world-builder Shaya Ishaq. Her solo exhibition, Library of Infinities, is currently on display at the SAW Gallery.

Pique is produced in partnership with SAW, Ottawa Art Gallery, Firegrove Studio, Ottawa Fringe, Artengine, DAÏMÔN, Digital Arts Resource Centre, CKCU FM, CHUO FM, Apt 613 and Also Cool Mag and is supported by Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, City of Ottawa, Ottawa Community Foundation, SOCAN Foundation, and FACTOR. 

Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $30-$50, and are on sale now on Eventbrite

For more information contact: Rachel Weldon at hello@debaser.ca

Check out PIQUE’s fall edition schedule below

Debaser

Website | Instagram | Facebook

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Debaser Welcomes Summer with PIQUE: A New Forward-Thinking, Artist-Driven Event Series

PIQUE poster by @mouthoftiger, original wordmark typeface created by Moritz Esch

This week, Ottawa/Hull’s independent underground music presenter Debaser presents PIQUE: a new forward-thinking, artist-driven quarterly event series. Since 2013, Debaser has supported and exhibited underrepresented creatives, garnering a reputation for its curation of experimental music and emphasizing inclusivity at its events. Hot off the buzz of its unique music-recommendation project Mood Ring, Debaser is resurfacing from the pandemic lull with a summer kickoff that can’t be missed.

This inaugural installment of PIQUE on June 12th, 2021, features online performances, art, sound and media from a wide-ranging lineup, including: Ami Dang, Asuquomo, GloryHull, Golbon Moltaji, Marisa Gallemit, Matthew Cardinal, Mercedes Ventura, Lauren Bousfield (with visuals by Naomi Mitchell), Orchidae, respectfulchild and See No Stranger (sanjeet & Emissive).

Alongside the performances, artist talk TOPIQUE, with speakers Ami Dang, Matthew Cardinal and moderator Heidi Chan, will delve into “tracing our voices in ambient electronic music.”

PIQUE event poster by @mouthoftiger, original wordmark typeface created by Moritz Esch

Tickets are available via Eventbrite and are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $25. Proceeds will be donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. Register for a "pay-what-you-can" ticket to receive a notification when the programming goes live. The TOPIQUE discussion will have live transcription and an ASL Interpreter in the call.

Visit thisispique.com for more information and to watch the performances!

Debaser

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Sourdough for the Soul: Glutenmolly on Coping Through Cooking and Awakening Your Inner-Chef

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Molly Stead (glutenmolly) with her 30% spelt sourdough boule, photo provided by the interviewee

At one point during the pandemic, it’s likely that your Instagram feed was filled with mutuals cheffing up something. Whether it be banana bread or sourdough, it’s without a doubt that younger people have turned to cooking and baking to kill time in the era of COVID-19. However, to longtime home cook and baker Molly Stead (AKA glutenmolly), there is more to the rise (pun intended) in bread making than it being a simple time-filler; it’s therapeutic.

Other than her sentimental approach to cooking, Stead is setting herself apart as a Gen-Z head-chef in many ways. From crafting Vancouver-exclusive holiday recipes for her experimental cookie biz, to promoting cooking from a resourceful, accessible and anti-diet culture stance, Stead has found a way to make her passion wholly her own, and share it with her online following.

We had the chance to connect with Stead to chat about her relationship with the culinary arts and how she is breaking conventions surrounding the world of foodie Instagram. Check out our full conversation below!

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Molly! Thank you so much for collaborating with Also Cool. To start, can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself and where your passion for cooking began?  

Molly Stead: I’m a home cook and baker currently based out of Ottawa. I grew up in Vancouver, and cooking was always a big part of my life from a young age. Both my parents, especially my dad, were always experimenting in the kitchen and loved to cook, so I guess my love of cooking started there. I went vegetarian and moved into my first apartment at the same time in 2017, which forced me to learn a lot about cooking and nutrition very quickly. It was that year I started a food account on Instagram as a separate space to record the food related things I was learning about and experimenting with. I’m no longer vegetarian, but I still love to cook and bake, so this account has stuck around!

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Labbneh balls coated in zaatar, nigella seeds, sumac, and toasted sesame with Aleppo pepper, by Molly Stead via glutenmolly

Also Cool: Do you have any dishes that are a particular favourite to craft? Or, are there perhaps any that you lean to because of a strong connection or memory associated with it?

Molly Stead: I feel like this answer has become a little unoriginal because of the pandemic, but I adore bread baking and especially baking sourdough bread. I became obsessed with bread baking in my early teens and I would bake multiple loaves a week at that age. I had recently lost a close family member, and in hindsight, bread baking was something I dived into to cope with grief. Despite the circumstances that kick-started this hobby and skill, bread baking has evolved into an extremely grounding and joyful practice. I specifically started baking sourdough the summer of 2019 and almost 100% of my loaves are naturally leavened. This means that no commercial yeast is added, which is something I am very proud of! I love the challenge and care maintaining a sourdough starter requires. It’s sort of like a low maintenance pet. 

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Sifted red fife flour and whole spelt flour sourdough batard, by Molly Stead via umamimolly

 AC: Like you said, there has undoubtedly been a surge in baking during the pandemic; what are your thoughts on this phenomenon as an already avid chef/baker?  

MS: The most obvious answer to everyone baking in the pandemic is because we are all stuck at home, but I think there is more to it than just that. Similarly to how I used bread baking as a coping mechanism for dealing with grief in my early teens, I think many people turned to bread baking in the pandemic to cope with grieving the loss of normalcy. It sounds a little corny, but I think there’s some truth to it. Bread is a living process: when you break down the process and look at the science behind it, it can be simplified as creating a healthy and nourishing environment (flour + water + salt + the right temperature) for little microorganisms (sourdough starter aka “wild yeast,” or store bought conventional yeast). You capture the peak moment of this happy little microorganism home by baking it. To be able to create something as impressive and nourishing as a loaf of bread out of just a few ingredients is so rewarding.

AC: In that vein, do you have any advice for people just starting to venture out into the world of cuisine?

MS: I think a lot of cooking is more intuitive than people think. If you’re just starting off, try recreating things from your childhood or playing around with ingredients you know you love. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and just have fun! Some of the best things I’ve cooked and baked have been the result of mistakes. While fancy gadgets and specialty ingredients can be fun, there really isn’t a need for that and anyone can have fun in the kitchen just using what they’re comfortable with and have access to. 

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Lemon cake with lemon cream cheese frosting and local strawberries, by Molly Stead via umamimolly

AC: Outside of your independent love of cooking, you're involved with so many related projects! Let's talk about the cooking zine KitchenSink, of which you are an editor and contributor. Can you tell me about how the first issue "Comfort in Times of Change" came to be?  

MS: I think something unique about KitchenSink is that it came together super organically, and was intended to be a community-driven project from the start. A couple of months ago, Danielle posted about seeking help for creating a collaborative zine to explore everyday food feelings during the pandemic. Myself, alongside quite a few others, expressed interest in helping, so she created a group chat and we figured everything out from there! We ended up receiving way more submissions than we anticipated, and we were able to publish the vast majority of them in volume one. We accept anything from illustrations, essays, poetry, and photography, as long as it is related to food and the theme. KitchenSink zine really is a labour of love because it was made and organized by a handful of similarly-minded young people who wanted to talk about the realities of food, nostalgia, and obviously comfort as we cooked and baked our way through this turbulent year.

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Sourdough discard, acid whey, and cornmeal pancakes with yogurt and homemade blueberry compote, by Molly Stead via glutenmolly

AC: Branching off of that, you've also spearheaded an experimental Instagram cookie business, Kuketista, with your friend Jade. How do you two come up with your incredibly unique recipes? 

MS: My friend Jade and I started up Kuketista a few months ago out of a combination of pandemic boredom and a shared love of baking and cooking. Our original year-round cookie is called Zander, and is a miso-rye-sourdough dark chocolate chunk cookie. We both do sourdough baking, so we knew we wanted to incorporate sourdough discard into a cookie because of the amazing flavor and texture it provides to baked goods. We also both prefer cookies that are not overwhelmingly sweet and have a good contrast of flavours and textures, so it made sense to make the year-round cookie a fun chocolate chunk cookie. The miso adds extra umami and fully replaces the salt in the cookie batter, while the rye flour rounds everything out with a punch of earthiness. I can honestly say that Zander is the best chocolate chunk cookie I’ve ever made.

In addition to our year-round cookie, we decided to have changing monthly cookies rather than a larger pre-set menu because we wanted to highlight seasonal ingredients and flavours.  Our current monthly cookie for January is affectionately named Rob, and is one of my favorites so far. It’s a toasted oat and whiskey cookie with raspberry jam, white rabbit candy-inspired drizzle, and sliced almonds. It draws inspiration from the Vancouver-based cultural event Gung Haggis Fat Choy. Gung Haggis Fat Choy is a Robbie Burns Day x Lunar New Year celebration that has been one of the main fundraisers for the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWF). Gung Haggis Fat Choy was not able to run this year due to the pandemic, so we are donating a portion of sales from our January cookie to the ACWF. Additionally, if you send us your donation receipt to the ACWF, we’ll share the recipe for our January cookie in exchange! 

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Kuketista January cookie “Rob,” photo by Molly Stead via umamimolly

AC: Before we let you go, we'd love to know about any other projects you're working on! We know that you have an upcoming Instagram takeover with Doof magazine, which is so exciting!  

MS: Yes! I’m really excited to do a Doof takeover later this year. In case you aren’t familiar with them, Doof is a magazine that celebrates everyday eating and cooking. They have different people do Instagram takeovers every week and I have one lined up for late March. They also recently raised enough money for their first print issue. I’m hoping to elaborate more on bread baking and grief in my takeover, draw attention to ongoing food sovereignty and food justice issues, and post a few simple recipes for baked goods using sourdough starter discard.

Other than the Doof takeover, I’m pretty busy developing recipes for Kuketista (our February cookies are going to be so fun!) while also working a full time job. You can keep up with me on Instagram if you’re interested in a lot of sourdough content and the occasional food-related rant and selfie.

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Dark chocolate rosemary olive oil cake with miso buttercream, cherry compote and fresh blackberries, photo by Molly Stead via glutenmolly

Molly Stead

Instagram | Kuketista | KitchenSink

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