Hemali Boorada

Art is something very dear to me. Not only is it a medium of connection, but it is also a vessel for carrying tradition and culture. Through the Saraswathi Society for Dance and Music, I help offer subsidized and free dance lessons to those with limited access. I volunteer regularly, offering support and guidance to individuals pursuing traditional arts to apply for grants through municipal, provincial and national granting bodies. This helps ensure that traditional artists also have the opportunity to pursue art at a professional level. I am advocating for the creation of a multicultural arts hub to promote and encourage the work of marginalized artists. Through my work with International Cross Cultural Exchanges, I promote diverse art, working to bring these diverse traditions to the forefront. For example, I guide non-English speakers from different countries to highlight their traditions through book writing.

I believe a multicultural arts hub is essential to the growth of marginalized artists. This will require not only local, provincial and even national support but also input and help from our cultural communities. An arts hub would provide a subsidized and standardized venue for artists of vast backgrounds to present their work. This would create a platform where artists who do not have the same access to resources could share their work without carrying a large financial burden. This would also mean a single venue where multicultural art is consolidated and showcased, and artists are fairly compensated. Artists from ethnic backgrounds work unpaid for longer in their careers just to ensure that they are seen despite their high education and years of professional experience. Moving to a community where their traditional art is not formally understood or recognized sets them ten steps behind.