Celebrating Excellence: A review of the Inaugural Ottawa Black Creatives Hub Showcase
Black History month in Ottawa was GIVING this year! Since the beginning of the month, there have been an array of events that have taken place displaying the diversity that the city has to offer, from the NAC Hip-Hop Theatre Festival to “BLKGURL Prom” hosted by BLK GURL. On Tuesday, February 20th, Ottawa based social group Hors Pair Social, whose slogan is “premium, curated and black AF”, worked tirelessly yet again to bring us another dope addition to their event roster, the first edition of the Ottawa Black Creatives Hub performance showcase. The showcase is powered by the Ottawa Black Creatives Hub, which is powered by Hors Pair Social; The social club and community is dedicated to creating spaces for black artists and creative entrepreneurs in the nation’s capital.
The showcase took place at Algonquin commons theatre and was hosted by Samy Blanco, who did a great job at moderating and keeping the audience entertained and engaged in-between performances. The show was comprised of an open discussion panel and performances by dancers, singers, spoken word artists, and rappers from the Ottawa/Gatineau area. We were also delighted with a presentation of short films titled “Surprise!” by Kiera Meeks, and “Jayla” by Fitch Jean.
Photo Credit: @ab.vzn
From the beginning of the show, the audience was engaged by the pre-show discussion panel moderated by Rachel, Rose-Ingrid, Patrick and Axandre, who are all community builders based in Ottawa and shed plenty of insight for all creators and aspiring creators. One thing we’ll also point out is that the show started ON TIME; we noticed that the show ran fairly smoothly and time was not an inconvenient factor, which we appreciated. The production value of the show was remarkable as well, with a live band accompanying every performer and a stage production that accentuated every performance. It is the first time we’ve seen a variety show like this produced on a large scale for the entire city to enjoy.
Photo credit: @ellenbondphoto
Hors Pair Social’s goal with this event was to highlight emerging black artists in the Ottawa/Gatineau area, and to show off the diversity that the Nation’s capital has to offer, “After attending many art shows in Ottawa, I decided one evening to host our own performing arts showcase”. And let’s just say... They did that. This is Hors Pair’s Social’s second event of 2024, which was preceded by their second, sold-out edition “Crépu: Our DNA”, a black hair art show, in collaboration with the Moving Art Gallery which took place on Sunday, February 4th at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
Photo credit: @ab.vzn
The Ottawa Black Creatives showcase was supported by multiple art organizations including the City of Ottawa, Rogers TV, the Ottawa Black Arts Kollective, Youth Action Now, the Ottawa Arts Council, the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition and the Framework, who had representatives speak on their behalves during the show and offer information about the resources available to black artists in the nation’s capital.
Photo credit: @ellenbondphoto
So, does the Ottawa Black Creatives hub showcase get the Freegxrl stamp of approval? Absolutely! The show’s premise was to showcase diversity and it did just that, and more. We witnessed artists from the Ottawa/Gatineau area presented in a beautiful light. These types of events are important and not only give artists a platform, but reinforce the representation that is much needed in the arts industry. Hats off to Hors Pair Social for bringing the city together yet again! Be sure to follow them on social media for updates and information on their upcoming events.