We were thrilled to present the Iole Bianchi Award to Anwar Ibrahim at our Whispers In Winter event last December. The award was jointly offered by Jumblies Theatre and Arts4All in recognition of Anwar's dedication and promise as a young actor in Davenport. It was also wonderful to remember Iole, a beloved long-time performer with the Arts4All Players, and to celebrate Anwar who had just been accepted into the Toronto Film School after a lot of hard work with Arts4All artist Kit Tough to prepare his audition.
Anwar Ibrahim Presented The Iole Bianchi Award
Toronto is home to a large indigenous population including residential school survivors and intergenerational family members who have been impacted by the history and legacy of the residential school system. The sacred land on which we stand has been a site of human activity for 15,000 years. This land is the territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory.
