Join us for “Canvas of Dreams: A 50th Celebration of 2SLGBTQ+ Newcomer & Refugee Advocacy”, an evening of conversation, storytelling, music, and performance celebrating the communities who have shaped The 519 and its work with 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers and refugees. Featuring live performances, ballroom culture and history, music, and stories of impact from community members, the evening will honour the journeys, contributions, and collective dreams that continue to shape our communities.

Free and open to the community — registration is preferred but not required. Food and refreshments will be provided.

Poet, actor, and performing artist Staceyann Chin is the author of the new poetry collection Crossfire: A Litany For Survival, the critically acclaimed memoir The Other Side of Paradise, cowriter and original performer in the Tony Award–winning Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, and author of the one-woman shows Hands Afire, Unspeakable Things, Border/Clash, and MotherStruck. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and 60 Minutes, and her poetry has been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post. She proudly identifies as Caribbean, Black, Asian, lesbian, a woman, a resident of New York City, and a Jamaican national.