Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts

Email: director@mayworks.ca or programming@mayworks.ca

Social media:

https://www.instagram.com/mayworkstoronto

https://www.facebook.com/MayworksToronto/

Goals/mission:

Mayworks seeks to initiate relationships between art communities and institutions of labour to produce works that represent the lived experiences of systemic discrimination and advance “the struggle for improved working and living conditions.” The festival’s ultimate mission is not to simply serve the community but also to create spaces and facilitate collaborations between art and labour organizations where “the community serves itself.” Mayworks engages in an anti-oppression, interdisciplinary framework regarding both terms in its title: “working people” and “arts.”

Notable activities:

A major Labour Arts Catalyst Project at the 2022 festival: the book and poster work entitled Breaking Barriers: The Legacy of 12 Black Trade Unionists Changing Canada, written by Alexandra C. Yeboah and illustrated by Anna Jane McIntyre. This project presents the experiences and stories of members of the Coalition for Black Trade Unionists (CBTU). https://issuu.com/annajmcintyre/docs/00_mayworkspublication_breakingbarriers_merged_
A book launch and panel event at the 2017 festival: The Story of Albert Jackson, a picture book written by Clinton Street Public School students and published by A Different Booklist with the help of the ERA Archivists.https://mayworks.ca/2017-festival
The 2012 relaunch of the Left Words Festival of Books and Ideas (1999-2005, a non-profit, independent, feminist press), including author and activist panels. https://quillandquire.com/events/2012/05/04/leftwords-festival-to-relaunch-this-weekend/

Ways to get involved:

Follow their social media for active updates on getting involved with current events. They repost protest info, postering events, and more in their stories. Links above.
Subscribe to their newsletter: https://mayworks.ca/connect

Information compiled by Laura Kim