An all-ages hip-hop festival is going ahead on Saturday (July 18) at the Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage. The annual Unity Fest will feature a full day of live performances, dance battles, DJ sets, spoken-word performances, and visual art.
Michael Prosserman (Bboy Piecez) founded Unity in 2007. It became a registered charity in 2008 and its programs empower youths to overcome low self-esteem, isolation, and anxiety. Unity accomplishes this by encouraging confidence and creative expression through hip-hop. At the centre of everything is reinforcing a strong sense of community and healthy relationships.
It oversees the Unity Artist Network, which is a national network of emerging hip-hop artists. The organization also offers weekly drop-in and registered programs online and in community spaces.
“I know what it feels like to feel unseen, feel unheard, and to not know where I belong,” Unity executive director Mahad Shoaib says in a video on YouTube. “And I had no idea you could use hip-hop and turn it into a career. And Unity changed that for me, because people believed in me and saw my potential before I saw it in myself.”
The chair of Unity Charity is Leslie Rivers. She is also the founder and creative director of the home décor brand September Collective, which celebrates African artistry.
To learn more about Unity Fest, visit the website. The Toronto Spark is on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
