WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 [Music] 00:00:03.433 --> 00:00:05.333 Q: The event opened a couple of days ago. 00:00:05.333 --> 00:00:07.599 how has the response been so far? 00:00:07.600 --> 00:00:10.000 A: Well it's early days we're anticipating 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:11.100 that 00:00:11.100 --> 00:00:12.466 most people will be coming to the 00:00:12.466 --> 00:00:14.799 opening reception that occurs 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:18.066 next Thursday. So, we've just been putting 00:00:18.066 --> 00:00:19.032 out the 00:00:19.033 --> 00:00:20.933 calls on social media and so on to let 00:00:20.933 --> 00:00:22.933 people know about the exhibition. So, 00:00:22.933 --> 00:00:26.466 I would say response is modest at 00:00:26.466 --> 00:00:27.332 the moment 00:00:27.333 --> 00:00:28.633 because people are just learning about 00:00:28.633 --> 00:00:30.533 it. Q: Lovely, and what's going to happen at 00:00:30.533 --> 00:00:32.066 the opening reception? 00:00:32.066 --> 00:00:34.232 So, basically what people are going to 00:00:34.233 --> 00:00:36.533 see are two exhibitions actually. 00:00:36.533 --> 00:00:39.899 the one i'd like to focus mostly on is a 00:00:39.900 --> 00:00:41.733 photo documentary piece called "Focus on 00:00:41.733 --> 00:00:44.533 Gerrard" which is basically an 00:00:44.533 --> 00:00:46.133 exhibition of 00:00:46.133 --> 00:00:49.333 rook depicting 33 images and interviews 00:00:49.333 --> 00:00:49.999 that we've 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.700 taken and conducted with people who live 00:00:52.700 --> 00:00:53.200 in that 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:56.000 area of Gerrard known as Little India. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:57.833 It's an area that's under tremendous 00:00:57.833 --> 00:00:58.933 transition 00:00:58.933 --> 00:01:00.533 and we thought it would be really 00:01:00.533 --> 00:01:02.533 interesting to document that process. 00:01:02.533 --> 00:01:04.466 So we've gone out and interviewed people 00:01:04.466 --> 00:01:05.999 taken their photographs. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:07.733 These are individuals families, 00:01:07.733 --> 00:01:09.666 businesses, institutions, 00:01:09.666 --> 00:01:11.332 asking them what they like about the 00:01:11.333 --> 00:01:13.099 area? What it's like living there? Working 00:01:13.100 --> 00:01:13.500 there? 00:01:13.500 --> 00:01:16.233 And how they feel about the rapid change 00:01:16.233 --> 00:01:17.833 and how they're responding to it. 00:01:17.833 --> 00:01:19.599 So it looks a little like humans of New 00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:21.666 York in terms of composite images 00:01:21.666 --> 00:01:24.132 and text but basically we hope we've 00:01:24.133 --> 00:01:26.466 captured a snapshot of 00:01:26.466 --> 00:01:29.499 this neighborhood in transition. Q: And 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:30.533 Toronto is such 00:01:30.533 --> 00:01:32.799 a multicultural and diverse city and it 00:01:32.800 --> 00:01:34.700 seems like things are changing so fast. 00:01:34.700 --> 00:01:36.866 So why exactly did you pick Little India 00:01:36.866 --> 00:01:38.232 as the area of focus? A: Well you're 00:01:38.233 --> 00:01:39.199 absolutely right. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:40.300 You know we're seeing this in 00:01:40.300 --> 00:01:42.533 neighborhoods all across Toronto 00:01:42.533 --> 00:01:44.399 and we thought that little India since 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:45.666 we're all eastenders. And we're quite 00:01:45.666 --> 00:01:47.266 familiar with the area and it's an area 00:01:47.266 --> 00:01:47.899 that is 00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:51.033 in significant change. This was sort of a 00:01:51.033 --> 00:01:53.499 bellwether or typical neighborhood in 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:55.100 transition in Toronto and we felt it 00:01:55.100 --> 00:01:55.900 would be a 00:01:55.900 --> 00:01:58.800 an excellent choice. And we loved the 00:01:58.800 --> 00:02:00.300 culture and we loved the area and we 00:02:00.300 --> 00:02:01.600 knew that we could 00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:03.833 you know tackle it and hopefully do 00:02:03.833 --> 00:02:05.099 a good job depicting 00:02:05.100 --> 00:02:07.200 the area and the changes it's undergoing. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:09.100 Q: Sure, so when you were talking to 00:02:09.100 --> 00:02:10.700 residents and I guess people who work in 00:02:10.700 --> 00:02:12.000 Little India. Was there any sort of 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:12.800 consensus 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:15.266 on the change in the area? A: I would say 00:02:15.266 --> 00:02:17.266 yes, but it's interesting. It's a bit 00:02:18.633 --> 00:02:21.599 divided in a way. The main 00:02:21.600 --> 00:02:22.466 changes are 00:02:22.466 --> 00:02:24.932 the waning of the south Asian 00:02:24.933 --> 00:02:25.733 influence 00:02:25.733 --> 00:02:29.433 and the influx of young families and new 00:02:29.433 --> 00:02:31.433 businesses coming into the area. 00:02:31.433 --> 00:02:33.499 So it depends who you talk to. The one 00:02:33.500 --> 00:02:35.433 consistent thing is people are embracing 00:02:35.433 --> 00:02:36.066 the neighborhood 00:02:36.066 --> 00:02:37.832 and they like continuity and they're 00:02:37.833 --> 00:02:39.199 committed to the neighborhood. So when 00:02:39.200 --> 00:02:40.400 you speak to the 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.033 Sari shop owners and jewelry shop owners, 00:02:43.033 --> 00:02:44.299 and restaurants. 00:02:44.300 --> 00:02:46.000 They will tell you that business is in 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:48.400 decline because so many south Asians are 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:48.933 now 00:02:48.933 --> 00:02:50.933 in the suburbs but they're very 00:02:50.933 --> 00:02:52.233 committed to the neighborhood and 00:02:52.233 --> 00:02:53.666 they're basically going to 00:02:53.666 --> 00:02:55.666 embrace the change and stay the 00:02:55.666 --> 00:02:56.866 course. 00:02:56.866 --> 00:02:58.232 When you talk to young families and 00:02:58.233 --> 00:02:59.999 young businesses, they look at the 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.233 challenge of creating a new community. 00:03:02.233 --> 00:03:05.099 But in the context of the south Asian 00:03:05.100 --> 00:03:06.933 community, they want to be part of it 00:03:06.933 --> 00:03:08.866 and they're very interested in trying 00:03:08.866 --> 00:03:10.799 to have a synergy and develop a new 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:12.000 vibrant community. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:13.900 So it's a very consistent message. 00:03:13.900 --> 00:03:15.433 We're hearing lovely and 00:03:15.433 --> 00:03:18.133 Q: Exactly how big is the exhibit? A: There 00:03:18.133 --> 00:03:18.466 are 00:03:18.466 --> 00:03:22.299 33 works and each one is a panel 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:25.266 of 24 by 30 inches so it's quite 00:03:25.266 --> 00:03:26.699 substantial. It fills 00:03:26.700 --> 00:03:29.433 the whole gallery. Q: So how do you capture 00:03:29.433 --> 00:03:31.333 that vibrance of a neighborhood in one 00:03:31.333 --> 00:03:32.299 photo? 00:03:32.300 --> 00:03:35.733 A: Well it's 33 photos. 00:03:35.833 --> 00:03:39.266 So, basically, we basically walked out 00:03:39.266 --> 00:03:39.666 and 00:03:39.666 --> 00:03:41.599 and we had a little spreadsheet on the 00:03:41.600 --> 00:03:43.433 demographics of who we were interviewing 00:03:43.433 --> 00:03:44.933 and popping in. We would just walk the 00:03:44.933 --> 00:03:46.299 neighborhood 00:03:46.300 --> 00:03:47.833 making sure that we contacted 00:03:47.833 --> 00:03:49.266 traditional businesses who've been there 00:03:49.266 --> 00:03:50.399 30, 40 years. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.400 As well as new businesses, we have the 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:53.900 church, the food bank, 00:03:53.900 --> 00:03:56.133 the local library, young families, that 00:03:56.133 --> 00:03:58.533 have moved in and so on. And so as we 00:03:58.533 --> 00:04:01.099 went through this, and took a look at 00:04:01.100 --> 00:04:01.833 who we had 00:04:01.833 --> 00:04:05.099 interviews and photos for, we decided to 00:04:05.100 --> 00:04:07.200 to adjust the balance so that we had a 00:04:07.200 --> 00:04:08.700 good cross section. 00:04:08.700 --> 00:04:11.333 As far as vibrance went we just 00:04:11.333 --> 00:04:12.699 went with the interviews where people 00:04:12.700 --> 00:04:13.500 really had 00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:15.900 who spoke eloquently about the area and 00:04:15.900 --> 00:04:16.933 had something 00:04:16.933 --> 00:04:18.633 really substantive to say about the 00:04:18.633 --> 00:04:20.066 future and the changes. Whether it was 00:04:20.066 --> 00:04:21.666 positive or negative. 00:04:21.666 --> 00:04:23.032 Q: And you talked a little bit about 00:04:23.033 --> 00:04:24.699 walking around, and you also do 00:04:24.700 --> 00:04:27.200 photo walks, and are your photo walks 00:04:27.200 --> 00:04:28.866 just going to be in little India or 00:04:28.866 --> 00:04:30.632 other areas in Toronto. A: The ones 00:04:30.633 --> 00:04:32.299 associated with this exhibition focused 00:04:32.300 --> 00:04:33.266 on Gerrard are 00:04:33.266 --> 00:04:35.332 limited to the area so that it would be 00:04:35.333 --> 00:04:36.533 complementary to the 00:04:36.533 --> 00:04:38.933 exhibition. So they're happening the 00:04:38.933 --> 00:04:40.233 second third and fourth 00:04:40.233 --> 00:04:43.599 Saturdays in March. The one 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:46.000 on the second Saturday is going to be 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.266 particularly interesting because it's 00:04:47.266 --> 00:04:48.132 being led by 00:04:48.133 --> 00:04:50.399 the representative from the Leslieville 00:04:50.400 --> 00:04:51.733 Historical Society. 00:04:51.733 --> 00:04:54.799 Name is Joanne Dussette and she's a 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:56.466 fountain of information so she'll be 00:04:56.466 --> 00:04:57.832 walking the neighborhood telling the 00:04:57.833 --> 00:04:59.599 history and so on. How little India's 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:01.100 genesis came to be and that's actually a 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:02.633 very interesting story. 00:05:02.633 --> 00:05:03.833 I can tell you about it if you're 00:05:03.833 --> 00:05:05.833 interested and so she'll 00:05:05.833 --> 00:05:08.633 do that and as a kind of professional 00:05:08.633 --> 00:05:09.999 walkers with cameras. We're 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:12.800 going to be there to help people try to 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:14.300 capture some of the neighborhood as we 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:15.033 have. 00:05:15.033 --> 00:05:16.933 Q: Amazing. Well we are out of time but 00:05:16.933 --> 00:05:18.533 thank you so much for coming out and 00:05:18.533 --> 00:05:21.966 talking to us about this exhibit.