Manifesto 2012 Launch Party

The Manifesto festival is branded as a celebration of community and culture, and that is exactly what the 6th annual launch party embodied by fusing visual art, graffiti, music, spoken word and dance to create an inspiring evening at the brand new Regent Park Arts and Culture Centre to kick off the three-day festival.
The centre was filled with hanging art pieces, as people inside the packed venue took time to soak in the beauty and creative messages from each creation.
Toronto artist Mark “Kurupt” Stoddart, who has participated and showcased his art installations at the Manifesto art showcase for three years, says it is important to start the festival with a combination of art, dance and music, because it expresses the heart of the hip-hop community.

“I think we as a community need to show that we can all be involved in supporting the culture in all different mediums of the culture, if it’s live art, dance, DJ, all of that is the culture of hip-hop, and Manifesto is definitely a perfect platform to execute all of that properly,” he explains.
Along with the art exhibit, the event featured a live art show, during which a number of graffiti artists were given an opportunity to create canvas pieces live at the launch.
Twenty-three-year-old street artist Malcolm Yarde not only had four pieces in the art exhibit, but also took part in the live graffiti showcase along with many other graffiti artists. “[Launching Manifesto with an art show is important] to get people that are out there taking advantage of the freedom of expression and get them some shine, because we’re out here in the streets – Queen Street, Kensington Market, any street in downtown Toronto, doing what we do best – letting our feelings out with colour. To give us a nice little spotlight is a blessing and a great way to start it off,” he says, while creating his live graffiti art piece on canvas.

Not only was the launch a culmination of visual creativity, but it also celebrated the art of dance by paying dues to Toronto’s B-boys/B-girls and all-style dancers with the Second Annual Floor Awards. Many awards were given to dancers and after each award was won, the winner thanked the crowd with a freestyle on the dance floor. B-boy of the year award went to Michael “Piecez” Prosserman, and Mariano “Glizzi” Abarca took home the Allstyle Award.
 The merging of different art platforms to celebrate the launch of Manifesto was successful and the night set off a great vibe for the rest of the festival.