Freedom Fridayz Festival Celebrates Diversity with "Born This Way" Mural - A Legacy of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Games

TORONTO, May 18, 2015 /CNW/ - Freedom Fridayz unveils a powerful new community artwork and celebrates the achievements of young Toronto artists with dance, music and food at a one-day festival on Saturday, May 23, 2015 as part of the Pan Am Path Art Relay, the largest official Host City Program of the Pan Am/ParaPan Games.

For five years, Freedom Fridayz has given youth the opportunity to share their artistic talents and create a welcoming and positive space in the Jane and Finch community. This unique and inspirational group was conceived and made up of youth with the goal of engaging and empowering their peers.

Based in Toronto, Essencia Art Collective has members from six continents and expresses itself from a global perspective. The organization runs artistic projects with youth, first nations, refugees, immigrants, LGBT community, and prison inmates. Essencia Art Collective has collaborated with the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples (CSSP) to create the mural at Pine Point Park to address discrimination based on sexual orientation. The artwork will remain as a legacy of the Toronto 2015 Games to be enjoyed by Torontonians and visitors for years to come.

The family-friendly event will celebrate the accomplishments of Freedom Fridayz for the youth of the Jane and Finch community over the past 5 years. and free food while quantities last. This event will take place rain or shine with a full indoor area.

WHEN:	Saturday May 23, 2015 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
WHERE:	Pine Point Park 4 Conan Rd., Toronto, ON M9W 3S7

About The Pan Am Path & Art Relay

The Pan Am Path was started by a group of Toronto artists and city-builders in collaboration with the City of Toronto. On July 18, 2013, Toronto City Council endorsed the Pan Am Path as a Host City Showcase Program of the Games. It committed $1.9 million to accelerate the building of physical connections along the network to enhance the experience of the Games for residents and visitors while advancing the City's economic development and tourism, sport development and healthy living, resident engagement and cultural celebration goals. Legacy construction to improve and create new connections along the Pan Am Path will continue through 2017.

The vision of the Pan Am Path is to combine the power of art and sport to create a living path across Toronto. From May 16 to August 15, 2015, the Pan Am Path will come alive with a city-wide relay of art installations and events. Each week, the festival travels across Toronto celebrating some of the city's greatest assets: diversity, nature, arts and active outdoor living. 

The Pan Am Path is over 80 kilometres of continuous trail for walking, running, cycling and wheeling that connects the city from east to west. Combining the power of art and sport, the Art Relay will showcase Toronto's diverse neighbourhoods and rich arts scene along the Path and will serve as a lasting legacy of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

The Pan Am Path App is a wayfinding mobile app that matches your geographic location on the Path to music that is rooted within that community via 4 local music-streaming stations. Other Features include: a full map of the path, directions to nearby local businesses, accessible routes, and a calendar of Pan Am Path Art Relay programming.

Friends of the Pan Am Path is the main organizer of the Pan Am Path Art Relay, motivated by the chance to celebrate the best of the region: art, nature and diversity -- while also creating a meaningful legacy of the TORONTO 2015 Games for residents. The project is proudly supported by the City of Toronto, Toronto Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, Toronto Star, Toronto Arts Council, Trans Canada Trail, Canadian Heritage, United Way Toronto, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Laidlaw Foundation, Lotus Leaf Communications, and Westbury National.

For the full Pan Am Art Relay event calendar map and participating organizations, please visit: http://www.panampath.org.

NEXT-UP IN THE RELAY! May 30 - Activate! Weston-Mount Dennis!, Cruickshank Park, St. Phillips Bridge

Join UrbanArts and Dan Bergeron as they explore the history of Weston-Mount Dennis. The result of their collaboration is a multi-part mural, created through engagement with local residents and youth. An unveiling will take place alongside a community-led event featuring dance, music and food in Cruickshank Park. Rain date: Friday, June 5, 4–7 p.m.

SOURCE Friends of the Pan Am Path

Media Contact: Andrea Chrysanthou, [phone], [email protected]; Julia Che, [phone], [email protected]