Dominica Arts & Culture Exposé

02/01/2025

Meet our Inductee: Mary Green

Bio:

Fashion designer Mary Green has enthralled the fashion world for over 50 years with mesmerizing creations that exude extraordinary taste and style. Born in Dominica in (year), Mary graduated from the George Brown College School for Creative Fashion Design in Toronto in (year), and has since consistently produced imaginative and impeccably tailored custom designs for clients in Toronto, New York and internationally.
A producer of exquisite designs that have run the gamut of casual wear to bridal gowns, Mary has crafted Carnival Queen Contestants' evening gowns for over 50 years in Dominica and the world. In 2005, the Golden Drum Award was conferred on her by the Dominica National Cultural Council for dedicated service in garment design. She was also the recipient of the Dominica Carnival Development Queen’s Show Committee Award for over 30 years of quality in the design and construction of evening wear for the Miss Dominica pageant.
With a portfolio that covers constructing costumes for critically acclaimed productions such as Trevor Rhone’s Smile Orange, and unforgettable presentations at fashion shows such as Melange, Mary has established her pre-eminence as a fashion icon of epic significance. Her spectacular designs produced for contestants in high profile pageants have won the coveted best gown award on numerous occasions. In the last couple years Mary has designed and made an exquisite line of African inspired jewelry under her label, Ayodele creations. They can be seen on her websiteayodelecreations.com. They have been hot sellers at the last National celebrations and here in Toronto.
Alongside her achievements as a trail blazer in the fashion industry in Dominica and the world, Mary is known for her outstanding role as the mother of Ayo and grandmother of Zaire, a source of uplifting pride, and considered by her to be her greatest achievement. She has been a mentor and second mother to a number of young people. Coming from a family of strong women, she found her passion in providing an open, nurturing environment in her home, where many have found solace over the years. Friends of Mary feel secure in knowing that in her, they have a true friend.
Mary is much admired as an interior decorator, whose home offers an inspiring ambience with furnishings, art and collectibles infusing a harmonious and appealing atmosphere. She has also produced captivating make-overs of her friends' homes. One of her hobbies is landscaping, illustrated by her annual conversion of her backyard into an enchanting and intimate outdoor setting. She thrives on the thrills of gardening, a source of peace and tranquility in her life; and an activity to which she looks forward every summer.
Faced with the biggest challenge of her life when diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014, she embarked on a rigorous program of naturopathic and medical treatments, and has continued to battle the disease with grace and optimism: “I am feeling great and so happy to be alive today to receive this special honor.”

07/21/2019

Saxaphone Player Skel (Red Head) Gracing us with his presence

07/21/2019

A CELEBRATION OF DOMINICA'S CULTURE

07/21/2019

A Celebration of Dominica's Culture

07/21/2019

A CELEBRATION OF DOMINICA'S CUISINE

07/21/2019

A CELEBRATION OF DOMINICA'S CUISINE

07/21/2019

Sam Sweets and Pastries for Taste of Dominica

07/21/2019

A candid interview with Pearl Andrew

07/18/2019

This past weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting the third annual Taste of Dominica! We'd like to thank all of the community members for an amazing day (depsite the rain!) - we can't wait to do it again with you next year.

Stay tuned for photos of the event and information for Taste of Dominica 2020!

07/07/2019

Meet Our Inductee. Amah Harris

Meet Our Inductee: Amah Harris
Bio

Dominican born, Amah Harris is most often identified as an anti-racist advocate, innovative educator, and champion of culture, who fosters the Harmonious Coexistence of Peoples. Amah knitted education and theatre techniques into a fabric of cooperative action, using elements of culture. This process evolved into education and theatre modules and techniques, which allow participants, whether students or performers, children, youth or adults, to actively engage with information, script development and performance.

“Amah is a pioneer in the field of Black Theatre in Canada,” said John Holland Awards co-chair, Evelyn Myrie (Hamilton Spectator 2014). She co-directed Black Theatre Canada (BTC) in the 70s and was contracted by them in the 80s. Her innovative experimentation had its first major forum at BTC. This experimentation reached its peak at Theatre In The Rough; a theatre founded by Amah in 1985. It was at BTC that she became a writer ‘out of need’. She explained, “Plays addressing the reality of the Caribbean and Black Experience in Canada seemed practically non-existent.” Out of this need her, “Kwakoo Anansi Series” was born. She adapted the traditional African figure into a ‘selfless’ problem solver leading progressive change, while retaining his cunning, funfilled personality. He uses wisdom, not violence, to solve problems.

These were the first Black and Caribbean plays recorded touring ‘into’ school systems to hundreds of thousands, through twenty-five Boards of Education, other institutions in Ontario, travelling as far West as British Columbia, South to the U.S. and further South to South Africa. Kwakoo Anansi productions played not only to children and youth. They were used with adults to explore immigration policies and equity in Canada and the solving of classroom problems arising out of racial integration when Apartheid was ‘dismantled’ in South Africa. This series was one of twenty-five plays written and co-authored by Amah, all of which have been produced.

An integral component of Amah’s anti-racist advocacy is Conflict Resolution Experiential Workshops and original Catalyst Plays through Theatre In The Rough (TIR). She led the TIR team of educators, social workers and community innovators through original modules and techniques which led to original scripts and strengthened experiential workshop modules. Most of the scripts paralleled racism in Canada with legalized racism in South Africa and were followed by the experiential workshops.

Amah took her innovative modules and techniques into the school system where she worked from 2000 to 2016. “I have always used the integrated approach to teaching, starting from the youth as source and moving from there to content across the curriculum.” She believes that life is interconnected and interdependent, so she devises processes that allow students to make connections across the curriculum and culminate their year with an Integrated Project.

At Gordon A. Brown Middle School where she taught, Amah enjoyed developing - with the vice principal - the, “Young Women On The Move Club.” Young women empowerment was the thrust. She chaired many committees; the highlight being the African Heritage Committee.

However, her zest for theatre and as an educator began in, Dominica, where she taught many of the dynamic women who have now made Canada their home. She also founded The Secondary Schools Drama Society, where, along with co-founders, furthered the development of culture and the arts. She later renamed the theatre, The Little Theatre, after the Jamaican theatre, in honour of her Mom and mentor.

In the 70s, Amah found time to be a television actress, playing lead roles for CBC, CTV, TVO …, Talk Show Guest on CBC, CFTO, CHIN... and from the 80s was a guest lecturer in Ontario universities. She also found time to work on her OCT., B.A., B.Ed. M.Ed. qualifications. Amah has been certainly living an active life, dedicated to advocacy, education and culture. She looks forward to the years ahead and sees the possibilities as endless.

Her Awards include:
100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women 2018
The John Holland Award of Merit (Hamilton)
Harold Award (Toronto) -Artistic Excellence
CDOA - Education Award of Distinction (Toronto)
Caribbean Potpourri Lifetime Achievement Award - (Hamilton)
Caribbean Cultural Committee; Caribana (now CAG) Advisory Board Member Plaque of Recognition
Caribana Arts Group Volunteerism Certificate of Recognition
British Council Award (Dominica) - Best Performance; Commemorative Shakespeare Festival
Amah Harris Secondary Schools Drama Award (Dominica)

Greatest Accomplishments: My Acknowledgement and experience that to God is all the glory deserved. I am able to accomplish nothing without the Holy Trinity opening the doors for me and guiding me. I thank God that I am able, with God’s grace, to grasp the true meaning of Love and Family.