Freedom: A Mixtape

Freedom: A Mixtape is a soulful artistic response to recent and historical violence on Black bodies, presented through a collection of original songs, stories, poems, anecdotes, spoken-word pieces, and musical instrumentation from folks living in the Niagara Region. A community conversation about our complicated relationship with emancipation and the human right to be free, Freedom: A Mixtape is a compilation album that is part protest and part celebration. It is history and the present moment all at once, a reminder that this moment is part of a larger, ongoing movement. Familiar pains are felt deeply in moments both bygone and bitingly present, setting the tone―and stage―for action.

Analog field recordings and soothing talk-radio energy give voice to the residue of intergenerational trauma, the depths of colonialism, resilience amidst oppressive conditions, and a clarion call that joy is a birthright for everyone. With emotional precision and softness, Freedom: A Mixtape offers a radical reminder that in our bleakest moments, we rise up through love of self and community.

Marcel Stewart is a father, a Dora-Award-winning actor, and he loves smoked gouda. He is Artistic Director of b current Performing Arts. As an actor Marcel has worked with Soulpepper, Factory Theatre, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Obsidian Theatre, Suitcase in Point, the Theatre Centre, the Blyth Festival, Festival Players, Studio 180, the Grand Theatre, Persephone, Theatre Direct, Carousel Players, and Atlas Stage. When Marcel is not creating, he is an arts educator who has facilitated programming and instructed courses to community youth groups, professional actors, and students in university, high school, and elementary school. Marcel's curiosity about history and lineage―beyond the context of colonialism―is at the basis of his work.

Suitcase in Point is a multi-arts organization producing original satire and innovative events in St. Catharines, Ontario. Founded in 2001, Suitcase in Point is a courageous ensemble of artists and producers who engage and excite the Niagara community with original multi-arts performances and events, including In the Soil Arts Festival and Suitcase in Point’s comedy cabarets. Through original work and collaborative community projects, we provide audiences with unique perspectives on contemporary life and culture. Our approach and our work aim to challenge perspectives and encourage change, tolerance, and self-awareness with an aim to promote a healthier, more connected community. Suitcase in Point nurtures new generation artists through mentorship and residency programs, provides studio space for development and rehearsal, and creates meaningful connections between emerging and established artists from across Canada.