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08 Mar 2010
Outside Looking In receives boost from RBC
TORONTO, ON (March 9, 2010) – Outside Looking In (OLI) is pleased to announce a $35,000 donation from RBC Foundation that will help provide Indigenous youth with an opportunity to experience artistic activities such as dance, photography, videography, painting and journal writing. The year-long OLI program culminates with participants taking the stage at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts’ Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto for three performances.
RBC’s donation will be applied toward bringing arts educators to participating communities in the OLI program.
“We are thrilled to have RBC’s support. These funds will help us with the most important aspect of the OLI program which is the artistic instruction provided by North America’s top dance instructors,” says Tracee Smith, Founder & CEO. “When I began OLI, I made a commitment from the beginning that we would be in the communities as frequently as possible. This is important so that youth can develop and have consistent instruction in their home communities. With RBC’s support, we are able to make this happen.”
“Outside Looking In encourages both academic and artistic excellence, and creates important opportunities for indigenous youth from remote communities to connect with each other and with urban Canadians. RBC is proud to support this innovative program,” says Shari Austin, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, RBC.
OLI’s mission is to provide opportunities for self-expression through the arts; while giving Canadians the chance to learn more about Indigenous peoples through the arts. Pikangikum First Nation and Wikwemikong First Nation are the participating communities in the program. OLI maintains strict criteria for youth in both school attendance and OLI rehearsals and, if met, youth travel to Toronto for two weeks to perform at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Performances in 2010 are scheduled for June 23rd at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and June 24th at 1:00 p.m.
RBC has a long history of funding programs that positively affect children and is proud to support children and youth-oriented organizations that seek to make a difference in their communities and inspire others. As one of Canada's largest corporate donors, RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives, through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2009, RBC contributed more than $105 million to community causes worldwide, through donations of more than $52.6 million, and an additional $52.5 million in sponsorship of community events and national organizations.
OLI would like to thank their current sponsors: Ontario Trillium Foundation; RBC; Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation; Wasaya Airways; Wigwamen Incorporated; Aboriginal Peoples Television Network; Wikwemikong Board of Education; Pikangikum Education Authority; TD Bank Financial Group; DeBeers Canada; Aboriginal Link; Bernd Christmas Law Group; Sodexo Canada; Caracle Creek International Consulting; Ontario Arts Council.
For more information, please contact:
Tracee Smith
Outside Looking In
P: 647.350.5450
E: info@olishow.net
Website: www.olishow.net
POSTED BY: tracee
22 Feb 2010
Outside Looking In Promotes Understanding with $50,000 OTF Grant
MEDIA RELEASE
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto – The creative force that is the charitable organization Outside Looking In (OLI) is starting the new decade with a $50,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Dedicated to promoting understanding and self-expression through the arts for Indigenous youth across Canada, OLI provides young people with a chance to get involved and teach others about Canada’s Indigenous people. The Artistic Director and Founder of OLI is Tracee Smith, has previously been named one of Canada’s Top 50 Artists for her work in the field of dance.
“I have been fortunate enough to come from a family where I was able to nurture my love and passion of dance,” says Smith. “I knew from a young age that I had the responsibility to not keep this knowledge and benefit to only myself, but to in turn, pass this knowledge on to others so they can see the power and discipline of the arts. The skills the youth will learn through OLI are transferable to whatever dream they pursue.”
OLI will be using their year-long grant to hire a Project Administrator to help continue to build on the early strengths it has shown in engaging young people and helping to promote the arts. The organization is striving to build a bridge of understanding between Canadians of all backgrounds through dance. Over the coming year, OLI will be developing new business and marketing strategies and exploring key partnership opportunities to continue furthering its message.
“I cannot begin to express how happy our Board of Directors and myself are about receiving this grant. Through tumultuous times for all charities, we knew that the OLI message and program is a strong one – and very much needed in our communities,” added Smith. “When times are good or bad, the arts are a way to uplift, express, escape and build talent where they are needed most. Anyone who has seen our show and our ongoing work inside our communities will know that OLI is doing this and changing lives as a result.”
OLI has two participating communities this year: Pikangikum First Nation in northwestern Ontario and Wikwemikong First Nation in Central Ontario. Through a strict criteria of good attendance in both school and OLI rehearals, youth endure ten hours per week of dance instruction from some of North Amerca’s top dance teachers over a period of 6-7 months. Those who meet the criteria, will travel down to Toronto in June to perform at three scheduled shows: June 23rd, 1:00p.m. and 8:00pm and June 24th at 1:00pm. In their first year in 2008, OLI had 5 youth make it to Toronto; 2009 brought 24 youth and in 2010 they are anticipating 50 youth to perform alongside Tracee Smith and other professional dancers in this exciting multi-media showcase.
A leading grantmaker in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities. For more information, please visit: www.trilliumfoundation.org
For more information on OLi, please contact
Tracee Smith
P.647.350.5450 www.olishow.net
Proud Sponsors of OLI include: Ontario Trillium Foundation; RBC Foundation; Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation; Wasaya Airways; TD Bank Financial Group; Pikangikum Education Authority; Wikwemikong Educatiion Authority; Wigwamen Incorporated; APTN; Caracle Creek International Consulting; Sodexo; DeBeers Canada; Aboriginal Link; Bernd Christmas Law Group; Ontario Arts Council
POSTED BY: tracee
20 Jan 2010
Smith introduces the OLI CHALLENGE!
OLI, currently in their third year added a new aspect to the programme: THE OLI CHALLENGE!
Youth who have perfect attendance in school and OLI rehearsals will open the finale number of the performacnes in downtown Toronto with Founder and CEO, Tracee Smith. Don't miss the show to see some of Canada's greatest-achieving youth perform in June 2010!
POSTED BY: tracee
08 Dec 2009
Outside Looking In announces community participants for 2010!
Toronto, ON – December 8, 2009 – Outside Looking In (OLI), an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for self-expression to Indigenous youth through the arts; while giving Canadians the opportunity to learn more about Indigenous people through performance, is happy to announce that Pikangikum First Nation from northwestern Ontario and Wikwemikong First Nation from central Ontario will be the two featured communities for the OLI programme this year.
OLI begins their process with the chosen Indigenous communities and their education staff in the beginning of each academic year. Before engaging in artistic activities, OLI meets with the school and community leadership to ensure everyone understands and can prepare for the busy year ahead. With dance as the main art discipline, every other week a professional dance teacher will work with the youth of the community for 2-3 days bi-weekly for a period of 6-7 months. In between these visits, the teachers and volunteer community members rehearse with the youth to ensure they improve day by day.
“After the success of OLI in Pikangikum last year, youth who had dropped out of school or quit rehearsing learned what they missed out on when they saw the DVD of the show. We have so many youth and their parents making it a priority to ensure they are engaged in both school and OLI. OLI is truly making an impact on this community both with academic achievement and committing to a goal and succeeding,” says Krishani Starnes, high school teacher in Pikangikum.
Mick Staruck, former principal of Pikangikum and now principal at Wikwemikong First Nation high school says, “I have seen the OLI show from the start, and that’s why I wanted Pikangikum involved, and it met with huge success for those youth. Now that I’m here in Wikwemikong, I knew the impact it would have on these youth here. I am so happy that we were chosen to participate. I know OLI will make a huge impact on the youth here as it has for any youth who have been enrolled and succeeded through the programme.”
The main goal the youth are striving for is to maintain in good academic standing and attending all of their OLI rehearsals in order to travel to downtown Toronto from their home communities to perform in front of sold-out audiences at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Bluma Appel Theatre. Youth also engage in photography, videography, painting, journal writing, choreography and more, that all contribute to the final performances in Toronto. The youth stay between the Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation camp, one of OLI’s many sponsors, and downtown Toronto for their entire stay.
This year the featured performance will be on Wednesday June 23rd, 2010 at 8:00p.m. at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. OLI is also adding two matinee performances dedicated to youth on both June 23rd and 24th.
“We are so excited to have both of these communities participating in OLI this year! We believe between both, we will have more than 60 youth performing in downtown Toronto. Each year, we are meeting with large growth, which makes me so pleased to know that we are impacting the lives of so many youth and their communities,” says Founder & CEO, Tracee Smith.
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Only 3 weeks left to make a charitable donation for the 2009 tax year
With only 3 weeks left to make a charitable donation for the 2009 tax season, make OLI your charity of choice! A minimum of a $25 donation will get you a charitable receipt that you can use to reduce your taxable income for 2009, and help OLI make a difference in the lives of Indigenous youth across Canada by inspiring them through the arts to commit to a goal and work hard, and they will be performing on stage for you at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Bluma Appel Theatre in downtown Toronto on June 23rd, 2010.
About Outside Looking In
Outside Looking In was created to bridge the cultural gap between Canadians and the Indigenous people. Some Indigenous people - those who first inhabited the land we now call Canada - feel like outsiders looking in on a country in which they live. Many Canadians do not have an understanding of Indigenous cultures beyond what they read in newspapers and see on television. This experience and performance is about give and take. Canadians will have an opportunity to look inside an Indigenous community, while the Indigenous youth will get to see beyond theirs.
Outside Looking In was founded by Tracee Smith in September 2007 as a sole proprietorship. After their first successful show in May 2008, charitable status was sought in July 2008, and OLI became an official charitable organization in April 2009. (Charitable Status #81551 7099 RR 0001).
Please visit www.olishow.net and scroll to the bottom of our homepage to make your donation today!
For more information, please contact:
Tracee Smith
647-350-5450
info@olishow.net
OLI would like to thank their sponsors for 2009/2010: Ontario Trillium Foundation: The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario; RBC Foundation; Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation; Wasaya Airways; Wigwamen Incorporated; Pikangikum Education Authority; Wasse-Abin Wikwemikong High School; Aboriginal Link; Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN); Bernd Christmas Law Group; Caracle Creek International Consulting; DeBeers Canada; Canada Council for the Arts; Ontario Arts Council.
POSTED BY: tracee
29 Nov 2009
Wikwemikong First Nation to join OLI for 2009/2010!
OLI is proud to announce that Wikwemikong First Nation (WFN) in central Ontario is the next community to join OLI in our third year! WFN have over 80 students signed up for the programme which officially begins in January 2010, but all youth have had to be enrolled and in good attendance at school from September to December of 2009 in order to begin in the new year.
WFN will join Pikangikum First Nation and we are expecting roughly 60-75 youth between the 2 communities to make it to the final performance here in Toronto in June 2010.
We are really excited to have WFN apart of our growing success this year, and look forward to inspiring the lives of the youth and their community along the way!
POSTED BY: tracee
07 Oct 2009
Over 140 hits for OLI's program application!
OLI received 140 hits on their "How To Apply" across Canada in the past 2 weeks!
Don't miss out, the deadline in November 1st, 2009!
POSTED BY: tracee
23 Sep 2009
Lac La Croix youth to perform at Circle of Light Conference at Royal York in Toronto, Nov 25th, 2009 Don't miss it!!
Performers from last year's OLI show, will be performing in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel at the Circle of Light conference hosted by the Ministry of Education of Ontario.
Don't miss it!
POSTED BY: tracee
16 Sep 2009
OLI ramping up for a big year ahead!
It's OFFICIAL!
Well you've all been waiting for this news!
Lac La Croix First Nation and Pikangikum First Nation are returning once again for the 3rd annual OLI show taking place Jun 23rd, 2010!
POSTED BY: tracee
29 May 2009
OLI WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Our website will be under construction for the month of June, sorry for any inconvenience!
POSTED BY: Admin
14 Apr 2009
Site Maintenance
We've finished doing some fixes on the website. The gallery is up an running again as well as a new look guestbook/forum. Users can now register and be able to post into the forums. More updates to come.
POSTED BY: Admin
20 Mar 2009
OLI youth have an amazing journey coming up for them!
Not only are the OLI youth performing in front of more than 1500 people throughout three different performances, they will be toured around Toronto to the best and brightest hotspots in TO! Blue Jays, game, Marlies game, Toronto Rock, Toronto FC, Much on Demand, and of course the CN Tower and Niagara Falls! A truly life-changing experience for the youth of Pikangikum and Lac La Croix!
POSTED BY: Admin
13 Feb 2009
Chant Construction returns as a Supporter of OLI!
Chant Construction returns as a Supporter, thanks Chant!!!
POSTED BY: Admin
03 Feb 2009
Over 100 dancers to audition for OLI in NYC!
There will be over 100 dancers auditioning in NYC this weekend to perform Tracee Smith's professional choreography in this year's Outside Looking In performance on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at the Bluma Appel Theatre of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Voted as one of Canada's top 50 artists by the Canada Council for the Arts, Smith performs and choreographs professional pieces in the OLI show. A big believer in sharing talent and opportunities with others, OLI's mission is to extend these performance opportunities to Indigenous youth across Canada which encourages self-confidence, self-esteem, and show who they are and where the come from.
POSTED BY: Admin
03 Feb 2009
New Pikangikum Photos
We've uploaded over 50 new photos for the Pikangikum album. Check that out by clicking photos in our menu bar. We've created 4 sub-albums: Community, Rehearsals, In Class, and Profiles.
Also, the Pikangikum mini-site will be opening very soon, please stay tuned. Don't forget to check out our Message Boards.
POSTED BY: Admin
31 Jan 2009
Tracee Smith to audition dancers in NYC February 7th, 2009
Tracee Smith will head to NYC this Saturday to recruit 7 dancers for the OLI show in Toronto April 22, 2009. The show will be a blend of film and dance, performed by both professional and Indigenous youth dancers!
Don't miss out, tickets are going fast!
POSTED BY: Admin
31 Jan 2009
APTN returns for another year!
APTN returns as a sponsor of OLI!
Thanks APTN!
POSTED BY: Admin
21 Jan 2009
Tim Horton's Children Foundation pumped to welcome youth from Pikangikum and Lac La Croix!
THCF will be hosting both groups of youth for their 2 week stay at the Onandaga Farms near Brantford. The youth will be meeting other Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth alike from the area and as far as Santa Fe, New Mexico! THCF will be travelling the youth around southern Ontario to various hot spots, and of course, to their daily dance rehearsals in downtown Toronto to prepare for the big show on April 22nd! It will be truly memorable, don't miss out!
POSTED BY: Admin
08 Jan 2009
OLI 75% SOLD OUT! 104 days left until SHOWTIME!
Get your tickets fast! Time is running out to buy your VIP or regular admission ticket to OLI's 2nd Annual Performance!
POSTED BY: Admin
01 Dec 2008
OLI Tickets now on sale!
OLI tickets, both General Admission; VIP tickets; and our Corporate VIP ticket package are now on sale. The show is 50% sold out already and they will go fast! Get yours while you can!
POSTED BY: Admin
09 Nov 2008
Canada Council for the Arts returns as a supporter with OLI!
Canada Council for the Arts has provided a grant which will enable OLI to hire a Project Manager and Bookkeeper for this fiscal year!
Thanks Canada Council for the Arts!
POSTED BY: Admin
03 Nov 2008
9 Pikangikum Photos
Uploaded 9 new photos for the Pikangikum gallery.
POSTED BY: Webmaster
22 Oct 2008
Site Maintenance
The comments feature in our blog have been taken down temporarily to combat spam. We will put this feature up once we do some maintenance and improvements of the comments scripting.
POSTED BY: Webmaster
16 Oct 2008
Wigwamen Incorporated becomes Official Supplier!
Wigwamen Incorporated has become an Official Supplier of Outside Looking In!
This will help us on our artistic journey with the youth of Pikangikum and Lac La Croix as we get set for the big show in April!
Thanks so much Wigwamen!
POSTED BY: Admin
10 Oct 2008
Levi Claiborne from NYC is returning for another year!
Levi Claiborne who was a guest choreographer, teacher and dancer is set to return for another year on Novemebr 2nd to the 7th. We, Levi and Tracee, will be travelling to Pikangikum for 3 days to work with the youth and then straight on to Lac La Croix to get the youth dancing. We are so excited for this new year, I can't wait to see the kids faces as they see Levi again! We had such great memories last year and are ready to make new ones for 2009!!!!!
POSTED BY: Admin
10 Oct 2008
Pikangikum Education Authority becomes Major Sponsor!!
Pikangikum Education Authority has become the biggest sponsor for OLI to date becoming a Major Sponsor! This will help OLI deliver an amazing experience for the youth during the academic year and when they arrive in Toronto. But this also shows how much Pikangikum is investing in their youth to reach their potential through the OLI program.
Thanks PIkangikum Education Authority!!
POSTED BY: Admin
10 Oct 2008
CCIC donates office space to OLI!
Caracle Creek International Consulting has generously donated an office space to OLI located downtown Toronto at King St & Yonge. This will help us with increased organization and efficiency as we experience exponential growth in 2009!
Thank-you so much CCIC!
POSTED BY: Admin
01 Oct 2008
Tim Horton's CHildren Foundation returns for another year with OLI!
THCF returns for another year! This time around the youth of Pikangikum and Lac La Croix will be staying at the Onandaga Farm for the duration of their stay and while preparing to perform at the big event on April 22nd, 2009!
Thanks THCF!!
POSTED BY: Admin
01 Oct 2008
NationTalk becomes an In-kind sponsor!
NationTalk became our partner through donating their communications services of distributing and posting our press releases across Canada to help us get the great news out there about OLI!
Thanks NationTalk!
POSTED BY: Admin
01 Oct 2008
Wasaya Airways becomes an in-kind sponsor!
Wasaya Airways becomes an in-kind sponsor by donating flights for our professional teachers to work with the youth of Pikangikum from September to April!
Thanks Wasaya Airways!
POSTED BY: Admin
01 Oct 2008
Canada's National Ballet School becomes an in-kind sponsor!
Canada's National Ballet School becomes an in-kind sponsor by donating rehearsal space during the 2-week rehearsal process before the show!
Thanks NBS!!
POSTED BY: Admin
25 Sep 2008
Site Updates
We've uploaded 100+ new pictures in our photo gallery. As well as added a new category of interest: Artwork and the Pikangikum 2009 gallery has also been created. We've also updated our About Us section and have a new article written by Ronda Potts available for download in our media section.
POSTED BY: Webmaster
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