Explore Black creativity and cultural futures at Cosmic Northside 2.0
- Sabrina Ramroop
Who decides what the future will hold? How is that future created? Who gets to shape it?
These are questions the team at AstroSankofa has been asking for years, challenging assumptions about who holds power and how equitable futures are built.
On November 20 and 21, AstroSankofa invites the public to Cosmic Northside 2.0, a free, two-day Afrofuturistic Canadian arts conference bringing together artists, cultural organizers and community voices from across Canada. The event will explore Indigenous futurities, Black imagination and cultural production, with virtual programming on Friday and in-person presentations, performances and discussions at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) in Brampton on Saturday.
“For Black communities, speculative arts offer the opportunity to imagine futures where we aren’t simply participants in culture, but architects of it,” said Quentin VerCetty, executive director of AstroSankofa. “Cosmic Northside 2.0 exists so that we can dream, plan and build those futures together.”
The conference is free and open to the public. Register for Friday’s virtual program or Saturday’s in-person event.
Following its inaugural conference at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa in 2024, AstroSankofa is bringing its vision for Black cultural futures to PAMA. This year’s move to Brampton reflects AstroSankofa’s deep connection to the city, where the organization has contributed to the city’s public art landscape through projects such as Fah Who Dis?, AstroBlack Joy at Emancipation Park and AY Johnson’s ORÍKÌ: In the Presence of Story. For VerCetty, who spent much of his adolescence in nearby Malton, Ontario, Cosmic Northside 2.0 is an opportunity to highlight the vibrant multigenerational Black diaspora community that helped shape him and give local Black artists and creatives due recognition.
The conference begins on Friday, November 20 with a dynamic evening of virtual presentations and national dialogue. Highlights include an Indigenous presentation by Catherine Tàmmaro and a featured keynote from multidisciplinary artist Evond “MEDIAH” Blake, whose work combines graffiti, digital aesthetics and futuristic imagery.
The evening will also feature a bilingual roundtable titled “The Black Arts Nexus: Connecting Cultural Power, Building Black Futures.” This conversation brings together cultural representatives from across Canada, including Black Arts Centre, Nia Centre for the Arts, Ottawa Black Artists Kollective, AfroMusée and the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia. Together, they will explore ways to strengthen Black arts infrastructure, advance artistic sovereignty and create sustainable opportunities for future generations of Black creatives across Canada.
“Supporting Cosmic Northside 2.0 is about celebrating the talent, creativity and cultural contributions of Black artists while creating meaningful opportunities for them to connect, grow and thrive here in Brampton,” said Michael Vickers, executive director of the Brampton Arts Organization. “We believe a strong arts ecosystem must reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, and hope that Black artists in Canada are not simply included in the conversation, but are recognized as leaders shaping the cultural landscape with the visibility, opportunities and investment their work deserves.”
On Saturday, November 21, the conversation moves to PAMA for a day of artist presentations, performances and community dialogue. The program opens with an Indigenous welcome from Elder Pam Levi before moving into one of the event’s featured conversations: “Black Women in Public Art.”
Moderated by Chloe Goodridge, the discussion brings together artists from across the country to explore representation, creative practice and leadership in public space. The afternoon continues with a live dance performance by Kwesi Obeng, a speculative design presentation from Asia Clarke (“Wild Moon” / “Braid2Brain”) and a featured cultural presentation by Krystal Paraboo of the Black + Indigenous Design Collective (BIDC), followed by audience discussion and reflection.
“PAMA is pleased to welcome Cosmic Northside 2.0 to our historic buildings. By providing space for a wide range of community and cultural partners, we help create opportunities for new connections, meaningful conversations and engagement with diverse audiences,” said Michelle Gewurtz, arts and culture supervisor at PAMA.
As AstroSankofa continues to highlight and support Afrofuturist cultural production across Canada, Cosmic Northside 2.0 invites the public to celebrate Black creativity, engage with artists and cultural leaders and consider new possibilities for Canada’s creative future.
Join Cosmic Northside 2.0 on November 20 and 21. Register for the virtual program or attend in person at PAMA.
About the organization
AstroSankofa Arts Initiative
AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives is a Black-led, Toronto-based nonprofit artist centre and collective advancing Afrofuturist public art, cultural production, and creative opportunities for Black artists and youth. Through public art commissions, exhibitions, mentorship, and emerging technologies, AstroSankofa champions African and diasporic histories while shaping more equitable cultural futures. Recognized with a 2026 Toronto Community Champion Award, the organization works across communities to expand representation, artistic leadership, and access to the arts.
Project team
Dayo Kefentse – Managing Director
Sabrina Ramroop – Communications Specialist
Curtis Hannam – Junior Public Relations Assistant
