Let me start this post by saying I HOPE you can forgive me for not writing this past month. Each Sunday I look forward to crafting a short missive that reflects the week gone by. But I have a good excuse! For the past 4 weekends I have been on assignment, camera in hand, vagabonding around Toronto. I am pleased to tell you I have my very first official photography gig! I am the lucky one who gets to take snaps to support a new on-line learning course on World Cultures delivered through the good folks at TVO’s Independent Learning Centre. The Ministry recently released this new course where students “will study the contributions and influence of a range of cultural groups and will critically analyse issues facing ethnocultural groups within Canada and around the world.” My snaps will focus on the myriad of world cultures found in our own back yard. Over the past four weekends I have captured colourful shots at Toronto Pride, Afrofest, the East Asia Festival, the Festival of India, and this past week, the Tirgan Festival at Harbourfront. The snaps above should give you a flavour of the exotic, thoughtful contributions the Iranian community brings to our multi-cultural city.
The timely and inspiring theme for this year’s Tirgan Festivalwas Hope. The middle picture in the above collage is part of The Hope Collaborative Art Project which asked festival-goers to share what hope means to them. I was quite moved to read the many quotes that shared gratitude for finding a safe home in Canada where cultural identity is allowed to flourish and add to the mosaic that makes Toronto especially a quilt of world culture neighbourhoods woven together by a celebration of diversity. You might recognize the quote above? It is one of my favourites from Emily Dickinson. The whole poem goes as follows:
The theme of hope, like the bird in Dickinson’s poem, soared when the Vancouver Pars National Ballet took the stage to share a variety of folk and traditional Iranian dances. I wish you could hear the music that accompanied the graceful dancers in their flowing, colourful costumes! I hope this picture will give you just a hint of the exotic beauty of their performance?
I was also drawn in by the Hope Photo Contest Gallery. The Tirgan Festival in conjunction with Cafe Litt juried a fine art, documentary and photojournalism competition in support of the theme of Hope. The winning photos are moving, beautiful and simply stunning! You can find the winners here.
I was also moved by the words of Anousheh Ansari, Honourary Chair of Tirgan and the first Iranian in space. Her perspective on the challenging times we live in is unsurprisingly universal: “I believe that we live in a time that may become the pivot point for the history of mankind. Never before have humans had such immense potential to build or destroy, to grow or annihilate, or to give life rather than to propagate death.” Her perspective on our future has been uniquely shaped by her time spent watching earth from above, as she calls our “one home for us all“:
“When you look at the Earth from up there, you gain a new perspective. You can see how insignificant we are compared to the universe that surrounds us. It is also an empowering experience because everything seems so small. You feel that anything is possible and changing the world does not seem like such a daunting task.” – Tirgan Festival Magazine, 2013
I’m glad that such a wonderful role model, not only for the Iranian community but also for young women, often gets to share this message of hope with students who are indeed our future. Ansari ends her message with author Anne Lamott’s simple reminder: “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.”
Words to live by!
Ok, I’m about to go off the grid for a few days to give in to the lure of the open, sunny road to Manitoulin Island. I hope this post finds you healthy, happy and enjoying your summer. As you can see, mine has been graced with some hope at last.
Patti, what a wonderful post. I am so pleased to hear that you’ve got this gig! You certainly deserve it. You’re a wonderful photographer and your intelligent and hopeful dialogue makes you even more fit for this kind of work/play. Sweet!
Christine, thanks for stopping by and for your kind words! Much appreciated! Next time you are back in Toronto we must go on a Jeep photo adventure my fellow snapper!
Hi, I’m Patti, wonderer, wanderer and photographer. During the week I’m a marketer in the publishing industry and on weekends I take to the road to explore this beautiful planet we live on.
Hi, I’m Patti, wonderer, wanderer and photographer. During the week I’m a marketer in the publishing industry and on weekends I take to the road to explore this beautiful planet we live on. 
Patti, what a wonderful post. I am so pleased to hear that you’ve got this gig! You certainly deserve it. You’re a wonderful photographer and your intelligent and hopeful dialogue makes you even more fit for this kind of work/play. Sweet!
Christine, thanks for stopping by and for your kind words! Much appreciated! Next time you are back in Toronto we must go on a Jeep photo adventure my fellow snapper!