Exhibited outside of The Jamii Hub at The Esplanade & Berkeley St
“What we remember” a photographic journey through memory, connection, and the shared experiences that weave together an arts organization like Jamii.
Conceived in 2023, this exhibition began as an invitation to nine artists, community leaders, and thinkers who have walked with Jamii from its inception in 2011 or joined in more recent collaborations. Their reflections are part of Jamii’s exploration within the Metcalf Foundation’s Staging Change think tank, which asked how we might unearth and celebrate the cultural and institutional memories that anchor us to a place, a group of people, a community.
Through this invitation,“What we remember” evolved into an exhibition that not only preserves memories but also explores the nature of memory itself. How do we remember? How do memories shape stories? And how does Jamii, as an arts organization based in community, become the living archive of its people’s recollections?
In selecting images from over a decade of artistic engagement and sharing their written reflection, “What we remember” showcases the memories and stories of Sarah N Ahmad, Usha James, Sabrine S Hakam, Sharon Zarita Adhiambo, Nova Bhattacharya, David Danzon, Zoie Edwards (Browne), Georgia Reynolds, and Isorine Marc. Each of them offers a unique glimpse into what they remember, how they interpret their experiences, and the narrative they choose to share.
As you view this exhibition, we invite you to ask yourself what do you remember? How does memory shape your connection to Jamii and your community? How does memory look, feel, and transform when shared with others?
Each story that we share is a piece of the puzzle that together forms our Jamiified journey on The Esplanade.
Unveiled on Sunday, December 1, 2024
On display from December 2024 to July 2025
CREDITS
Producer: Jamii
Contributors: David Danzon, Georgia Reynolds, Nova Bhattacharya, Sabrine S. Hakam, Sarah N. Ahmad, Sharon Zarita Adhiambo, Usha James, Zoie Edwards (Browne)
Photographers: Gillian Mapp, Isorine Marc, Jae Yang, Laura Dittmann, Murphy Owusu, Robert Deleskie
Artistic Director: Isorine Marc
Art Director: Iris Unlu
Graphic Designer: Jeeya Ghandi
REFLECTIONS
Sometimes all it takes is an invitation.
By David Danzon
Co-founder and Artistic Director of CORPUS
One of the fondest Esplanade memories I have is managing to convince a resident - who was complaining about the noise from her balcony - to see a CORPUS performance up close in David Crombie park. The lady did and then also came back the following evening. Sometimes all it takes is an invitation.
I grew up in Paris in the seventies. My playground was my street. I found freedom and independence there. Like The Esplanade, my neighborhood had a similar openness to let people gather outside the comfort of their home. In France there is a culture of street theatre, considered an art form in its own right. Countless festivals are dedicated to it. Their aim is to bring people together to celebrate life through the arts,; to re-invent the street, give it a twist, own it, make it a surprising destination even for its residents. Store fronts, high-risers, sidewalks, street lamps and crosswalks all become set designs for theatrical content. The whole neighborhood is involved. The street never looks the same after that. And the memory of that transformation is long-lasting. More importantly, it builds community.
Jamii’ strength lies in its desire to keep growing and evolving. It doesn’t engage in navel gazing but strives to experiment with new ideas, new ways to connect people,. The community is thus regularly exposed to new artistic and social propositions and grows alongside Jamii. It is a wonderful symbiotic relationship.
The culture of The Esplanade is blooming. To continue thriving, it needs to be celebrated and nurtured. This is where Jamii plays a key role. As for memory, it is only impactful - indeed only exists in the minds of a community -, if it is shared. There is no better place to create and share memories than in a tightly-woven, open and safe community. With continuing performances and various urban interventions and social gatherings, Jamii has created the foundations for long-lasting and meaningful memory.
Interweaving Generations of Explanadians together
By Georgia Reynolds
Empathy Champion and Jamii Founding Board Member
The Esplanade is where I have spent a large part of my adult life and my entire motherhood experience.
Jamii has supported me as an adult, woman and mother. It has shaped me through the years. Jamii gave me many opportunities to express myself when I have felt insecure, unclear, or unmotivated and space to consider other perspectives.
I have been an audience member, participant, board member, and advisor. This variety has broadened my understanding of the community and helped me grow as an individual.
Jamii's consistent, creative and adaptive ways of generating, facilitating, and anchoring memories have contributed to my sense of belonging.
By creating collective memories, Jamii provides a sense of connection. During the pandemic, this was particularly valuable. Small gestures like eye contact with a familiar face during a neighbourhood walk reminded us that we were not alone physically or emotionally.
By focusing on creating memories in the community, arts organizations will naturally be more responsive to those they serve. Blending the "keepers of the history" with those who hold the future ensures the longevity of an organization by providing continued engagement at all levels; attracting different employees, artists, participants, and even funding.
Internally, institutional memory is essential to measure impact and maintain momentum. With a creative engine and growing and changing team members, the essence and heart can be lost. Decision-making can become complicated with competing priorities, and organizational motivation can be impacted by missing moments to celebrate and anchor.
Like generational memory being passed down in families, there are also "generations" of Esplanadians where storytelling can be passed on.
Dances of Connection
Nova Bhattacharya
Dancer, daughter, space shifter, community convener and Artistic Director of Nova Dance
As a dancer, I am transfixed by the notion of memory in motion and how memories shape and reshape us. In Jamii’s world, we are shaped by connections through every breath, step, and story. Jamii embodies community care and storytelling; in their choreography we fulfill our purpose as a dance company.
Our collaboration began in 2019, when we brought dancer Neena Jayarajan to David Crombie Park, sharing her artistry with over 100 people. Among them were the inspiring young women of the Laini initiative, whose courage and dreams—running for office and creating employment for others—embodied the power of art to nurture leadership.
During the pandemic, Jamii’s work left an indelible mark on my consciousness. Amidst the chaos, Jamii was offering art as a community lifeline, connecting hearts and fostering a sense of shared humanity. The world stood still, yet art continued to flow, seeping through the digital crevices of social media.
In 2022, we returned to the park, the first of our public performances since the pandemic. Being together, sharing rituals rooted in reverence for Mother Earth, invoking a realm where the personal and universal converge—was a powerful reminder of what we had been missing during extended lockdowns. Boundaries dissolved as shared moments fostered oneness, transforming personal experience into communal joy.
In 2023, we performed three shows, each ending in a joyous dance party, nourishing us with audience energy and shared celebration.
In the highlights reel of soul-nourishing experiences with this cherished organization, these are moments etched into my heart—moments that symbolize connection and transformation. Community practice and belief in the arts brought us together; community practice and the enduring power of the arts are the ever beating pulse of Jamii’s dance. Their choreography vibrates with generosity, inspired creativity, and, above all, a sense of belonging.
This is particularly important now, as the neighbourhood is transforming and will welcome new Esplanadians. Jamii has the opportunity to interweave different generations together to ensure the sense of community The Esplanade is known for continues through this transformation.
Networks and Nodes
By Sabrine S. Hakam
Visual artist and Postdoctoral Researcher
Collective institutional memory is a repository of experiences and shared histories that connect a community through their interactions with an institution. Artists become embedded within this network of shared memory through the art we create and how it speaks to the community. By creating opportunities for social interaction and connection, artists alongside community members and stakeholders, become carriers of an organization’s collective memory.
Through my artistic interventions with The Esplanade community, I have become embedded within the institutional memory of Jamii. My involvement with Jamii began in 2023, with the unveiling of my first portrait series, Postcolonialism 101. Later on, I led and facilitated a photo exhibition with young women titled Calyx, and I also launched the Culture Cloths series. With each artistic intervention, I have fostered new social linkages and nurtured old ones, thereby becoming a stakeholder in the collective institutional memory of Jamii.
Collective institutional memory is dependent upon the experiences of and connections between community members within and with an institution. These connections take the form of shared stories, traditions, and even physical artifacts that hold meaning for the organization. The ‘spatial’ quality of collective memory networks exists in the fact that shared experiences are anchored in physical space. Communities are granted the agency to decide how they wish to see their space transformed through art.
By understanding and nurturing community linkages through the arts, institutions can maintain a sense of continuity and connection to their past, while also adapting and evolving to meet the challenges and opportunities of the present and future. This shared memory can therefore be better understood through a metaphor of networks and linkages. The role of the artist is to act as a new node within the network. The intersection of art and community through an organization such as Jamii strengthens collective institutional memory networks.
Memory as a Placemaker
By Sarah N. Ahmad
Urbanist, placemaker and public art consultant
If I had to pick one, I would say that Jamii’s ability to create joyful and meaningful memories for local residents, partners and audiences is its most striking attribute. Jamii uses art to encourage the intentional practice of collective memory - through the innovative revisitation of previous works, Jamii not only creates a database of shared memories, but also brings people closer by making them reflect on their role in the creation of something special.
In the spring of 2023, the Jamii team invited me to participate in a gathering entitled a ‘Garden of Influence’. I remember each participant was asked to share their name and relationship to Jamii. Right off, I loved that we were being asked to consider our relationship to the place! And because relationships are often built upon shared memories, one participant stated her name and shared that she was “once turned into a sheep by Jamii” – a comment that resulted in confused laughter but eventually revealed the deeply creative, albeit humorous, ways in which performance has been used to engage and captivate the community.
In May of 2024, I was asked to be the Artistic Advisor on the ‘Pavilion’ exhibit in David Crombie park. The process once again enriched me both personally and professionally. Today, I walk by the once derelict and forgotten site of the exhibit and it brings back wonderful memories of making and sharing space for art and togetherness.
These experiences have demonstrated to me that Jamii is a socio-spatial anchor for memory in The Esplanade community. Moreover, by co-creating artistic experiences with the local community, Jamii has established itself as an activator of place and belonging.
Through Jamii’s incredible relationships with residents of The Esplanade, I have developed a deep respect for the ‘Jamiified’ way of practicing community arts and creating memories.
Hyper-local, Legacy and Magic
By Usha James
Executive Director of The Critical Thinking Consortium
I moved close to The Esplanade in November 2021. It was a tumultuous time in the world and in my personal life. I was also feeling challenged to help my non-profit organization navigate pressures related to world events. I walked along The Esplanade and came across the striking basketball court mural for the first time. After some digging, I was privileged to connect with Jamii and engage with young women who were creating the photo exhibit later titled “Seeing Evergreen”. Although I was mostly an observer, it was a transformative experience for me. In the face of feeling helpless and overwhelmed by huge challenges that felt impossible to impact, my introduction to Jamii encouraged me instead to engage meaningfully and joyfully in ways that were “hyper-local”. That commitment, and my ongoing connection with Jamii, has since enriched my life.
Memory is an interesting construct. From what we know, memory does not live anywhere in particular in the brain, but is reconstituted every time we think of the past. It is influenced by how we feel in the moment that we are remembering. This is healthy and generative, but also worrisome if there are some legacies we hope are remembered accurately. Identifying, developing and documenting Jamii’s “thinking strategies” could be important in supporting institutional memory. They include the processes we use to make decisions, gather guidance and feedback from the community, or weigh possible options. Thinking strategies include routines that we engage in, templates that we use, strategies that we enact. Clearly articulating and housing these in places that are accessible to various parts of the organizational ecosystem can support individual and collective decision making and shared leadership. They are a small part of a rich legacy that Jamii creates with every new magical moment.
People, the treasures of Jamii
By Sharon Zarita Adhiambo
Founder Sekoya East Africa and International Arts Worker, Consultant and Leader
I walked into Jamii in 2019 as the Outreach and Project Coordinator, straight from the Arts Administration and Cultural Management program from Humber Polytechnic. I had experience in community arts from Kenya and Jamii allowed me to succeed as an international arts worker by allowing me to take space in the organization. I realized quickly I wasn’t the only one whose value is magnified, Jamii as a community arts organization treasures its people - who they are, their skills and creative abilities, their needs and offerings. Staff, volunteers, artists, audiences, businesses, partners and community at large.
It is impossible to have memories of Jamii without thinking of its people. Memories of people who walk in as community members with no artistic experience but work together to produce projects. Artists who share their talents generously not knowing someone in the audience will be impacted. Producers who transform local spaces to magnificent art stages. Memories of youth volunteers trusted to usher or assist in coordination then years later grow into production roles. People from minority groups creating, leading and showcasing work with a sense of belonging that is rare in the arts industry. Local businesses and organizations who become key partners of Jamii.
Today Jamii basks in the fruits of a genuine and intentional people-centered arts leadership, curation and development. Jamii’s people have become the carriers of institutional memory, using previous experiences as a roadmap to guide the next person or project. Jamii will always have depth and impact because this kind of institutional memory doesn't fade. I come to Jamii now as an artist and audience member, each time marveling at the success it has had in transforming me, transforming us - its people. I am inspired to carry this value of people in my own artistic journey, passing on Jamii’s ripple effect.
Zoie Edwards
Raised by The Esplanade, cultivated by community
I am passionate about people and community. I was raised by The Esplanade, playing and riding bikes through the neighbourhood from day to night. I remember a sense of freedom and joy that has led to lasting connections and friends who are family. Community is about connections, and Jamii is the thread that welcomes those connections to be formed.
I have participated in many Jamii projects, worked as a Project Coordinator, and now have a role as a Board member. I am humbled by how deeply Jamii means community and the impact it has played in all aspects of my life. I love to see the park animated by Jamii projects and neighbours enjoying the community together. I am grateful for the shared stories and experiences that people are invited to enjoy through Jamii.
I will never forget the nerves of uncertainty and optimistic excitement I felt starting my first Jamii project process, and the joy and confidence I felt at the end when the creation was shared with others. Engaging with Jamii broadened my thinking and stretched spiritual muscles I didn’t know existed. Working together with artists and neighbours to co-create is like a bridge Jamii welcomes, giving people a unique opportunity for togetherness. The shared experience, trust built through the process and connection to something greater than yourself is nourishment for the soul.
I truly believe that The Esplanade and Jamii have a big part in shaping the person, wife, sister, neighbour, aunt, mother, and professional engagement consultant that I am. Collectively, Jamii and the community have shaped my heart, and this is because of the community spirit, art, and collective experiences enjoyed with others. My heART is forever with Jamii and The Esplanade.
