Jane's Walk in Regent Park

 Youth set up Mobile Media Lab aka the MAMMAL outside focus for Jane's Walk stop at Focus

Diva Girls Group participants talk about the impact the group has had on their lives and how more young girls should get involved.

 Youth wait outside Focus to present the MAMMAL to visitors

 Visitors from Jane's Walk at Focus.

 Visitors watch RPTV videos created by youth at Focus.

 The Mammal display.

 Tresvonne from the Regent Park Focus House Band and Catch da Flava Radio Show participant explains his participation at Focus.

 Youth inside the computer lab doing their homework and working on articles for Catch da Flava Magazine.

 Youth riding the Mammal in the community for the Jane's Walk community event.

 Some of the youth who are involved in the radio show every Tuesday night talk about the importance of having youth's voice heard and their perspective on social issues and hot topics.

 Michele, Youth Outreach Coordinator talks about the history of Focus and the importance of youth and the community to unite together and form alliances to remove negative stereotypes about the community created by the mass media.

 The blueprint of how the MAMMAL was created.

 A visitor reading the latest issue of Catch da Flava Youth Magazine written by Focus youth participants who meet up every Tuesday evenings.

Visitors pleased with what the youth's movement using their creativity, arts and the media to make an affirmative difference in Regent Park community.

On Saturday May 7th and Sunday May 8th the Regent Park community welcomed everyone to the Jane’s Walk. Regent Park is undergoing a major transformation. The Regent Park community hopes that more opportunities for residents and welcoming the city back into the neighbourhoods will come from the revitalization. Jane’s walk continues the mission of Jane Jacob’s, who was an influential American-Canadian urban activist. Many people came out to support and understood Jane’s vision, which was the significance of local residents having participation on how their communities grow overtime. This is a perfect example of the Regent Park neighbourhood. Jane’s Walk motivated people to inform themselves with the places such as organizations, work places, stores, support services and schools.

Residents also spoke about how they changed their perspective on how it feels to live here. Many residents stated that before they were ashamed to be from Regent Park. However, they explained during the walk that now they are proud to be from such a vibrant transformative community with people from diverse ethnicities, cultures, religions and backgrounds. Many residents hope to educate people to remove the fear, embarrassment and social stigmas displayed against the Regent Park community. As Regent Park continues to develop, the goal is to have families of mixed income living in Regent Park. It is also the goal of more jobs to be created and more opportunities for everyone including youth to get involved in what their community has to offer.

The tour was 15 minutes long and each group on the tour visited sites such as; Daniels Presentation Centre, 1 Cole Street, The New Big Park and Aquatic Centre, The Peace Garden, Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre, 14 Blevins Place / Nelson Mandela Public School, Paintbox Condominiums and Regent Park Centre for Learning, Children and Youth Hub & of course we could not have a tour without Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Centre. When people came to visit Focus, they were able to watch the Regent Park Focus House Band perform in the studio, listen to the Catch da Flava radio show, read the Catch da Flava magazine and see what articles the youth were working on, watch videos created by the youth and even ask questions. Visitors especially loved seeing the Mammal just before they came down to Focus. Everyone was enthusiastic about the Mammal. The staff, volunteers and children and youth participants at Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Centre were so happy to welcome visitors to the new space at 38 Regent Street. Visitors also had the opportunity to ask questions. Regent Park Focus continues to encourage children and youth to liberate themselves, use the arts, media and creativity as a tool to change the negative perspectives and stereotypes that outsiders and the mass media has about the Regent Park community and the people. Since 1991, Regent Park Focus continues to support the youth to make inspiring, funny and educational videos, radio shows and magazine articles about issues and hot topics in the Regent Park community and our society.

If you missed Jane’s Walk and would like to learn more about the Regent Park community and these extraordinary locations, take time out of your busy schedule and perhaps on a weekend, go on your own walk with a friend, co-workers or your family and grasp the history and future of the revolutionary Regent Park Focus community. Please stop by even if you want to hang out, do your homework or use our computers. Remember we are always looking for volunteers and we always need youth who have a passion for the arts and media to make a positive change and have their input community strategies, meetings and events.

http://regentparkfocus.com/

Also, check out this article about Jane's Walk in Now Magazine!  http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/news/story.cfm?content=180598

~♥*Michele Peter*♥~
Youth Outreach Coordinator