This February, Harbourfront Centre’s KUUMBA Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary, a milestone that highlights three decades of showcasing achievements of the Black diaspora. This year’s theme, “healing through the arts,” reflects the festival’s mission to create spaces for connection and community empowerment through artistic expression.
“Turning 30 is such a huge feat,” says Diana Webley, lead producer of KUUMBA.
Webley, who has been with the Harbourfront Centre for two decades and has seen the festival evolve over the years, notes the importance of the festival’s legacy: “At the heart of it all is that we want this to continue to be a way that we can educate and also amplify culture. And that means inviting everybody in to experience, whether it’s thought-provoking talkbacks, film, dance — just through the arts in a multi-disciplinary way.
“As the world changes — whether it’s through trends or political views, or just the economic situation that we’re feeling — we’re able to express through art where we are,” adds Webley.
One of the highlights of KUUMBA this year is the Bob Marley Birthday Tribute on Feb. 6, which honours what would have been the reggae legend’s 80th birthday. The evening will take audiences on a musical journey, reinterpreting Marley’s classics through jazz, soul, reggae, and even classical genres. The tribute features musical performances by JUNO Award-winners Jay Douglas and Liberty Silver, both of whom had personal connections with Marley, and Kairo McLean, who represents the next generation of Canadian talent.
For breakdancing enthusiasts, Breaking Canada’s Rock Harder Competition (Feb. 15 and 16) promises two exciting days of breaking, workshops, and high-energy performances. Expanding upon the hype surrounding Canada’s recent gold medal win in breaking at the Paris 2024 Olympics, this event is aimed at anyone interested in breakdancing, including newcomers.
Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race may enjoy the Voguing workshop (Feb. 8) led by Twysted Miyake-Mugler of the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance. Part of the Journey to Black Liberation symposium, this free-with-registration session invites participants to embrace self-expression and body positivity. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced in Vogue, the workshop encourages everyone to strike a pose and explore the freedom of movement.
Webley emphasizes that dance, like all art forms in KUUMBA, serves as a vehicle for healing and self-expression: “This just frees everybody to come alive outside of your body, and it engages also with themes of finding home in our bodies, being comfortable in the space that you’re in, and fully expressing yourself.”
The festival also prioritizes wellness with its Pause+Expand Wellness Series (Feb. 11–26). These sessions blend sound therapy, movement, and mindfulness to create safe spaces for healing and help individuals reconnect with themselves and others.
Accessibility remains a core value for KUUMBA. The festival’s Pay-What-You-Wish model and free-with-registration events like the Voguing workshop and wellness sessions ensure that economic barriers don’t hinder participation. In a time when many venues are inaccessible and events are scarce during Black Futures Month, KUUMBA’s inclusive approach makes the arts available to everyone.
“This was really the call to recenter the community and folks,” says Webley, underscoring the importance of this effort. “Healing through music has always been. And the 30th edition of KUUMBA might be a reminder that there is healing through arts.”
KUUMBA’s 30th anniversary is more than a milestone; it’s a testament to the enduring power of art to unite, heal, and inspire. For more information about the festival and to register for events, click here.
