York University’s Multicultural Week brings together student clubs each year to showcase the unique traditions, delicious cuisine and distinctive fashions of the world’s diverse cultures right on campus. This year’s celebration features a global food market, DJs going head-to-head with music from around the world, an art exhibit that brings together creativity and culture, and a discussion about the experience of immigrant families in Canada.
The week-long event culminates with an exceptional afternoon showcase at Rexall Centre that will highlight a dazzling lineup of cultural performances with both a traditional spin and modern flair.
With York’s student population tracing back its roots to over 155 countries, Multicultural Week offers a glimpse into the remarkable diversity across campus.
Event highlights include:
Cultural Intersection visual art exhibition
Monday, Feb. 3 - Friday, Feb. 7
10 am – 2 pm
Eleanor Winters Art Gallery, 129 Winters College (Building 53 on the map)
Cultural Intersection focuses on artistic expressions of culture and multiculturalism. Participants’ works share their creative expression of social and political commentary regarding their own unique cultural heritage and/or lived experience in Canada, through photography, painting, drawing, print, collage and mixed media. The focus of the exhibit is to display ideas as diverse as the diverse student body that created them, unified in a celebration of multiculturalism.
World Food Market
Tuesday, Feb. 4
11 am – 2 pm
The Underground, Student Centre (Building 23 on the map)
Food is a universal language, infusing meals with the unique traditions and cooking practices of cultures, while highlighting the local spices and ingredients of their respective lands. The World Food Market will showcase diverse culinary cultures with delicious foods from across the world. From bulgogi to baklava, tacos to tagine, paella to piri-piri, the market’s massive menu has enough options to keep everyone’s taste buds happy.
DJ Sound Clash
Tuesday, Feb. 4
2 pm – 5 pm
The Underground, Student Centre (Building 23 on the map)
From timeless traditional ballads to contemporary chart-toppers, DJs will battle it out in campus lounge The Underground, fusing the old and the new to create a new unique display of their culture’s musical landscape in hopes of becoming the champion. Each DJ will showcase their own unique style, shaped by their background and culture.
Global Tour
Wednesday, Feb. 5
10 am – 4 pm
Ross Link, Vari Hall and Central Square (Buildings 28, 30, & 27 on the map)
Travel the world by strolling through the campus, as clubs’ pavilions showcase their culture’s art, history and traditions. Learn a phrase in a different language, or take an informal class on a country’s most famous artists. The Global Tour offers an opportunity to share in a wide array of traditions from many different cultures.
‘The Land of Opportunity’: A Discussion of the Experience of Immigrant Families in Canada
Wednesday, Feb. 5
6 pm – 8 pm
313 Student Centre (Building 23 on the map)
Canada is often cited around the world as a land of opportunity. While there are many reasons to be proud to be Canadian, immigrant families can also experience discrimination and oppression in various forms. Those who come as immigrants and the generations that follow often face various challenges in establishing themselves in Canada. The discussion will focus on breaking down the barriers that immigrant groups face and establish a dialogue towards understanding immigrant experiences and building solidarity between different immigrant groups.
Cultural Explosion
Thursday, Feb. 6
2 pm – 6 pm
Rexall Centre (Building 8 on the map)
Cultural Explosion is an exceptional showcase designed to highlight the unique artistic practices of diverse cultures, from dance routines to music played on traditional instruments, these stage performances at York’s Rexall Centre stadium will reflect the sights, sounds, and spirit of the global village.
NOTE: Media are welcome to cover Multicultural Week events. For interviews or photo/video opportunities, please contact Media Relations.
York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York’s 11 faculties and 27 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York's community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.
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Media Contact: Tabassum Siddiqui, Media Relations, York University, (416) 736-2100 ext. 44543 / tsiddiq@yorku.ca
