Oddside Arts is a cultural arts not-for-profit organization and creative technology artist collective that merges art, technology and wellness through Black speculative design.
Oddside Arts works from a point of view that prioritizes mental wellness and reimagines spaces for those who identify as part of the Afrodiasporic and Indigenous communities, most especially women, gender-expansive and LGTBQ+ folks, to theorize, create, and contribute to the development of the equitable future. The organization is co-led by founding collaborative members Queen Kukoyi, a Black, Gender-Queer, Meta-analytical Afrofuturist & Creative Tech Artist who uses Noetic Science to create meditative spaces; and Nico Taylor, a performance/digital artist, and scholar whose work dissects social constructions surrounding race and representation and highlights Black bodies using cosplay, storytelling, and graphic design.
Together they explore art through speculative practices (sci-fi & fantasy imaginings, and musings about the future), and the application of technology by use of digital design and immersive experiences. For the organization, art becomes a point of access for critical discussions about accessibility, equity, coalition building, and demystifying the public art process for a cultural community of artists to gain access.
We achieve this through:
Collaboration
We function through an Ubuntu framework, an African concept that promotes interconnectedness where we choose to focus on the “we” rather than on singular pathways to success.
Advocacy
We advocate for space to include the creative outputs of BIPOC folks (with an emphasis on Black and Indigenous peoples) and those who self-identify as 2SLGBTQIAP.
Knowledge Sharing
We contribute to the development of Black and/or Queer BIPOC artists by supporting the creation, production, and presentation of artworks, through disseminating educational resources, and providing mentoring opportunities.
To learn more, visit oddsidearts.ca
