A February evening at Ottawa’s Shenkman Arts Centre brings emerging Black artists into the spotlight, blending performance, conversation, and community. From music and dance to film and spoken word, the Ottawa Black Creatives Hub Showcase centres new voices shaping the capital’s creative future.
As Black History Month unfolds, Ottawa’s cultural calendar makes space for discovery, collaboration, and creative exchange. On February 7, 2026, the Ottawa Black Creatives Hub Showcase returns for its second edition, transforming the Shenkman Arts Centre into a meeting ground for emerging Black artists and arts leaders. Backed by the Ontario Arts Council and the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, the evening reflects a growing commitment to platforming Black creativity across disciplines.
Hosted in the Harold Shenkman Hall, the showcase is designed as a multi-sensory experience. Audiences can expect a fluid program that moves between music, poetry, dance, storytelling, and film, punctuated by voices from organizations shaping Ottawa’s arts ecosystem. The result is an evening that feels both curated and communal, inviting reflection while celebrating artistic momentum.
A lineup that reflects Ottawa’s creative pulse
This year’s program brings together performers whose practices span genres and traditions, offering a snapshot of the city’s evolving creative identity. A house band sets the tone, while individual artists bring distinct perspectives shaped by lived experience, experimentation, and craft.
Before listing the artists, it is worth noting how intentionally the lineup is assembled. The showcase balances high-energy performance with quieter, contemplative moments, allowing audiences to engage with the breadth of Black artistic expression in the capital.
Featured performers include:
- The Lionyls (House Band) – Music
- JS Runner – Music
- Vanessa Jeudi – Music and storytelling
- Juju, PJ, and Regis – Dance
- NoFables – Spoken word
- Remesha Drums – Percussion and dance
- Aisha Nyere – Poetry
- Ayana – Music
- Contiguity, a film by Sammy Mohamed
Conversations that extend beyond the stage
Alongside performances, the evening incorporates dialogue with cultural organizers and practitioners who are actively building pathways for Black creatives in Ottawa. These contributions ground the event in shared knowledge, offering insight into funding, mentorship, and community-led arts development.
Rather than formal panels, the speaker segments are woven into the program, creating moments of pause and perspective between performances.
Participating speakers and organizations include:
- Ottawa Music Industry Coalition
- Arts Ottawa
- Produced by Youth
- Kultur Ties
- Rose Ingrid Benjamin
- City Fidelia
- Sammy Mohamed
- Fitch Jean
- Cranium Arts Project
Building space for Black creatives in the capital
At the heart of the event is the Ottawa Black Creatives Hub, a social club and creative network powered by Hors Pair Social. The Hub was created to address a clear need: consistent, welcoming spaces where Black creatives can connect, learn, and present their work without friction.
Its mandate centres on three priorities: professional development through workshops and panels, relationship-building through intentional gatherings, and visible platforms that bring Black art to broader audiences. The annual showcase brings these goals together in a single evening that feels both celebratory and purposeful.
Hors Pair Social, founded by community builder Sharlène Clarke, has become a recognizable force in Ottawa’s social and cultural scene. Known for its curated events for young Black adults, the organization was nominated as Best Event Planning Company at the 2023 Ottawa Awards by Faces Magazine, a reflection of its growing influence.
Event details at a glance
The showcase is structured to encourage early arrival and conversation, with a pre-show mixer and food drive setting a collaborative tone before the performances begin.
Date: February 7, 2026
Pre-show mixer and food drive: 6:00 PM (by I Produce Art)
Doors open: 6:30 PM
Showtime: 7:00 PM
Location: Harold Shenkman Hall, Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans
Admission: Tickets [FREE (under 12) to $35] available online and at the door
For media professionals, a limited number of passes are available, with options for photography or review coverage.
Where visibility meets creative momentum
Ottawa’s Black Creatives Hub Showcase arrives at a moment when visibility and infrastructure matter deeply for emerging artists. By combining performance, dialogue, and institutional support, the event demonstrates how community-led initiatives can shape sustainable creative ecosystems.
The evening also reinforces a broader truth about Black History Month programming at its strongest. When celebration is paired with opportunity, and when emerging voices are centred rather than framed as an afterthought, the result is cultural momentum that extends well beyond a single night.
As the lights dim and the stage fills, the showcase offers more than entertainment. It presents a living portrait of Black creativity in Ottawa, rooted in community, open to collaboration, and firmly oriented toward the future.
