DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS 2021
Join us this year for our much-loved annual celebration of Day of the Dead. Mindful not to endanger the community of which we form part, the majority of the celebrations—both ceremonial and artistic—will remain online.
The pre-recorded Multi-day Celebration will be shared virtually between November 6 and November 13, 2021. This year’s celebration will also include a Public Ofrenda Installation that will be on view at Union Station from October 31, 2021 to February 20, 2022.
The spirit of shared experience will continue to hold strong this year: the community will be invited to create their own Day of the Dead altars at home, to share with fellow community members via a Virtual Altar, re-creating online the sense of one enormous, animated altar so tangible in past years at Wychwood Barns.
As always, “community” here includes not only those of Mexican or Latinx heritage. While Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in Mexican culture and history, the Collective considers the celebrations to be of Toronto: anyone interested in understanding and honouring these traditions is part of the community.
Rarely in recent years has a time seemed more appropriate for the careful consideration of life’s fragility than our current times, marked by the global coronavirus pandemic, accelerated environmental destruction, and sustained racial and gender violence. In light of these harrowing circumstances—and the sense of isolation and despair they have brought to many—the Día de los Muertos Collective deems the gathering of community to celebrate life and honour the dead a universal and essential need.
PUBLIC ALTAR/OFRENDA INSTALLATION
OCT 31, 2021 - FEB 20, 2022
Collective Remembrance: El Duelo
ArtworxTO Hub SOUTH | Union Station
61 Front St W, Toronto, ON
Part of the I am land exhibition.
This community-based and participatory ofrenda, or altar, fosters a space for public mourning in the midst of a global pandemic. Bearing witness to all of the injustices that have impacted various communities, this sculpture carves spaces for collective loss and care—where feelings of celebration, grief, anger, and reflection can co-exist in remembrance. Beyond showcasing the tradition and art of the Day of the Dead, this altar weaves together the longstanding celebration hosted by the Día De Los Muertos Collective in Wychwood Barns for over 12 years, gathering community through ritual, performance, music, visual arts, vending, and food.
VIRTUAL CEREMONY
FEATURING:
Smudging by Maya K'iche Elder Bártolo Alvárez
First Nations Drum Circle Eagleheart Singers
Women Drum Circle Kwewag Nagamowin
Pow wow Shawl Dancer - Otsíkh:èta (Candy Blair)
Aztec Dance Circle Ceremony
Tocani - Music Performance
Community participation in the creation of altar/ofrenda beloved ones.
VIRTUAL THEATRE
Teatro Para Vivos
REVISED DATE: NOV 10, 2021, 7pm
Comala by Grupo Teatro Libre
A short conceptual piece inspired by Juan Rulfo’s novel “Pedro Paramo“
VIRTUAL CELEBRATION
NOV 12, 2021, 7pm
Traditional Dance "Xantolo"
Grupo Folklorico Tonatiuh
Traditional Dance "los Diablos"
Ballet Folklorico Puro Mexico
Procession-Funeral Band
A unique band assemble with musician from the artistic community in Toronto by Dia de los Muertos Collective
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Submissions will be accepted via form below.
Join us for a community engagement activity! We invite you to share the name of a person, ancestor, or community you would like to honour to add to our public ofrenda installation at Union Station. We will collect your submissions sent via the form below and will create labels to tie to the handmade marigold flowers created with love by the Dia de los Muertos Collective community. The flowers will be placed on the resting sides of the ofrenda installation.
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY ALTAR
The Virtual Altar is a dedicated online space that features photographs of personal ofrendas from the community, as well as brief descriptions of the loves ones honored.
VIRTUAL TIANGUIS
Explore delicious food and beautiful arts and crafts, reconnect with vendors from previous celebrations and discover new additions that will enrich your Dia de los Muertos festivities.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: Casa Maiz Cultural Centre
SPONSOR: Ontario Arts Council
Please note that public health recommendations may require last-minute changes to programming.
Credits: Cover photo by Vero Diaz, Design by Alberto Cruz. Collective Remembrance: El Duelo and Community Activity photo by Garcia Creative Media Inc. Virtual Community Altar photo by Marta Orellana.