Chill vibes, great books, and cool peeps hangin’ out – Love Lyla Books X Silk Road Institute Open Mic Night is the place to be!

Love Lyla Books X Silk Road Institute Open Mic Night Get ready for an awesome evening at the Love Lyla Books X Silk Road Institute Open Mic Night! This in-person event is all about good vibes, great stories, and connecting with fellow book lovers. Come hang out, share your thoughts, and dive deep into some amazing reads. Don’t miss out on the fun—grab your spot and be part of the conversation!

An evening for voices, stories, and everything in between.

Join us for Open Mic Night at Love Lyla Books in collaboration with Silk Road Institute. A space to share your words, your poetry, your thoughts or simply come and listen.

Featuring King Kimbit, bringing something special to the night.

May 21 at 7pm 95 Richmond Rd, Westboro

Tickets are $10. Sign up, show up, and be part of a night that feels a little different.

Join InnerGenerational and Embarrassed by Night for the Canadian premiere of The Empathizer(@empathizerdoc) - a documentary about Vietnam! The hourlong award-winning film is an exploration of second-generation identity and inheritance, told through interviews with overseas-born Vietnamese immigrants who made the choice to move back to the land their parents fled.

​🎞️ This special documentary presentation features both Vietnamese and English subtitles, and will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker Fred Le.

​🎭 AND THEN! Stick around for a special collaborative showcase with performances by the Ontario-based artists collective InnerGenerational (@inner.generation) and the all-Vietnamese standup show Embarrassed by Night (@embarrassedbynight) featuring comedians from the film and special guests :

​Fred Le (@fredle)

​Andy Van (@andyvanandyvan)

​Jerry Tran (@jrrytrn)

​DK Phan (@dkphantastic)

​King Kimbit (@kingkimbit)

​Farah Fancy (@farah.fancy)

​Hosted by Anto Chan (@antopunfu)

​🎟️ One ticket gets you into BOTH the screening and the comedy show! 🧧

​Online tickets start at $30 which includes a complimentary beverage.

​A limited number of tickets will be available at the doors for $40.

​Don't miss on this special Asian-American & Canadian celebration of culture, artistry and humour. We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll hang. Happy AAPI Heritage Month!

​⏰ Show schedule :

​6:00pm - Doors

​6:45pm - The Empathizer screening

​7:45pm - Q&A

​8:15pm - InnerGenerational X Embarrassed by Night Showcase

​9:45pm - End of night

📣 TORONTO!! 🍁 We're absolutely chuffed to bring our grassroots tour to your beautiful city to screen at the awesome indie theater @cinecycle.toronto for the Canadian premiere of The Empathizer!! ✍️ Save the date : SUNDAY MAY 10th starting at 6PM What better of a way to celebrate Mother's Day than an evening exploring the allure of the Motherland!

🎞️ The Empathizer is an hour-long award-winning documentary which examines second-generation experience and identity through candid interviews with overseas-born Vietnamese immigrants from all over the world, who made the choice to move back to the land their parents fled. The film will be presented with Vietnamese + English subtitles, and will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker Fred Le.

🎤 The screening will be followed by a very special live Embarrassed by Night (@embarrassedbynight) x Inner Generational (@inner.generation) collaborative showcase of comedy, poetry, and dance.

Tickets are on sale NOW at 🎟️TORONTO.EMBARRASSEDBYNIGHT.COM🎟️! Save the date and follow us @empathizerdoc for more announcements. Happy AAPI Heritage Month, and Happy Mother's Day 🤗

Join us for a night of solidarity and support for Jamal Francique. A fundraiser to cover the legal fees of his family's coroners inquest.

Justice for Jamal - Stand Together! Join us in person for a powerful gathering to raise funds and raise awareness.

A coroner’s inquest is one of the only public processes in Ontario that shines a light on deaths that happen behind prison walls—deaths that too often occur out of sight and without accountability. When someone dies in custody, a coroner and a jury of five community members come together to examine not just who that person was, but the full circumstances of their death—when, where, and how it happened. While an inquest cannot assign blame, it gives families a rare opportunity to have their loved one’s story heard in a public forum and to demand answers from the systems responsible for their care. At its core, the inquest process is about truth, dignity, and prevention. The jury’s recommendations, though not legally binding, have the power to expose systemic failures and push for changes that can save lives. This work matters because every life lost in custody deserves to be acknowledged, every family deserves transparency, and no one should die in silence behind bars, and families should not be limited to the truth due to financial barriers.

Food and merch for sale, raffle and live portrait drawings.

Classy/elegant dress code, no sportswear. Two drink minimum.

Performances by Widget Blockmode, Moun Fou, King Kimbit, Teigwan the Trip, Remy Picasso, Annie JP, Van Essa, Kym Dominque-Ferguson and more...

Pre-save now available. Releasing April 8, 2026

Location

Add-ons Description

Ottawa’s only Hip Hop Jam session is coming to Red Bird, and will be a strong addition to our monthly music series.

Every month:

Will be featuring a different Emcee that will host the show with our house Emcee Nick Pouponneau (of Zoo Legacy). Backed with a full live band Andrew and The Capital Syndicate, these showcases are bound to instil a deep love and connection to the incredible Hip Hop scene that we carry in the Capital city!

Live Band:

Nick Pouponneau (Emcee) Andrew Knox (Trumpet/ Keys) Matt Evans (Saxophone/ Keys) James Arif (Sousaphone) Ramel Bautista (Guitar) Harrison Singer (Bass) Sacha Nagy (Drums)

Important Notes:

Every Instrument will be provided by the house. Access to stage is a first-come, first-serve process. The amount of instruments and microphones present on the stage will determine how many can stay on the stage at one time. We will have the “RED BIRD PICK” of the night. This pick will be chosen by staff at Red Bird and will encourage one participant of the night to close the show with another performance. There will be opportunities to network and possibly be featured in future events as a featured emcee or instrumentalist.

Cap City Cyphers teams up with Free Transit Ottawa to launch the New Vision For Transit campaign taking place Monday, January 19 at Irene's Pub, featuring King Kimbit, Van Essa, and B.A.E. Marie, tunes by DJ Seiiizi and an Open Mic. Sign-up for the open mic on site or by email; send instrumentals in advance - capcitycyphers@gmail.com.

FREE EVENT!

Free Transit Ottawa is a diverse group of environmental and social justice activists who believe that public transit has a crucial role in combating climate change and promoting social justice. For too long, the City of Ottawa has lacked vision on how to deliver a public transit system that is truly universal, reliable, and accessible.

By launching our New Vision for Public Transit, we intend to build a movement around a set of bold ideas that will deliver the transit we deserve – without barriers and good enough to become a real alternative to high emissions private vehicles.

Our New Vision for Transit centres on making transit free for all in-off peak hours and improving service by expanding the number of buses and bus only lanes. It proposes to finance its $125 M cost by reallocating money targeted for road widening to pubic transit and other measures discouraging the use of private cars including increasing the development charges for single family homes and parking charges.

More on the campaign here: https://freetransitottawa.ca/campaign/

This fall’s presentation of Speaking Vibrations is a co-presentation with Ottawa Dance Directive. Speaking Vibrations is an award-winning, multidisciplinary performance featuring signed music, ASL song/poetry, spoken word, song, percussive and contemporary dance.

💰Special Discount: Get 20% off your ticket from now until September 5th!

Regular Prices after September 5: General Admission - $25 Artist/Student/Underemployed - $15 Community/Youth - $10 *Support Person/Companion - $0

*If you are an aide/companion supporting another person to attend the show, you must purchase a FREE ticket.

Tickets at the door will be subject to availability. Due to limited capacity, we highly recommend securing your seat in advance.

Speaking Vibrations: a co-presentation with @ottawadancedirective 📅October 2, 3, 4 2025 at 7:30 PM 📍ODD Box | 2 Daly Ave, Ottawa 🎟️Tickets available on eventbrite! 🔗Link below

😷Masking Policy for Speaking Vibrations: Please note that in support of the safety of immunocompromised persons we are having a mask-mandatory evening on Thursday, October 2. The remaining shows on Friday, October 3, and Saturday, October 4, are mask-optional. We will provide masks at the front desk if you have forgotten yours.

“The Alchemy of the Butterfly: Explanations on the Sufi Path of Transformation” is a Sufi retreat led by Cheikh Sufi Ba and friends of the Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba International Sufi School.

What to expect: 👉 Sufi Lectures by the Cheikh, disciples, and friends 👉 Dhikr (Chanting Meditation) 👉 Sufi Music 👉 Fresh Vegetarian Meals 👉 Fellowship 👉 Cheikh Sufi Ba!

Retreat details: 📅 Dates: Friday, September 26th – Sunday, September 28th, 2025 📍 Location: The Great Barn at Claymont Retreat Center (667 Huyett Rd., Charles Town WV, 25414) Cost is $299 for the weekend, or $125 for Saturday-only attendees (meals included for Saturday, no lodging).

REGISTRATION: Fill out the form at https://www.787marifa.com/retreat Follow the event for more updates.

About the grounds: ✔️ Wifi ✔️ Single bed in shared room of 2-4 ✔️ Showers ✔️ Hand soap, pillows, towels, and bedding claymont.org/conference-facilities/

Join the discussion on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1G6JyZSnLC/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The 2025 Festival takes place Thursday, September 18 to Sunday, September 21, on traditional Algonquin territory (Ottawa, Canada).

Ode to Palestine 🤲🏽🇵🇸✊🏽

Speaking Vibrations members King Kimbit and Carmelle Cacherro are proud to be sharing works at Ode To Palestine.

🗓️Friday August 29, 7PM - 10PM 📍Club SAW, 67 Nicholas Street 🎟️ Free admission: door donations to @waterislifegaza 🤝 Organized by @dawood.arts with @don_cubeprojects @cubegallery

Follow @dawood.arts for more announcements! 🍉

✨ Ode to Palestine 🇵🇸 is a one-evening art exhibition and cultural event at Club Saw, 67 Nicholas St. in Ottawa.

The event will feature an exhibition by a number of fine Ottawa artists including: Christi Belcourt, Rana Nazzal (video), Margot Denis, Hadi Abdullah, Eleanor Doran, Opal Dunbar, Dawn Dale, Maryam, Yar, Selma, Murray Dineen, Mohamed Alhaboob, Lynda Cronin, Laura Janet Ward, Lainie Towell, Bernard Vigier, Paula Zoubek, Laura D'Alessandro, Aishah Vakily, Yasmen Abuzaid, Don Monet, Noura Dawood (Curator)!

Some art will be for sale at the event.

There will also be merch, poetry, and beats by DJ Yuck!

Curated by Palestinian Artist Noura Dawood, this fundraiser has donations going to: Water Is Life Gaza: From Turtle Island To Palestine. For more information, please contact Noura by email: ndawo034@uottawa.ca

[Image description: Graphic by Noura Dawood with event details stated above. The graphic features cool hues (a variation of blues) in a painting of a veiled woman with her eyes closed facing to the side. Her veil has subtle details pertaining to Palestinian identity, such as parts of keffiyeh patterns.]

See you all this Saturday for Dapo Fun Day! Show up with your smiles and friends for a great Cause! 🔥📣 Grab your appetite and your big heart! It’s time to turn up the heat for a great cause! Join us for a day in the sun to help us promote our cause of peaceful conflict resolution in our community 🍔🌭❤️ 🎉 Fundraising Barbecue Event 📅 Date: August 16th, 2025 🕓 Time: 12:00pm to 6:00pm 📍 Location: 190 Glen Park Join us for a day of delicious food, live music, games, and community vibes. All in support of the Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace, a not-for-profit organization that aims to give back to the community through scholarships and community events promoting non-violence, keeping our community and loved ones safe from harm! Every bite makes a difference. 💥 What to Expect: 🍖 Grilled favorites (veg options too!) 🎶 Live local bands 🎟️ Raffles + Prizes 🎨 Fun activities for all ages 👉 100% of proceeds go to the Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace! Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your appetite, and bring your support! Tag us in your stories with #DFD2025 ✌🏿 ✌🏽✌🏻

Open Mic and Freestyle Circle hosted by J Morris and Nico (frontman 0f Zoo Legacy) at our historic homebase, The Origin. Tickets are priced by participants and an opportunity to invest in the organization and work of Cap City Cyphers.

Cap City Cyphers will be throwing down with live band NitroTurtle for Cranium’s celebration of musical diversity in our community. Cypher at 6-7pm hosted by Seiiizi and King Kimbit.

On June 27th we will be hosting a free block party in the heart of downtown Ottawa. Located right next to the Rideau Centre in Ogilvy Square we will bring the sounds of International rythyms, the scents of different cultural cuisines the sights of the flyest streetwear and the vibe of dancing and people having fun.

Come move with the city and become One With the Beat.

June 27, 2025 Ogivly Square (Next to Joey Rideau) Ottawa, Ontario

More details coming real soon.

💃🏽 🍲🍛🥖🫒 🎶

From @urbanfreshorganics_758: Save the date! • We’re excited to celebrate with you on May 17th 10:00am - 4pm, consider this your invitation to our Greenhouse Family Fun Day! 🥳🥳🥳

Join us at our new home located at 1757 Woodroffe Avenue (U-turn at Slack Road) for a day filled with laughter, learning, and love for the land.

This year marks our first field season at this beautiful location, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your unwavering support. Whether you’re picking up pre-ordered seedlings, exploring our CSA offerings, or simply enjoying the festivities, your presence will make this day a truly special one.

Come out with the family and you can expect a day filled with activities for everyone:
• Face painting by @n_nikute • Nature walks. • Delicious bites will be available from @thebbqjoint_, @prettyeatsbyhanan @nonnasfamouspizza @madewithsankofa, @sweetsbynatalya and @wiyaoottawa • Dj and Cypher by Capcity Cyphers @CapcityCyphers and Dj Bojangles • Photography by @pearly.media

Your participation not only supports our farm’s mission to provide organic veggies to our community but also helps us build a sustainable future together.

Let’s create some core memories and cultivate connections that grow beyond our fields, to your tables and homes. Save the date, spread the word, and come out, bring your friends and family to celebrate with us!

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GreenhouseFamilyFunDay #CommunityLove #UrbanFreshOrganics #SustainableLiving #JoinUs #OttawaEvents #FarmToTable #SeedlingPresale #LocalFood #NewBeginnings #WoodroffeAvenue #GardenGoals #CSA #PlantLove 🌱

Can’t wait to see you there! 😊

CELEBRATE ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH WITH US! Join us this upcoming May 2025 for Asian Heritage Month to celebrate as a community! We will be showcasing a line up of stellar artists including Kimmortal, Shay, and King Kimbit!!! Scroll down to read their bios then register.

Event Details

Date: May 13th, 2025 Time: 7:00 PM EST Register via form at the bottom of page, to attend either attend… IN-PERSON at Saw Centre (67 Nicholas St, Ottawa, ON, Canada) Online via YouTube live steam (link provided day of via email you registered with)

Our Artists

KIMMORTAL Polaris-nominated, multi-disciplinary artist blending hip hop, theatre, visual art, and queer diasporic storytelling to create transformative, inclusive spaces for marginalized voices.

Kimmortal is renowned for their highly conceptual genre-bending musical explorations and lyrical intricacies. The queer, non-binary, filipinx artist flows between singing and rapping; their signature subversive gusto only complemented with a down-to-earth, human vulnerability. Their 3rd album “Shoebox” (2023) expresses the journey of healing intergenerational trauma and celebrating the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Their singles "This Dyke” appear on popular TV series The L Word: Generation Q and “On My Way” appear in Apex Legends Season 19. This past year Kim’s original music production was featured in the TV series Sort Of (out now on HBO, CBC) and they’re currently writing for another TV Series (TBA). Their music video “Blue and Orange” directed by Aya garcia and co-written by Kimmortal and Tin lorica received the Best Music Video Award at the 2024 Disorient Asian American film festival. They’ve shared stages with Thundercat, Saul Williams, Ruby Ibarra, Superknova, Saba, Shad K, and many more.

Live - Duo | Live - Band | Video - Blue and Orange | Instagram | Music + Links | Web | Press

SHAY Shay Saddiq is a poet with a rich portfolio in Ottawa's spoken word and performance art scene. Known for her compelling performances in the OG500 competition, she has graced the stage twice, first time at 17 years old, showcasing her skills and stage presence. Her talent has garnered attention beyond the stage, as evidenced by her interview on Alan Neal's "All in a Day" and features in various articles highlighting her artistic contributions. Shay has also left her mark in projects like "Pieces Of Us," where her creative voice resonates.

OG500 Performance | Instagram

KING KIMBIT King Kimbit is a literary Hip-Hop artist born and raised on unceded Algonquin territory (Ottawa), passionate about empowering youth, community care, and sharing love through writing, reciting, and the abolition of punitive, carceral institutions. King has performed solo and as part of ensembles in music and theatre across Turtle Island, Jamaica, and Vietnam. In 2017 King released her debut album Life Lessons Poetically, a collection of musical poetry in collaboration with artists locally and abroad. She is currently creating her sophomore album, Healing Trauma From The Projects. Since 2018, she has teamed up with Jo-Anne Bryan, Carmelle Cachero, and Jordan Samonas, as a writer and the vocalist of their group, Speaking Vibrations. That year, King co-founded Cap City Cyphers (CCC), a space for rappers and singers to learn and develop improvisational skills and build community. Since then, CCC has partnered with organizations local and abroad to promote community through music. Her newest release Fk12frfr Pt. II is streamable everywhere. Web | Lees - a Cinepoem | The Sermon - Hevve x King Kimbit | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Bandcamp

The Cranium Conference and Showcase will be back at the National Arts Centre this May 1-5.

If you are a live performer this is your opportunity to show out and connect with talent bookers and music industry pros from around the way and across the world.

This year we are welcoming our partners from Pitch Scotland along with more international delegates to be announced.

Tickets available NOW for the showcase!

Featuring: J Chinnasz, from Ottawa Taapz, from Ottawa Shim In The Cut, from Ottawa Maeesha, from Ottawa Vince the Messenger, from Toronto by way of PEl Lamaya, from Scotland UK Beaugé, from Ottawa now in Toronto Emma Gabriel, from Ottawa Maky Lavender, from Montreal With CircaBeatz providing the soundtrack to your night.

If you would like to be more involved in with the Cranium Arts Project, consider joining our volunteer team! Application link here: https://forms.gle/fTVXphiCnfGtGTEd7.

Participating youth can sign up for two out of four mini master classes (50-minute workshops) offered by King Kimbit, Spin El Poeta, Jozy & TBD!

FRI, APR 11 @ 151 W Cordova St ALL STAR SHOWCASE – Doors: 12:00 PM | Show: 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM

King Kimbit (Ottawa), Spin El Poeta (Toronto), and Jozy (Vancouver) wow us with a display of poetics on a workshop-style stage.

2025, April 10-12 Hullabaloo is BC’s Youth Spoken Word Festival featuring workshops, showcase performances and some of BC’s finest high school-aged poets all sharing work for peers and audiences alike. The festival is a forum where youth tell their stories, explore the issues that matter to them, and connect with poets from across British Columbia to form a community of writers.

School teams come together to compete in slams, learn from workshops, and witness great feature poets. Events at the festival include a two-day poetry slam tournament, mini master classes with professional poets, the ever-popular All Star Slam showcase, and the Hullabaloo Finals with an incredible headlining artist. Schools from around the province are invited to attend.

For Hullabaloo information and requests please contact the Youth Coordinator at wordplay@vancouverpoetryhouse.com.

The Empathizer:

A documentary following a stand-up comic who heads to the motherland to learn why young overseas-born Vietnamese immigrants are returning in waves to the same country their parents fled. Fifty years after the end of the Fall of Saigon, The Empathizer is a uniquely candid exploration of the effects of wartime trauma on a generation that wasn't around to experience it.

Q&A to follow with director Fred Le and Chris Burton.

Directed by Fred Le. 59 minutes.

Executive Producer: King Kimbit. Learn more at https://www.empathizerdoc.com/