Kapisanan receives Laidlaw funding

Kapisanan receives Laidlaw funding

The Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture recently received a $42,000 grant from the Laidlaw Foundation. The youth- focused non-profit organization will use the money to implement a project that will formalize its Filipino language and history programs and create a drop-in arts and culture program for its members.

Kapisanan executive director Caroline Mangosing sees the project as an opportunity for mentorship. “This grant will really help us strengthen our internal operations at the same time allowing us to help young people develop professionally,” she said. She will hire and train two youth coordinators to help manage the project.

This has not been the first time that the Ontario-based private foundation has awarded funds to the organization. Laidlaw has helped finance other Kapisanan projects in the past. “Laidlaw has supported us for the last three rounds of funding and each time their support has increased. We are very grateful to them. The Laidlaw Foundation is a progressive and inclusive youth arts funder,” said Mangosing.

In the three years that Kapisanan has had a presence in downtown Toronto, it has provided the community with arts and cultural events with a specific Filipino Canadian bent. They recently concluded a critical Filipino history workshop that ran for nine weeks. This summer they mounted an original theatre production, Baggage at the Toronto Fringe Festival. In August they held their third annual Kultura festival, an extravaganza of food, music, dancing, performances and exhibits at their Kensington Market-based facility and Belleview Square park. At any time, there could be several workshops and events being planned or held at the space.

The large grant is proof that the fledgling organization plays an important role in the arts and culture sector. “Kapisanan fills a need within the community and there are people willing to back it up financially,” Mangosing explained.

(PRESS RELEASE)