Eric Gabriel, spoken word poet performing for On Cue's extravaganza for Northgate’s 60th anniversary

Culture Days with On Cue at Northgate

For Culture Days 2026 at Northgate Mall, On Cue Performance Hub has organized a wide array of arts and cultural engagement opportunities open to everyone in the community for free. Six dance workshops featuring a diverse array of dance styles, three visual arts workshops, two days of spoken word poetry workshops, an open mic night, the reading of a brand new play by a local artist and the reading of multiple plays by the award winning Canadian playwright, Kevin Loring.

On Cue Performance Hub has been fortunate to develop an ongoing sponsorship relationship with Northgate Mall. They provide On Cue with free workshop and rehearsal space and On Cue helps to animate this space and the mall with lively arts activities, most recently in the context of the Mall's 60th anniversary celebration in November 2025.

Event Schedule

Sep 19

Day 1 - Sep 19

A public preview of a performance to be performed for Residential School Survivors On September 30, 2026.

Sep 20

Day 2 - Sep 20

Visual artist and educator Danielle Dumelie will offer a series of three two-hour workshops. Azura, Annissa, and special guest dancers will teach the art of raks sharqui (better known as belly dance)!

Sep 24

Day 3 - Sep 24

In anticipation of Orange Shirt Day, award winning N'lakap'mux playwright, Kevin Loring, will read from his play, Where the Blood Mixes, which focuses on the experience and impacts of residential schools.

Sep 25

Day 4 - Sep 25

A public preview of a performance to be performed for Residential School Survivors On September 30, 2026.

Sep 26

Day 5 - Sep 26

Visual artist and educator Danielle Dumelie will offer a series of three two-hour workshops focused on giving participants an opportunity to explore multiple visual arts media and complete three small projects in each of these media.
Eddy Alvaro, co-creator, instructor and MC along with instructor Laura Milliigen, both with the street dance collective Vibes YQR will lead a demonstration and street styles workshop to introduce the basics of a few different styles over the course of two hours.

Sep 27

Day 6 - Sep 27

Flany invites participants to explore African approaches to learning. Drawing inspiration from Malian traditions of embodied knowledge and apprenticeship, participants will learn simple movement sequences by watching, doing, practicing, and learning from one another.
Visual artist and educator Danielle Dumelie will offer a series of three two-hour workshops focused on giving participants an opportunity to explore multiple visual arts media and complete three small projects in each of these media.

Sep 28

Day 7 - Sep 28

A monthly gathering of playwrights, theatre people and others interested in the development of new dramatic work for stage, screen and new media. Writers bring drafts of their work in progress to be read by professional actors, and the reading is followed by responses and feedback from other participants.

Sep 30

Day 8 - Sep 30

This performance of Have You Seen nikosis? is a remounting of a new work created by an artist collective commissioned in 2024 by On Cue Performance Hub to create a response to racism and colonization as part of a year long program called Recreating Community Together.

Oct 2

Day 9 - Oct 2

Curious about Latin dances? Join Regina Salseros for a fun class sampler and learn the basics of salsa and bachata. Get a taste of the rhythms, movements, and energy that make these dances so much fun!

Oct 3

Day 10 - Oct 3

Northgate Mall will feature a day-long craft and vendor market with displays and demonstrations throughout the mall.
As an award-winning classical dancer, artistic director, and founder of Nirvana Dance Creations, Mohana Das will bring a broad knowledge of Indian classical and contemporary dance forms to this two-hour workshop.
Spoken word poet Eric Gabriel will offer two, two-hour workshops for people interested in experimenting with spoken word poetry.

Oct 4

Day 11 - Oct 4

Spoken word poet Eric Gabriel will offer two, two-hour workshops for people interested in experimenting with spoken word poetry.
Subtle Practice is a somatic improvisation approach inspired by Daoist philosophy. I-Ying Wu will invite participants to slow down, tune in, and rediscover improvisation as a natural, embodied way of being.

The highlight of this offering of arts activities for the whole family will be an opening teaser event and the live performance of Have You Seen nikosis? for the observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

Organized by the Residential School Survivors Circle and performed at Resurrection Roman Catholic Parish Hall, this performance by Jadav Cyr, Eric Gabriel and I-Ying Wu (originally created for On Cue Performance Hub's 2024-2025 season) focuses on the experience of a little Indigenous boy who becomes lost and is raised by buffalo. His experience parallels that of survivors. When he returns to his community he does not speak the language or understand his people's cultural practices or way of life.

The performance highlights the intergenerational trauma experienced by Indigenous families, but it also points to a better way forward. This will be a gripping and uplifting performance not to be missed.

On Cue's Culture Days at Northgate marks the beginning of On Cue Performance Hub's 2026-2027 season of multi-disciplinary and multicultural events, productions, workshops and activities that will run through June 2027.

People of all abilities are welcome and encouraged to attend these events.

The Have You Seen nikosis? performance will be accompanied by surtitles and online events may be enjoyed wherever an internet connection is available.

All Northgate and Resurrection Parish spaces are fully wheelchair accessible and ample parking is available.