Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts

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Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts

Annual labour arts festival presenting projects that further our struggles for better working and living conditions. May 1-31. Explore our 2025 program!

https://linktr.ee/mayworks

05/26/2026

Check out the final week of Mayworks programming!

05/18/2026

This week! We’re screening Sugar Island this Friday, May 22, from 7:00–9:00pm.

Sugar Island (2024), directed by Johanné Gómez Terrero () immerses us in the Dominican Republic’s sugarcane fields, where Makenya, a Dominican-Haitian teenager, navigates an unexpected pregnancy and the harsh labor that defines her world.

RSVP at the link in bio or at www.mayworks.ca

The screening is followed by a discussion with Magdalee Brunache, and Cynthia Roberts-Pérez, moderated by Pamela Arancibia. The discussion will focuss on the history of the island nation’s sugar plantations, the evolution from slave labour to the Batey system, and current labour organizing within this exploitative sector. It will also delve into the director’s artistic approach.

05/16/2026

Mayworks is made possible through the support of the union, arts, and labour community. We’re incredibly grateful for the funding from arts councils and contributions from the unions.

We acknowledge the support of , and the .Council for the Arts.

Our lead presenting partners for our 2026 Festival are and .

Many thanks to our festival partners and supporters, as well as our media sponsors, , , , and

Mayworks is proud to be supported by the labour community.

Illustration from may works 2026 poster artist, .Abusitta

05/06/2026

THIS WEEK! Join us for a screening of 'True North' this Friday May 8 at the United Steelworkers Hall: www.eventbrite.ca/e/1986237424605?aff=oddtdtcreator

Directed by Michèle Stephenson, 'True North' tells the story of systemic discrimination through archival footage and intimate interviews from former student protestors as well as the West Indians who migrated north seeking opportunity and refuge.

This film is a testament to the courage and need for collectivist power.

Presented with Caribbean Solidarity Network, Community Engaged Learning, and Caribbean Studies UofT

05/02/2026

What is the significance of the month of May as the namesake of our festival? To address this question, we must dive deeper into a few critical junctures. Head to our website to read more: www.mayworks.ca/why-may-mayworks-history/

04/29/2026

Created by Roann Enriquez with Anakbayan Toronto, Carabao depicts the trials and tribulations of a Filipino family across borders, from Manila and Cabuyao City to Toronto and Thunder Bay.

Join us Friday May 8 and Saturday May 9 for a read-through at Tarragon Theatre!

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1986233442695?aff=oddtdtcreator

04/23/2026

Join us on Saturday May 2 for the Opening Reception of 'Every Worker Should Have Equal Labour Rights' at Charles Street Video.

📆 Saturday May 2
🕗 6:00–9:00pm
📍 76 Geary Ave
📩 RSVP mayworks.ca/project/every-worker-should-have-equal-labour-rights-exhibition/

A group exhibition curated by Nima Esmailpour. Each artist, working across different media, critically engages with the lived experiences of working people, drawing connections across histories of labour injustice and worker-led resistance in the Global South.

Co-presented with Charles Street Video

We are grateful for the support of the Ontario Arts Council Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario, which we will be sharing and celebrating during the opening reception.

04/21/2026

Join us for May Day and the Mayworks 2026 Festival Launch on May 1!

The night will include live music by Parallel Play Collective and a panel discussion inviting labour activists and organizers to address the issue of global supply chains and the power we have to disrupt them.

RSVP: mayworks.ca/project/2026-mayworks-festival-launch/

📆 Friday, May 1
🕗 6:30–9:00pm (Doors at 6pm)
📍 United Steelworkers Hall

04/17/2026

Join us for May Day and the Mayworks 2026 Festival Launch on May 1!

The night will include live music by Parallel Play Collective () and a panel discussion inviting labour activists and organizers to address the issue of global supply chains and the power we have to disrupt them.

Link in bio to RSVP

📆 Friday, May 1
🕗 6:30–9:00pm (Doors at 6pm)
📍 United Steelworkers Hall

Speakers include Jody Chan (No Arms in the Arts), Mostafa Heneway (Immigrant Rights Network), Radhika Desai (Geopolitical Economy Research Group), moderated by Moe Alqasem (Labour for Palestine).

02/11/2026

Join The Toronto Workers History Project online for a gripping look at the rise (and demise) of the Canadian Seamen’s Union, and the explosive 1949 strike that shook waterfronts from Halifax to Vancouver.

Tuesday February 17th, 6:00pm
More details and register: https://bit.ly/3OiM06g

Featuring:
– Research and insights shared by Benjamin Anderson (University College Dublin).
– Excerpts from Betrayed, the powerful documentary by Elaine Brière, which captures the voices and legacy of the seamen who fought back.

If you care about labour history and the lessons it still holds for today, you won’t want to miss this one.

Address

25 Cecil Street
Toronto, ON
M5T1N1

Website

http://mayworks.ca/

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