OUR STORY
House of Culture is a not for profit organization established to represent culture driven creatives in their expression of high-quality presentations through community stakeholder engagements.​ Our goal is to protect the legacy of our Caribbean artistic heritage by scouting for and promoting the development of creative and innovative talents through activities within the Canadian Caribbean cultural fraternity.​We are intent on developing and supporting an industry where cultural practitioners across the carnival cultural
value chain can be engaged year-round.
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Caribbean Culture is one of the pillars of Canadian life. Significant numbers of Caribbean people have immigrated to Canada and continued the cultural
traditions of their homelands within Canada through multi-language
expressions of French, English, Spanish, and Créole.
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These diverse communities are seeking to have their own cultural
expressions and presentations become part of the artistic offerings
that contribute to the development of their communities as well as to the
economic impact of tourism within Canada. Caribbean music, events, and
festivals, including Carnival expressions and presentations are regular
and highly visible fixtures of the summer cultural calendar of several
Canadian urban centers, notably in Toronto and Montreal.
Preservation of the distinct heritage of these cultural and artistic
offerings is important to the invaluable contributions of the
diverse Caribbean community. This is why we've assembled
House of Culture a non-profit organization mandated to
provide knowledgeable guidance to broaden the options
and opportunities for creators in the cultural sector. A
vision to fully integrate culture and creativity through
strategies and plans with respect to cultural and
economic development around the Caribbean culture.
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MISSION
To develop an organization that produces cultural events and activities through the promotion of the artistic skills of the Caribbean community while sustaining and preserving the Cultural heritage through partnerships with community groups and individuals for the creation of a wow factor and make the difference.
VISION
A Community of Caribbean Culture driven practitioners excelling in the presentation of their carnival arts with high rewards.
OUR TEAM
Our seasoned event professionals and production managers offer a professional, world class approach to branding and presentations. We also possess a wealth of international experience in all aspects of cultural presentations with over 50+ years of collective experience in Costume Design, Production, Choreography, Stage Management, Festival, and Parade Management.
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GERARD WEEKES
JOAN PIERRE
MARLON PERRY
PRESIDENT
DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR
SHERRY DARDAINE
DIRECTOR
MICHELLE PURVILLE
DIRECTOR
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Why HOC?There is a need to transcend these cultural expressions in other Municipalities where these traditions and conventional artforms can provide an economic impact on these communities. House of Culture embraces the opportunity to develop new initiatives for the showcasing of our rich cultural heritage, to nurture its true potential locally in an effort to sustain its vibrancy to ensure the maintenance of its legacy. We are missioned to develop the production of workshops and symposiums to engage the Caribbean/Canadian creators and designers interested in learning and understanding the need to transform and present our various artforms into a high-quality spectacle. Along with providing opportunities for new talents to express their skills via other forms of creative cultural activities.
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What industry?Cultural Tourism is considered one of the top forms of economic development in most countries. The Canadian market consists of many urban cities and counties seeking to include Caribbean-style Carnival expressions and presentations as a visible fixture in their summer cultural calendar. The Caribbean culture consists of many artistic genres widely sort after for their colourful and unique expressions. Existing organizations chartered with the responsibility to administrate these expressions have not been able to successfully present the artforms in the desired forum to deliver its true quality. There is a unique opportunity to develop an organization comprising community members and stakeholder groups interested in promoting cultural activities year-round through community engagement.