International HIV educational program Hip Hop vs. HIV (Elephriends Productions Montreal), with the help of community partners Toronto Community Housing and Regent Park Community Centre, is hosting two events this week to raise awareness among youth about HIV and AIDS.

On Monday, August 14 at 6:00 pm there will be a HIV education and prevention workshop for youth at Regent Park Community Centre (South). Various Toronto-based HIV education organizations will discuss how they can be accessed as community resources and some of the issues that have led to the dramatic increase of HIV in Ontario.

The workshop will also launch a week-long project that will bring young artists from Toronto and Montreal together to join forces in creating a free “Hip-Hopera” concert to be performed at the North Regent Park Baseball Field (behind the Saint Cyril church, North of Sackville & Dundas Sts.) on Saturday, August 19, at 8:00 pm. The free concert will use the Hip Hop elements of Graffiti, Break Dancing, and Spoken Word to promote HIV education and prevention.

Hip Hop vs. HIV seeks to effectively prevent HIV through participatory community action in the arts. It is a popular educational program, created by Rodrigo Ardiles in Montreal. It uses “Hip Hop” music and culture to engage youth in their and others’ education about HIV and AIDS. Hip Hop vs. HIV is supported by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). UNESCO works to promote collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter through international project, programs and awards.

Toronto Community Housing is the largest social housing provider in Canada. It is home to about 164,000 low and moderate-income tenants in 58,500 households, including seniors, families, singles, refugees, recent immigrants to Canada and people with special needs.


For more information:
Taiwo Bah
Youth Events Communications Liaison
Toronto Community Housing
(416) 981-4344; M: (416) 896-2169

Jean-Philippe Vezina
Communications francophones L'OBNL les Productions Elephriends et la coopérative de travail
(514) 341-5395