NATIONAL commits to the Fabienne Colas Foundation to make Black communities talents shine in Canada
NATIONAL Public Relations commits to the Fabienne Colas Foundation to support and promote a dozen events and initiatives featuring Black and visible minority communities across Canada throughout 2021.
Activities begin with three festivals held in February, during the Black History Month: the Toronto Black Film Festival, the Fondu au Noir/Fade to Black festival in Montreal and the Halifax Black Film Festival; as well as Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada program, which allows 18- to 30-year-old filmmakers, from Black communities in Montreal, Toronto and Halifax, to create 10-minute documentaries under the tutelage of industry experts with professional equipment and dedicated mentorship.
President of the foundation that bears her name and founder of numerous events celebrating Black history and cultures, in Canada and elsewhere, Fabienne Colas points out: “The involvement of the business community and a leading firm like NATIONAL in supporting our overall mission is a testament to the social change that is underway in Canada. Our allies are stepping forward and making a commitment to concretely support the visibility of Black communities, their stories, their talents and their achievements. I deeply believe that these actions are amplifying our voices and impact and will make a difference in the eyes of all Canadians.”
Martin Daraiche, president of NATIONAL Public Relations, adds: “At NATIONAL, we want to give a voice to what matters. We mobilize people in reflection and action, and this is also what the Fabienne Colas Foundation does by promoting a cultural wealth that is both diverse and strong. Our strategic expertise and support in media relations and social media management will help ensure that the Foundation’s initiatives are widely seen, heard and shared. This project speaks to our core values by promoting diversity and inclusion in the communities in which we work daily across the country.”
Over the course of 2021, in addition to continuing to organize the Festival Haiti en Folie (in Montreal in July) and the Montreal International Black Film Festival (in September), the Fabienne Colas Foundation will expand its activities into three other cities in Canada, namely Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver, along with developing other initiatives that will showcase the talent of members of Canada’s diverse communities.
About The Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF)
The Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF) is a not-for-profit cultural organization dedicated to building bridges and advancing education through the arts as well as to support the creation, production, promotion and dissemination of cinema, the arts and culture in Canada and elsewhere. To fulfill its mission, the Foundation put together 9 festivals and programs, particularly Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada, to break barriers, celebrate diversity, foster togetherness, understanding and inclusion. Since its inception in 2005, its initiatives/festivals have showcased and supported over 3,000 artists and attracted over 2 million festivalgoers in Canada, the USA, Haiti and Brazil. The Foundation mostly promotes Black culture in Montréal, Toronto, Halifax, New York City et Salvador de Bahia (Brazil); and Quebec culture in Port-au-Prince.
About NATIONAL
NATIONAL Public Relations connects clients to the people who matter most; delivering the right message, at the right time. Grounded in research, insight and deep sector understanding, we bring together teams of discipline experts from across our network to provide creative communications solutions that move people in thought and actions. For 45 years, NATIONAL has been at the centre of issues and industries that matter, leading change for today and tomorrow.
NATIONAL is Canada’s leading public relations firm, servicing clients across a wide range of sectors, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax and St. John’s. NATIONAL’s service offering also includes NATIONAL Capital Markets, the industry’s foremost investor relations and financial services communications practice. NATIONAL Public Relations is an AVENIR GLOBAL company, among the top 15 largest communication firms in the world with offices in 23 locations across Canada, the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, and part of RES PUBLICA Consulting Group. NATIONAL is affiliated internationally with public relations firm BCW, a WPP company.