15 years ago we opened our doors to 14 organizations with a simple idea about sharing. Since then, we’ve seen over 5000 social innovators call CSI home. On Friday, May 31 we celebrate those 5000 amazing, creative, innovative social entrepreneurs who have helped us grow by hosting BLOOM. In addition to those familiar faces, BLOOM will also feature five other creative people at the top of their game.
Natalie’s work wins awards, grows audiences, and introduces people to the thing they often end up loving most in the world. She’s the author of two books: DOOM: Love Poems for Supervillains, and Thumbscrews. She recently finished writing a video game about wanton destruction, adorable gore, and gardening. Her first novel — Hench — will be published next year by William Morrow. (The book is dedicated to the plight of hench-people: the downtrodden and often expendable employees of supervillains.)
Find her online: On her robust Twitter timeline
Find her at BLOOM: Writing personalized short-short stories for attendees, about life in the year 2034.
Josh is a Toronto-based cartoonist and illustrator. He spends most of his time drawing goblins, vampires, professional wrestlers, and other subjects of serious import. Previous clients include Slate, Dartmouth University, and Seven Days Magazine. When not doodling, he helps run arts and literacy-oriented educational programming through the organization Story Planet. His graphic novel, The Secret Adventures of Felix Pinn won the The Center for Cartoon Studies Book Proposal Contest.
Find him online: On his charming Instagram feed
Find him at BLOOM: Doing personalized illustrations for attendees, about life in the year 2034.
Influenced by jazz, world folk songs, and hip-hop, Jazz Money turn heads with their unique and infectious sound. Though they began as a street band, nowadays Jazz Money can be heard in venues all over the city as a jazz trio or hip-hop sextet. With a collaborative hip-hop album in the works featuring some of Canada’s finest MCs, they’re committed to reaching for new artistic heights while remaining a versatile band suitable for any occasion.
Find them online: At Bandcamp, where you can download their albums!
Find them at BLOOM: Setting the mood
Miranda Tempest has been a professional aerial performer for ten years. She has trained and worked with artists from around the world has toured as an aerialist internationally. Early on, Miranda decided to follow a less traditional path within the world of aerial performance, and has since performed in some of Canada’s edgiest underground events as well as within the upper echelons of corporate and private parties. Miranda is the producer of the “Nerdgasm” cabaret series.
Find her online: In this Youtube featurette
Find her at BLOOM: In the air
DJ Steph Honey is an emerging, versatile Toronto-based DJ. The art of bringing music to the world is something that run in her veins; she is the daughter of a DJ who devoted himself to the long hours of digging for new and obscure records, honing his skills and developing a personal relationship with music. From the example of her father and other mentors, DJ Steph Honey learned a love of music that understands its limitlessness.
Find her online: On her Soundcloud
Find her at BLOOM: Filling the dance floor.
There is still time to get tickets to this amazing party! We can’t wait to see you there.
