TD and Black Artists' Network and Dialogue (BAND) Celebrate Black History Month with Launch of 5th Annual Then & Now series

TORONTO, Jan. 23, 2013 /CNW/ - In celebration of Black History Month, TD presents Then & Now, a series of inspiring cultural events showcasing the many accomplishments of black Canadians, both past and present. This year, Then & Now will feature a lineup of cultural community events, curated in partnership with Black Artists' Network and Dialogue (BAND) and will include films, concerts, exhibitions, and live performances by Canadian and international artists.

Since its inception, TD's Then & Now series has become one of the most prominent cultural Black History Month celebrations in Canada. Now in its fifth consecutive year, Then & Now provides Canadians with an opportunity to learn about the important contributions and achievements of those of African ancestry living in Canada, through a diverse range of programming.

"This year's Then & Now programming has been brilliantly curated, featuring the work of some of Canada's brightest creative minds," said Alan Convery, Senior Manager, Community Relations, TD Bank Group. "TD is a proud supporter of Black History Month, especially through the lens of arts, culture and creativity. The arts have always provided an avenue for cross-cultural understanding."

Some of this year's key programming features include: Harbourfront Centre's Kuumba, a three day celebration of Toronto's African and Caribbean communities, showcasing works by emerging and innovative Canadian and international artists; The Brotha's Concert, produced by Andrew Craig Productions, features 14 of Toronto's Black keyboard players on one stage for a multigenerational exploration of multiple musical genres; and Reggae or Not: The Birth of Dancehall Culture in Jamaica and Toronto, featuring photographs by Beth Lesser documenting the history of reggae and dancehall music and celebrating the history of Jamaican musicians of the 1970s and 1980s.

"Connecting black culture to Canadian communities through the arts is a priority for us at BAND. Through meaningful collaboration with TD, we were able to develop the 2013 Then & Now series- which features 24 multidisciplinary programs, celebrating black arts, culture and heritage. We hope this year's programming will educate and inspire Canadians to deepen their relationship with Canada's black cultural community," states Karen Carter, Chair, BAND.

TD is committed to supporting Canada's diverse communities by approaching multiculturalism though a holistic and inclusive approach. In Canada, TD designates at least 10% of their community sponsorship funds for diversity-related organizations, including BAND. In 2010, TD exceeded this commitment by donating 18.6%, or $6.9 million, to diversity-related organizations.

The Then & Now series will be hosted across Canada, with events taking place in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax. A complete listing of events can be found on the TD Black History Month Then & Now website at www.td.com/thenandnow.

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group (TD). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves approximately 22 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in key financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; Wealth and Insurance, including TD Waterhouse, an investment in TD Ameritrade, and TD Insurance; U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, and TD Auto Finance U.S.; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 8.5 million online customers. TD had CDN$811 billion in assets on October 31, 2012.The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

About Black Artists' Network and Dialogue (BAND)

The Black Artists' Network in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery, located in the Complex at 1 Wilshire Avenue in Toronto, supports, documents and showcases the artistic and cultural contributions of Black artists in Canada and abroad. The BAND Gallery works to encourage dialogue among Black artists, cultural workers and the larger society to inspire, enlighten and educate through the arts. For more information, please visit: http://www.blackartndialog.com.

SOURCE: TD Bank Group