ARC World, a dynamic one-day festival celebrating Asian heritage, is coming to downtown Toronto this Saturday, presented by the Asian Roots Collective at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Kerr Hall. This highly anticipated event is poised to offer a rich tapestry of food, music, art, and entertainment. Organizer Clement Chu envisions ARC World as a beacon for people from all backgrounds, fostering connection and appreciation for Asian culture in all its forms.
The highlight of the festival will be a thrilling celebrity basketball game, featuring Marvel’s own Simu Liu and former Toronto Raptors fan-favorite Jeremy Lin. This captivating athletic showcase promises to be the perfect culmination of a day dedicated to immersive cultural experiences. Throughout the event, attendees can explore a diverse array of traditional Asian cuisines, engage with thought-provoking contemporary art installations, and be inspired by speakers sharing powerful narratives of resilience and triumph.
Clement Chu emphasizes that ARC World goes beyond a simple cultural celebration, focusing instead on universal principles of perseverance and the crucial work of community building. The stories shared at the festival are designed to transcend specific Asian identities, highlighting the universal journey of overcoming challenges and building bridges between diverse communities. A key objective of the event is to inspire young individuals to become active volunteers and contribute positively to their neighborhoods.
The Asian Roots Collective’s remarkable transformation over three decades underscores its commitment to comprehensive community development. What began 30 years ago as the Chinese Canadian Youth Athletic Association, primarily a safe haven for basketball, has evolved into a robust organization. The ARC now operates its own vibrant community center in Markham, Ontario, offering a wide range of programs, including state-of-the-art sports facilities, engaging gaming areas, enriching art programs, and valuable coding classes. The name change to ARC perfectly encapsulates this broader mission, cleverly linking to both the three-point arc in basketball and the idea of a comprehensive narrative arc.
