"Thugs Need Love Too " Community Art Showcase
- ALL AGES
Thugs Need Love Too — born from grief, built through care, and dreamt for community. Love is the through line, the glue, the goal.
Date and time
Location
Taggart Parkes Family Clubhouse - BGC Ottawa
1770 Heatherington Road Ottawa, ON K1V 8T8 CanadaRefund Policy
Agenda
5:00 PM
Doors Open
6:30 PM
Opening Ceremony & Performances
7:30 PM
Final Reflections + Last Tour
8:30 PM
Tear Down & Clean Up
About this event
- Event lasts 3 hours 30 minutes
- ALL AGES
- Free venue parking
Thugs Need Love Too is a community art showcase by community, for community, happening May 31st, 2025, in Heatherington Road , Ottawa’s gem and the nighborhhod I call home.
This event is rooted in the radical idea that love—💛 as food security, dignified housing, land sovereignty, mutual aid, and affection—is not a luxury, but a necessity. Inspired by the plotlines in trap music and hip-hop that often paint love as elusive or irrelevant in the hood, this gathering dares to challenge that narrative: What if love is exactly what we need to survive? What if it’s the glue, the through line, the goal?
We'll come together to share art, food, memory, and music—a space where local artists can yearn, imagine, and build beyond survival. The evening will also feature a community-built ancestral altar 🕯️, performances 🎤, local food by Bon Goût Lakay 🍽️, and tangible resources to support wellness, connection, and care.
This showcase was born from personal grief and collective dreaming. It asks:
Who are we when we're not in pain? Who could we become if love was abundant and survival wasn’t the only goal? 🌱
Frequently asked questions
Thugs Need Love Too is happening at the Boys & Girls Club – 1770 Heatherington Rd, in the neighbourhood I grew up in. It was important to choose a space that feels familiar, accessible, and grounded in community.
Yes! The venue is wheelchair accessible, has washrooms on site, and is close to OC Transpo routes. If you have specific accessibility needs, please reach out — we want to make sure everyone feels safe and supported.
The showcase is pay-what-you-can because accessibility matters. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. If you can afford to give more, those funds will go toward paying local artists, feeding the block, and building a space rooted in love and abundance.
Yes! Catered by Bon Goût Lakay, a Haitian food business run by the mother of Carl Allen (LITO) — a beloved rapper and friend whose memory inspired much of this event. Her food is part of the heart of this space.
A community-built art showcase, a shared altar space to honor those we've lost, performances by local artists, free or low-cost food, access to community resources & vendors. It’s a love letter to the hood and everyone in it.
Absolutely. This is a family-friendly event, though heavy and sensitive topics relating to grief are explored... Elders, youth, and everyone in between are welcome and there will be a grief counsellor present — this is about us, for us, together.
Come as you are. There’s no dress code. Whether you’re pulling up in sneakers or your best dress, you're welcome here.
Yes, but parking at the location is limited. However, there is also parking available in the Herongate Plaza nearby.