Tamla Matthews

Hons Sc, B.Ed, OCT,

Tamla Matthews is a professional artist, administrator, and educator with an expertise in cultural arts and a passion for blossoming art based communities. As a dancer and choreographer Tamla has performed on numerous local and international stages. Her passion for all things Caribbean and family oriented gave birth to Roots And Branches, her dance focused children's cultural arts program. Eight years later Roots and Branches is a vital hub for Caribbean Canadian children and their families to create community by learning about dance, music, culture and community using Caribbean artforms. Tamla's lifelong contribution to the Canadian Black dance community was recognized by Robert Small on his 2015 Black History Legacy poster. In 2016, she was recognized and awarded by Hibiscus United of Trinidad and Tobago for promoting dance to the youth in our community. Other recent awards include 2017 GTA's Got Talent Best Dance Crew Award, 2016 Praise Him Festival best dance in the junior and senior divisions.

In addition to being the current Director Of the Roots And Branches Children's Dance and the Artistic Director Of the Caribbean Dance Theatre Company, Tamla is also the former Executive Director Of Drum Artz Canada, and was the Children's Programs Manager for Scarborough Arts . She has curated a number exhibitions and gallery shows for The Scarborough Bluffs Gallery including Akwaaba, Scarborough Arts first Black History month themed exhibition, and Unsung Sheroes, a month long International Women's Day community based program including community forums, lunch and learns and paint classes. Her school focussed cultural arts program Kaleidoscope, delivered over 250 art based workshops to 500+ Scarborough students in over 30 classrooms and community organizations in Scarborough
Tamla is passionate about community-based work and spent 3 years on the Toronto Arts Council Community Projects committee amplifying this perspective. Passionate about most things chocolate related, Tamla strives for at least one good belly laugh daily and believes in the transformational power of awkward conversations. She is currently the Operations Lead Manager at Nia Centre for the Arts, and insists that the role of the arts is to celebrate life, build community and maximize human potential.