BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.0.1//EN TZID:America/Toronto X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Toronto BEGIN:VEVENT UID:749@epilepsytoronto.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210326T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210326T170000 DTSTAMP:20260109T203305Z URL:https://epilepsytoronto.org/event/the-power-of-purple-purple-day-live- stream-event/ SUMMARY:The Power of Purple - Purple Day Live Stream Event DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="7664" im g_size="Full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_co lumn_text]This Purple Day\, we invite you to join us for a special celebra tion\, live on Facebook\, with an amazing host\, special guests\, shared s tories and creative performances by artists living with epilepsy.\n\nThis broadcast will also feature videos by YOU! Enter your video into our Power of Purple Video Contest for a chance to win $1000 and to have your video shared during our live Purple Day Broadcast.  Click HERE to learn more ab out the contest and your chance to win.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_r ow][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\nABOUT OUR HOST:\n[/vc_column_text] [/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image ="7655" img_size="Full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2 /3"][vc_column_text]Mat Ricardo is\, according to The Scotsman\, “Undoub tedly one of the greatest variety artists working today”.\n\nHis thirty- plus year career has seen him travel the worlds theatres\, cabaret clubs a nd festivals\, advancing and redefining his artform to become one of the m ost critically acclaimed and successful speciality acts there is\,. He is\ , to quote the London Evening Standard\, “Breathtaking”. He also happe ns to have had the experience of living with epilepsy.\n\nHe has performed cabaret in virtually every place where it can be performed\, in all corne rs of the globe\, including repeat residencies in such iconic venues as Th e Royal Albert Hall\, The Savoy Hotel and Hollywood’s Magic Castle\, and more than once\, privately\, for members of the British Royal Family. He is the only variety artist to win the Herald Angel award for excellence in theatre.\n\n“Terrific humour and genuine skill. The showman deserves yo ur applause” – The Guardian\n\nAlongside his performing work\, he is a TEDx speaker\, an ambassador for the mental health non-profit “Mental I deas” and a co-host of the accompanying radio show. For two years he was a regular columnist for the British comedy website Chortle\, writing abou t subjects as diverse as depression and creativity\, gender\, internet tro lls and originality\, he has also contributed pieces for Time Out\, The Ma gic Circular and the Huffington Post\, and still maintains his own widely- read blog. An experienced interviewer\, Mat has chatted to some of the big gest stars of comedy and entertainment live on stage for the BBC\, The Nat ional Theatre\, and in several West End theatres.\n\nFrom 2020\, the pande mic inspired him to start creating regular new work for his YouTube channe l.\n\nYou can watch a short film about his work here\n\nAnd enjoy him on a recent episode of America’s Got talent\, here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_col umn][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\nABOUT THE PERFORMERS:\n[ /vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_si ngle_image image="7652" img_size="Full"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3" ][vc_column_text]\nIsabel Estrada was born in Guatemala and moved to Toron to in 2010 to pursue a career in dance. She graduated with a BFA in Dance (Cum Laude) from York University\, Toronto in 2014.\nShe has performed int ernationally in works by Laurie Johnson\, Andrea Siekavizza\, Ruben Ornela s\, Victoria Mata\, Holly Small\, Darcey Callison\, Carol Anderson and Joh n Henry Gerena.  In 2013 she participated in “Rite Redux” as a member of the York Dance Ensemble. She considers this one of the most challengin g and rewarding experiences of her artistic career.\nShe performed in Alej andro Ronceria’s “Amalgama”\, as part of the 2015 PanAm games\, and was “The face of Guatemala” in Young World Faces of PanAm by photograp her Robert Young.  She is a member of contemporary dance collectives The Pack  and Fight Like A Girl\, and continues to be invited as a guest teac her in universities and dance studios in Guatemala City.\nIsabel has over 10 years of teaching experience in the areas of ballet\, jazz\, tap\, hip hop\, contemporary\, acrobatics and creative dance. She works with childre n\, youth and adults.\nCurrently Isabel is writing a book supported by her university thesis which draws on her experience in dance since she was di agnosed with epilepsy in 2013. The book will include real life stories and Isabel’s own reflections on the experiences she’s had since she was d iagnosed with epilepsy and how these have influenced her personal life and artistic career.  Click HERE to learn more about Isabel's journey with e pilepsy.\n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=" 2/3"][vc_column_text]Jen Simpson is a singer/songwriter and the front woma n for Toronto based band Neon Bloom and her solo act\, Kit Vale. She is al so a writer\, crime buff\, and visual artist. Jen experienced adult-onset epilepsy along with other health issues\, and since then has found many wa ys to cope with her seizures and authentically rebuild her life. Neon Bloo m will be performing the song “Take”\, which was written at the beginn ing of Jen’s health struggles. While not explicitly about her experience with epilepsy\, the song is about the loss that comes with illness and th e many strains and difficulties it may create within relationships.[/vc_co lumn_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="7654" img_size="Full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_colum n width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="7662" img_size="Full" alignment="cen ter"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Steve “Bruce” Brunton is a musician\, artist and animator living and working in Toronto\ , Ontario. He was diagnosed with epilepsy just over three years ago and ha s struggled to control his seizures since then\, but this has not stopped him from working\, making art and creating music. He’s very excited abou t the opportunity to share his work with such a supportive community and h opes to inspire others to keep going and keep fighting despite how difficu lt things may get. He will be presenting a self-produced animated music vi deo for a previously unreleased song from his upcoming album.\n\nTo learn more about Steve's journey with epilepsy\, click HERE.[/vc_column_text][/v c_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This event is being p ut on as a collaboration between Epilepsy Toronto\,  EpLink\, and Krembil Research Institute.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_colu mn width="2/3"][vc_column_text]Special thanks to OBI for their support o f this year’s Epilepsy Awareness Month and Purple Day activities.[/vc_co lumn_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="7520" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" link="https://br aininstitute.ca/"][/vc_column][/vc_row] ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://epilepsytoronto.org/wp-content/uploads/2 021/03/Purple-Day-Live-Stream-Event_Web-banner.jpg LOCATION:Facebook Live Event\, \, Canada X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=\, Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=10 0;X-TITLE=Facebook Live Event:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20210314T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR