Mentorship is at the heart of Alison Duke's artistic career
January 22, 2020
If you see a need, fill it.
That’s exactly what Alison Duke did by creating ‘Black Youth! Pathway 2 Industry’ to support young Black film, television and digital media graduates who are unable to find employment after completing post-secondary studies.
When the program was launched in 2018, just eight per cent of the participants had meaningful jobs.
“Most of them were in factory and fast food jobs,” said Duke who was the recipient of the Mentorship Award presented at the Women in Film & Television-Toronto (WIFT) 32nd annual Crystal Awards Gala. “By the end of the first year, over 90 per cent found employment in the field they had studied in and 81 per cent added at least one film credit to their resume. That was amazing.
“If we are saying we are committed to diversity and diverse storytelling, we have to be committed to supporting the growth and development of talent from those communities. Black and Indigenous talent is constantly left behind in the workplace, especially women and it doesn’t have to be this way. We can all open doors for others no matter where we are.”
A firm believer that success begins the moment you start to give back, the artistic activist and award-winning filmmaker has been pouring her heart and soul into her community for over two decades.
“I have had many mentors throughout the years, enough for me to know that mentorship is at the heart of my career,” noted Duke who has a Master’s of Science degree in Human Kinetics from the University of Windsor and a Master’s in Film Production from York University. “For me, mentorship means sharing knowledge, experience and yourself with others. We are in an industry where we are telling stories about people, so why do we not want to share? Whenever people ask me what I get out of it, my response always is that I am indebted to my community and I get to steal some talent along the way.”
Nataline Rodrigues produced ‘A Deathly Silence’ that Duke – who teaches an introduction to Single Camera Production course at Ryerson University -- directed.
First aired on CBC TV in 2003, the documentary follows Segun Farquharson’s mother – Julia Farquharson -- as she tries to come to grips with the 2001 murder of her son who was gunned down in a Rexdale parking lot near his home.
“Even in the earliest days when I worked with Alison, she identified people in the community that couldn’t only tell their stories, but could also participate,” said Rodrigues who is Rogers Media Director of Original Programming. “We had Production Assistants, Assistant Directors and young actors who were given opportunities they would never have before.”
Over the years, Duke has inspired the careers of renowned creators including Dawn Wilkinson who directed Episode 5 – Stronger than my Rival -- of the sixth season of ‘Empire’ which is an American musical drama television series on Fox, and Director X.
“I have known Alison from way back when I was getting in the game,” X said. “We knew that we were in a game that they weren’t always looking for us. She has always been part of leadership in the community looking out for the next generation. I wouldn’t be here if it was not for her and the things she did.”
Duke produced the Akua Benjamin Legacy digital web series project in 2016 that celebrates the work of six deceased community activists in Toronto and Canada’s Black community. They are former Dominica Prime Minister Rosie Douglas, Marlene Green, Dudley Laws, Charles Roach and husband and wife Lennie and Gwen Johnston.
Douglas was one of the leaders of the Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) two-week sit-in, Green founded the Black Education Project in the late 1960s which was a lightning rod for Black activism, Laws was considered the most powerful militant voice in Toronto’s African-Canadian community for nearly four decades, Roach -- a Canadian resident for 57 years -- died without becoming a citizen because of his refusal to pledge allegiance to the Queen which is a requirement for all citizenship candidates over the age of 14 and the Johnston’s co-owned Third World Books & Crafts on Bathurst St. that was a popular meeting place for Blacks from Canada and around the world.
Inspired by Ava Duvernay, #Metoo and the reality that opportunities for Black women behind the camera in Canada are limited, Duke -- who has juried national film initiatives and programmed films for international festivals -- hired five Black female directors to helm the films.
Ngardy Conteh George wrote, directed and edited ‘Dudley Speaks for Me’ which was part of the project to mark five decades of Black activism in the city.
“In 2016, I received a career development grant from the Ontario Arts Council and, without hesitation, chose Alison to be my mentor,” said Conteh George who graduated in 2001 with a Film & Television degree from the University of New Orleans which she attended on a track & field scholarship.
Ngardy Conteh George (l) presented the award to Alison Duke (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
The former Bell Media freelance Video Editor and Duke collaborated to produce ‘Mr. Jane & Finch’ that was aired on CBC TV last February. The feature documentary tells the story of octogenarian Winston LaRose who has been a long-time activist for residents in the Jane & Finch community.
The creative artists also joined forces to form Oya Media Group in November 2018. The Black-owned and women-led production company, which has post-production facilities, aims to develop and produce fiction and non-fiction content for television, digital platforms, commercial and educational distribution.
“With our shared vision, creative ethic and desire to make high quality productions that illuminate the Black Canadian experience, we knew that this was a perfect venture,” said Sierra Leone-born Conteh George who founded Mattru Media Inc. in 2004. “Creative and passionate with a deep understanding of the storytelling process, Alison has shown that there is room for all of us at all levels, that our voices matter and there’s honour in lifting others.”
Freelance film producer and production manager Fonna Seidu has also benefitted from Duke’s mentorship.
“She has created a legacy for herself, not only through the content that she has created, but also in the hearts and minds of the young people she continues to mentor and believe in,” added Seidu.
Starting out as a producer in 1996 at a chic music video production facility that created music videos for several Canadian urban music artists, including Nelly Furtado, Citizen Kane and K-os, Duke was a Segment Producer at CHUM Television where she worked as a senior producer on the Gemini-nominated documentary TV series, ‘Sex TV’. Her first feature documentary, ‘Raisin’ Kane’, was released in 2001.
The founder of Goldelox Productions, that produces entertainment content for broadcast and corporate industries, and director of ‘Cool Black North’ -- a two-hour TV documentary special for Citytv/Rogers -- is currently directing a short drama, ‘Disclosure’, and producing Laurie Townshend’s feature documentary, ‘Mothering in the Movement’, that affirms the vital role Black mothers play in forging a world in which their children not only matter, but flourish.
