The story comes into FOCUS

The Daniels Spectrum was quiet on the sunny Friday afternoon I spent in the Focus Media offices, editing our interview footage. As I played around with how to order the story, I wondered about what elements were essential to answering our research questions: What role does a community learn-to-DJ class play in facilitating social mixing across Downtown East communities? How does this community DJing class relate to Regent Park’s legacy of music production?   

Over the past few weeks, we have had to adapt to the ups and downs of trying to produce a documentary on a very short timeline. The scope of the story we are trying to tell has expanded or contracted with every scheduled interview, cancelled interview, new work-around, or new contact found. At the heart of the project is still the goal of telling the story of a piece of Regent Park’s music history – how it survives today, is passed down to the next generation, and what it might look like moving into the future.   

To our luck, we have a very compelling central figure in our story. Will, the instructor of the Learn to DJ Drop-In, was generous with his time and forthcoming with his answers to our questions. As a long-time downtown east resident, he spoke compellingly about the impact of the redevelopment, specifically on how Regent Park’s musical history is passed down, without requiring any prompting from us. Eventually, I ordered the narrative as follows:   

1. ⁠Hook - music is important for everyone  

1. Will introduces himself  

1. How will got into DJing and what it means to him   

1. ⁠⁠DJing and music history in RP  

1. The drop in program  

1. Impacts of redevelopment  

1. What does the future look like?   

This order sets the scene by starting close up, zoomed in on what DJing means to one person growing up in Toronto’s downtown east before redevelopment. For Will, music was essential, always in his house, and gave him a role in his school community at the tender age of eleven, when he started picking music for school dances. The materiality of this story is compelling - he talks about the equipment he used as “Fisher Price turntables,” this image that ties together grown up Will with his first childhood forays into the hobby that would become his career.   

In the next story beat, we connect DJing to community-building and to Regent Park as a whole, as Will explains how DJs are integral to hip hop culture, giving all the other artists (MCs, dancers, graffiti artists) a centripetal force to gather around. As he got involved with DJing, he would see the same people and know where they came from in the city. In Regent Park, Will says that some of the best DJs work in the neighbourhood, like DJ Grouch who teaches the Regent Park School of Music. He talks about artists including Point Blank and specifically suggests that we watch the music video for their song “Born and Raised in the Ghetto.” This part of the story has a significant gap, where I imagine we will expand more on Regent Park music culture through narration or using the additional interviews our group is recording this week.   

Next, Will talks about the drop in program, how it is a low-barrier, choose-you-own-adventure program, where kids often bring their friends along and help younger participants. He credits this to the fact that Regent Park is especially community-oriented. Will also stresses the importance of giving youth something to do and somewhere to go where they won’t risk getting involved in dangerous activities. He credits his own involvement in DJing with keeping him out of trouble as a youth growing up in the area.   

In the following section, Will answers my question about if youth in Regent Park have a sense of the musical history of the neighbourhood. He says “absolutely not,” and credits the redevelopment process and relocation of so many people with being part of what breaks that chain of memory and community knowledge. He elaborates that while he is all for improving the neighbourhood, many factors beyond financial stress kept people from moving back to Regent Park even though they had the right to return. 

Our key finding so far is that the role DJing plays in a single event – bringing people together to dance – can be expanded to its role in the community at large. As a lynchpin of other art forms in hip hop culture, DJing is inherently community oriented. For kids in Regent Park, it can serve not only as a hobby, but as something that connects them to their peers, to their history, and to future opportunities. That said, the connection to history has been somewhat fractured by the redevelopment, as some of the people who carry those memories might not have come back to the ‘new’ Regent Park.  

Editing is time consuming, and the finer details like music and b-roll are still missing, but the story is almost there. I still wonder how we will effectively communicate about Regent Park’s musical history if we have to be the ones narrating it.   

The team members of Scratch’s & Mixes are David Scrivener, Lisa Truong, Hana Golightly & Neil Patel. 

From Sidewalks to Soundwaves

The snow is finally gone, and the weather is warming up slowly; kind of like the musical heat that comes out of the East. Walking around Dundas and Oak Street I notice how everyone has somewhere to be or something to do, the typical hustle and bustle as I record people walking on my camera trying to be invisible while I thought about what it would be like if there was a recording studio in the area… maybe beside the music school would be nice.  

As we continue, this week we have wrapped up 2 interviews and will be completing a third one as well, with all 3 participants coming from different age groups and backgrounds. Our first interview was with Will - the DJ instructor at the Regent Park Community Centre. One of his responses to our question was that he sees art as a form of expression in this neighborhood, “an outlet to get them off the street […] cause the devil works through idle hands right”. I was impressed with how Will had opened himself up to the interview as at first I was anxious he wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking on camera – kinda like me.  

Our second interview was with DJ Ananas over zoom who is an American based DJ and also mentioned the power that music can have with bringing people together. We talked about how growing up it was common to see community concert events and how it was a way residents would get to know each other, creating a sense of safety and belonging. I don’t expect us to heavily use this interview due to him not having recent experiences with the neighborhood but many of his answers can help contextualize our theme. 

I’ve often seen what DJ Illicit was speaking about and it reminded me of the experiences we had spoken about early in the class about Mustafa the Poet and his musical journey being one of reflection and navigating neighborhood crime. His group known as HALAL Gang was a group of youth that wanted to break out in the music industry, but ultimately not all made it out. S.A.F.E. was a member of the based in RnB and HipHop that has been poised to go big. Working with OVO members, Khalid, Playboi Carti and more he is an artist that is on track to go from community housing to the international stage. In a older video, there are kids that come up to a Toronto based producer and ask him to listen to their SoundCloud, hoping to become artists one day and work with him. One points out that his favourite artist is S.A.F.E from Regent, quite the shoutout given that the video was taken in the UK a few years ago. 

Video of UK youth talking to Noah about getting a chance and becoming artists while bringing up Regent Park local S.A.F.E. at a recording studio.

On the flip side of this, Smoke Dawg ultimately died during a daytime shooting, and I remember that he was seen as one that could make something for himself in music. He based his music in Trap and HipHop mainly with work featuring Giggs and Skepta, production with Murda, while also having toured for artists like Drake around the world. He sings about his gang experience and Regent Park, with even one album featuring Regent Park as the cover. In an interview he mentions how music is how they talk and explain what they have gone through and how his hood shaped him to be the artist that he is. 

Something new I’ve learned this week was just how wide the impact of musicians like Alessia, Justin, Abel, and Aubrey have on this next generation of musical talent when it comes to trying to go international and represent where you came from with pride. This was always known but this project really materialized that feeling. Artists like Mustafa are some examples of those that can make it out, while DJ’s like DJ Illicit show how a community can help foster new talent and skills for the youth creating belonging.  

For me, something that has been challenging is getting footage and b-roll that aligns with our topic. Getting footage of local buildings is complicated due to needing permission, and so far due to dull weather on the days I have been out walking, getting footage of local residents walking has been minimal but I’m hoping this week that will change. Looking at where we are now, it feels like things are moving by quickly as the semester comes to a close, but I am confident that through our delegations and how we have curated our interview questions that we will be able to make the most out of our interviews. Our next steps are to finalize our last few interviews, wrap up any b-roll footage that is left and potentially record any voiceovers that would be needed. Additionally, we will be starting to edit and cut together our final project and are communicating with DJ Ron thanks to Adonis from FOCUS to hopefully include him in our project as he has a wealth of local music history and knowledge while also hoping to get footage of DJ’s working from previous events they may have done in the area. 

The team members of Scratch’s & Mixes are David Scrivener, Lisa Truong, Hana Golightly & Neil Patel. 

Ready, Set, Let’s Mix it Forward.

As our documentary timeline gets closer, this week was really about getting organized and making things more real. Instead of just talking about ideas, we focused on dividing roles so everyone knows exactly what they’re responsible for moving forward. 

We split the work based on strengths. Neil is handling all the footage since he has the equipment and technical experience. David is continuing communication with the Regent Park Community Centre coordinating with the instructor Will, along with reaching out to Rod. Hana is developing the research questions and will take the lead on editing. My role is focused on outreach, I’m connecting with DJs and setting up interviews. 

One of the most successful parts of this session was finally having clear direction. Once roles were defined, everything felt more structured and easier to manage. We also started refining our interview questions so they connect better to the overall message of the documentary, rather than just asking general questions. That helped us feel more aligned as a group. 

For me, the most challenging part has been reaching out to DJs and coordinating interviews. Everyone has different schedules, and getting responses or locking in times can take effort and follow-ups. At the same time, using social media has made this process easier since it allows for quicker and more direct communication. So far, most of the DJs I’ve contacted have been open to participating, which has been a huge relief. 

The range of DJs we’re hoping to interview includes those who have worked in Regent Park venues for years, newer DJs building their presence, educators, and DJs who are closely connected to the community. Having a mix of perspectives will help us tell a more complete story. 

This project is also changing how we see the city. We are starting to understand how much creative communities like this contribute to the identity of a place. It’s not just about music it’s about connection, opportunity, and giving people a space to express themselves. 

Looking at where we are now, it feels like things are starting to come together. We still need to confirm interviews and begin filming, but the structure is there. Moving forward, it would be helpful to get guidance on how to conduct stronger interviews and make sure we’re capturing meaningful stories. 

Overall, this week was about building a foundation so we can move into the next phase with more confidence. 

The team members of Scratches & Mixes are David Scrivener, Lisa Truong, Hana Golightly and Neil Patel.

Dropping by the drop-in

Saturday, March 7, was the warmest day of the year so far. The unmistakable sounds of melting filled the city. Drip, splash, squish.   

It was also the day that I, Dave, decided to just go to the Regent Park Community Centre and start the journey to making this documentary. The AMPED UP Art of DJing drop in session was meant to start at noon. I showed up at 11:30, giving myself time to figure out where exactly the drop in was and perhaps talk to the facilitator before the programming started. I didn’t want to get in the way of the actual program.  

I asked the staff at the front desk where the drop-in happened and they pointing me to the Youth Zone room down the hall. The room was mainly glass, new and fresh. It seemed to be full of new furniture, a TV, white boards. Some surfaces saw stickers — “Youth Zone,” “Black History Month,” a raised fist — but overall the room was clean and airy. I sat and waiting on the bench in the hall outside. Waiting for noon and just people watching. Two staff members, both in their green shirts and probably in high school, casually chatted. I imagined them flirting. A toddler lumbering after a soccer ball that had escaped the gymnasium family play time. People coming and going from the gym upstairs. It was a busy place on a Saturday morning.  

Image of the Youth Zone entrance with stickers. Photo taken by David Scrivener on March 8, 2026.

Finally, a man came and unlocked the door and entered the room, carrying a large bag. I assumed that was the facilitator and I walked into the room to introduce myself.   

“Hi there, sorry to bother you as your setting up. My name is Dave and I’m with the University of Toronto and FOCUS Media. This is kind of a strange thing, but we’re making a short documentary and...”  

I laid out the proposal. We’d like to talk to him. Feature the class, perhaps talk to the students as well. Music and community. Regent Park’s musical history.  We were already in contact with some other DJs who grew up in the area or were involved in Regent Radio. It would be a short documentary, thinking 10 to 30 minutes, but probably on the shorter end of that.   

His name was Will, but he went by DJ Illicit. He had worked at two prominent radio stations and grown up just a few blocks west of Regent Park. The best way to follow up was on his Instagram. But I did need to reach out to the program coordinator for the community centre. Their name was Rowan.   

As we wrapped up, two young women had come in and were waiting patiently. I thanked in for his time and wrapped up, not wanting to continue holding up the drop-in.  I got home and immediately emailed Rowan. And followed Will on Instagram.  

Our next steps are building up an archive of b-roll, for 2026 but also archival if possible. We’re building out a list of a dozen possible interview subjects. We anticipate, after some people don’t get back to us or aren’t available, that will net us 3 or interviews. Hopefully one is Will. I’ll message him on Instagram now.  

The team members of Scratches & Mixes are David Scrivener, Lisa Truong, Hana Golightly and Neil Patel.

Scratches & Mixes

Signing up for a class at your local community centre can be a low cost and low-pressure way to get exercise, de-stress, try out a new hobby or meet people from your community. The community centre itself therefore plays multiple roles for the people that use it. We are curious about the role of the Regent Park Community Centre as a place for people to meet and mix from across the whole downtown east side. Who is drawn to its programming? And what do they learn about the neighbourhood and their neighbours from participating in structured and unstructured activities within it?  

This was a jumping off point for our group, which originally formed around the topic of boundaries and borders in the downtown east region. This led us to initial questions about what boundaries exist between Regent Park and the neighbouring communities – how residents experience borders of geography and identity, or if they do not perceive them as important at all. We were initially overwhelmed by the breadth of these questions. In our brainstorming sessions, we discussed how navigating across differences is ultimately experienced at a human scale, in specific locations like a community centre, or even a single art class.  

Through our documentary project, we will explore the role of the arts, specifically DJ’ing, in building community and bringing the downtown east together. Our documentary will focus on the AMPED Art of DJing class at the Regent Park Community Centre, which is a free, drop-in program that takes place three times a week. We want to explore this community centre class since it is a low barrier activity open to a range of young people from 14-24 years old. Our next steps include connecting with community centre staff and the course instructor to determine their interest in participating in our project.  

The research questions we will be investigating include:  

• What role does a community learn-to-DJ class play in facilitating social mixing across Downtown East communities?  

• Who takes the class, and what brings them to it?  

• How does this community DJing class relate to Regent Park’s legacy of music production? 

Pictured is a wooden sign erected in front of remaining Regent Park housing units, written on it is “Wish you were here” on a multi-coloured painted background. Signifying the displacement of the local community during revitalization both physically and socially (image shot by Neil Patel).

Our team’s name is ‘Scratches & Mixes’ and our group is made up of four members: Lisa, Neil, David, and Hana, including four University of Toronto students and one Regent Park community member.  

Neil is a fourth-year student in the Honours Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography and City Studies program at U of T. Through this project, Neil hopes to learn how communities attempt to thrive and create a sense of belonging during times of extreme socio-spatial changes. Neil has previously been involved with multiple youth-based grassroots organizations in sports media.  

• Lisa is UofT alumni and Toronto based entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry and business development. As someone connected to the Regent Park community, she brings a lived perspective to conversations around identity, culture, and social connection. Lisa has always valued creative expression and community storytelling, and through this project she hopes to better understand how music, arts, and media spaces contribute to belonging, cultural dialogue, and community social mixes.

• David is finishing a Master of Science in Urban Planning at U of T. He’s lived in Toronto for much of his life and currently lives close to the Regent Park community in nearby Corktown. He’s interested in the role of local media in creating and maintaining communities. He’s previously worked in several communications roles creating graphic assets and well as short video content.  

• Hana is a second-year student in the Master of Science in Urban Planning at U of T. She moved from Vancouver to Toronto for graduate school, but was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, where she grew up involved in the local contemporary dance scene. She also spent a few years in media studies at the University of British Columbia, where she helped co-produce a multi-media student art showcase. Through this project, Hana hopes to learn more about how attachment to place can help build community across differences. 

  The team members of Scratches & Mixes are David Scrivener, Lisa Truong, Hana Golightly and Neil Patel.