Stilted Stories: Moko Jumbie Workshop with Pixel Heller
About this Event
You asked. We listened - and Stilted Stories is back for another unforgettable Caribana season.
Caribana season is here, and one of our most requested experiences is returning to Nia Centre.
Whether you joined us last year or are trying it for the first time, this is your opportunity to step into the rich tradition of the Moko Jumbie.
Rooted in Caribbean and West African spiritual and cultural practices, the Moko Jumbie is far more than a striking figure at Carnival. They are protectors, storytellers, and enduring symbols of resilience, vision, and ancestral wisdom.
On Sunday, July 26th, join multidisciplinary artist, international performer, and Moko Jumbie Pixel Heller for an introductory stilt-walking workshop. Participants will learn the fundamentals of balance, movement, and technique while exploring the cultural history and significance of this iconic Carnival tradition.
This hands-on workshop is open to all skill levels. No experience is necessary - just bring your curiosity, comfortable clothing, and a willingness to try something new.
Only 15 spots are available.
Ticket Price: $20
Eligibility
Due to the limited number of spaces, priority is given to participants who are 21 years of age or older and identify as part of the African Diaspora.
As this workshop has been intentionally designed for specific community members, Nia Centre reserves the right to refund tickets purchased by individuals who do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Celebrate Caribana season from a new perspective while connecting with a powerful living tradition of movement, culture, and community.
Meet the Facilitator - Pixel Heller
Pixel Heller is a multidisciplinary artist, international performer, and Moko Jumbie based in Toronto. Her work explores Afro-Caribbean identity through performance, visual art, and movement. As the founder of Northern Jumbies, she brings the spirit of the Moko Jumbie to life through stilt-walking workshops, performances, and community engagement rooted in ancestral tradition and contemporary expression. She graduated from OCAD University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cross-Disciplinary Studies with a specialization in Life Studies.
Pixel’s work reimagines ancestral narratives within a contemporary framework, bridging past and present. Through masquerade, she explores the resilience and evolution of Black culture, shaping costume, sculpture, and performance into reflections of history and acts of resistance. Her practice serves as both an homage and a reinvention, an ongoing dialogue that honours the endurance of Black identity while inviting new possibilities for the future. Pixel has exhibited at The Robert McLauchlin Gallery, Gallery 44, MCA Gallery, Meridian Arts Center, Gallery 1313 and internationally at the Black Brazil Art Biennial. She has artwork in The Wedge Collection and won the OCAD U Medal for Cross-Disciplinary Art. Pixel has done performances at the ROM, Artist Project, BMO Field, Waterloo Region Museum and internationally with Walking Tall in Kingston, Jamaica and Kaisokah Moko Jumbie in Trinidad.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 22.63
