What Community Means to Jane Street Speaks Founder Nathan Baya

Jane Street Speaks (JSS) came to be in 2018 when founder, Nathan Baya, realized that Toronto just didn’t have enough accessible or affordable venue spaces willing to showcase local artists, especially Black youth from Jane and Finch. Being a local artist himself, he began to create his own avenue by putting on open mics to premiere his art. This is when he discovered that there was a need for these platforms, and local artists began consistently approaching him for similar opportunities - which is how JaneStreetSpeaks came to be. JSS events allow local artists to express themselves through art and to heal from their traumas. Along with providing artists with a platform to express themselves, the team also involves themselves in food and clothing drives for the homeless, workshops for youth and other community events.

To learn more about Nathan Baya visit janestreetspeaks.ca or follow him @nathan.baya