Faith Nolan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Faith Nolan
Background information
Born	1957 (age 67–68) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genres	Folk jazz blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter, activist
Instruments	Guitar

Faith Nolan (born 1957) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is also a social activist, meaning she works to bring about positive changes in society. Faith Nolan sings folk and jazz music. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Faith Nolan's Journey

Early Music and Activism

Faith Nolan is known as an important part of a Canadian music movement from the 1980s and 1990s. This movement included many women artists who used their music to speak out for fairness and equality. Early in her career, she performed with a band called The Heretics. Faith Nolan's music often shares her strong beliefs. She uses her songs to talk about being a working-class woman, an African Canadian, and someone who supports all people, no matter their background or identity. Her music connects her personal experiences with the rich history of Black music in North America.

Helping Communities and Preserving History

A big part of Faith Nolan's work involves sharing the history of Africville. This was a historic African Canadian community in Maritime Canada that was sadly destroyed. She helps make sure that the stories and history of Black people in Canada are not forgotten.

Faith Nolan has also spent many years working with women in prisons. She visits places like the Vanier Centre for Women and the Grand Valley Institution for Women. Her goal is to help bring about changes that will stop unfair treatment of women. She wants to prevent women from being wrongly punished, especially when they are defending themselves.

She also leads music therapy workshops. These workshops help women at the Vanier Centre for Women and at Sistering, an organization that supports women who are homeless or have low incomes. Music therapy can be a powerful way to heal and express feelings.

Faith Nolan has started and led several choirs. These include the Singing Elementary Teachers of Toronto, the CUPE Freedom Singers, the Women of Central East Correctional Centre, and the Sistering Sisters. These choirs bring people together through music and help them share their voices.

In 1994, Faith Nolan helped create Camp SIS (Sisters in Struggle). This camp was a place for women of color to come together and support each other. It was located in the Kawarthas, near Toronto.

Awards and Recognition

Faith Nolan has received many honors for her work. In 2009, she was named an "Honoured Dyke" for Toronto's Pride celebrations. She also led the 2009 Dyke March, which is a march that celebrates and supports diverse communities.

On November 29, 2014, Faith Nolan was recognized at the Min Sook Lee Labour Arts Award Gala. This award celebrated her important contributions to both art and the labor movement, which works for workers' rights.

In 2021, her album Africville won the Polaris Heritage Prize. This is a special award given to important Canadian albums from the past.

Faith Nolan's Background

Faith Nolan and her family used to live in Africville, a community in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where most people were Black. When she was young, her family moved to the Cabbagetown neighborhood in Toronto, Ontario. Her mother is a white woman with Irish family roots. Her father has both African Canadian and Mi'kmaq heritage, which is an Indigenous group in Canada.

Faith Nolan's Music

Albums and Songs

Faith Nolan in Film and Radio

Films Featuring Faith Nolan

Radio Appearances

Awards and Honors

See also

In Spanish: Faith Nolan para niños

• List of Canadian musicians
• List of Canadians
• Activism
• Music of Canada