Class of '24 featuring Icon Ricky Allure

New year, new guests, new topics—same legendary sessions! This June, we’re proud to be kicking off the inaugural session of Class of ’24, our series bringing education, community, and movement together. Join us for a night of free programming at Ace Hotel Toronto, where we’ll dive into the importance of financial literacy, get to know some of Ballroom’s most influential performers, and explore the beauty of voguing.

For our Pride edition, we’ll learn about Budgeting and Credit in a session developed in partnership with the Wealthsimple Foundation, followed by a Vogue masterclass and fireside chat with Icon Mother Ricky Allure. We’ll also host a Commentation workshop with Precious Basquiat in tandem with the Vogue masterclass, a brand-new addition to this year’s programming for the non-voguing girls.

As always, HIV self-testing kits, harm reduction kits and supplies, Jems condoms, and additional resources will be available and free to take home thanks to Maggie’s Toronto.

Houses will receive one point towards the Platinum Pride Ball's House with the Most Points Grand Prize for every member that shows up on time, for a total of up to five additional points.

With many thanks to Ace Hotel Toronto, Maggie’s Toronto, Jems, and the Wealthsimple Foundation for their support.

Doors open at 6 PM. Programming begins at 6:30 PM.

About our guests

Icon Ricky Allure (he/him)

Precious Basquiat (she/her)

FUNCTION

FUNCTION is a platform for Ballroom-first culture, stories, and events, based in Toronto. Through our work, we focus on uplifting BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ voices and highlighting Canadian Ballroom talent. Since our launch in early 2022, we’ve welcomed over 3200 attendees, distributed over $140,000 directly to BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and participants, and handed out 600+ HIV self-testing kits and thousands of other harm reduction supplies to community members, leaning on expert nonprofit organizations.

Ace Hotel Toronto

Ace Hotel reimagines urban spaces for people who make cities interesting. Our approach to all our projects is simple—we seek to genuinely embrace local culture in the areas we inhabit. We bring together narratives, artists and materials that speak to the building, to the site and to the city. From there, we welcome in the alchemy that’s created.

Ace was founded in Belltown, Seattle in 1999, with current locations in Seattle, Portland, New York, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Kyoto, Brooklyn, Sydney and Toronto.

Maggie’s Toronto

Founded in 1986, Maggie’s Toronto is one of Canada’s oldest sex worker justice organizations serving sex workers across Toronto and the GTA. Maggie’s offers a wide range of programs and services targeting marginalized and underserved communities—participating in anti-poverty organizing, racial justice work challenging police violence, 2SLGBTQIA+ liberation work, Indigenous sovereignty and outreach efforts, harm reduction work, and more.

Jems

Jems is a safer sex brand and a platform for sex education. Designed for all identities, Jems better-for-you condoms and lube are changing the way we think about safer sex—it’s one of the many reasons we love them.

Wealthsimple Foundation

Additional Information

For media inquiries, please get in touch with us via email at hello@function10.ca

We wish to acknowledge the land on which we will be meeting for the Class of ’24 Series. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. We are grateful for the opportunity to host this event on this land.

Please note that this event will be filmed and photographed, and footage may be used for marketing, social, and archival purposes. By attending, guests hereby grant FUNCTION 10 Inc. the right to use their name, likeness, image, voice, video, performance, biographical and other information in any format whatsoever, and to distribute, broadcast and exhibit these without charge, restriction, or liability.

FUNCTION 10 Inc. (“Event Organizers”) accept no responsibility whatsoever for any property brought to the premises by any guests or participants, and will have no liability for any loss, damage, or destruction of property. Participants understand and acknowledge the risks and dangers associated with participation in the Class of ’24 Series (“Event”) and related activities, including without limitation, the potential for serious bodily injury, sickness and disease, permanent disability, paralysis and loss of life; contact with other participants, spectators, or objects; participants of varying skill levels; situations beyond the immediate control of the Event Organizers; and other undefined, not readily foreseeable and presently unknown risks and dangers (“Risks”). Participants hereby expressly assume all such Risks and responsibility for any damages, liabilities, losses, or expenses incurred as a result of their participation in the Event.