WHO WE ARE

who created hors pair?

hors pair was created by Sharlene Clarke, an Ottawa-Native organizer, people connecter and creative. We are a woman and Haitian-owned business.

hors pair social is black-owned social group based in Ottawa. We are creatives and entrepreneurs and ambitious about the Ottawa's social, entertainment scene.

WHAT WE DO

what the hell is hors pair social?

Let’s be honest - Ottawa is not known for it’s entertainment…at all.

hors pair was born out of need we saw in Ottawa for diverse and quality social events catered to BIPOC folks, specifically the various black communities. Because of this dissatisfaction, many people of color are forced to travel to neighboring cities such as Montreal and Toronto, for the entertainment they will actually enjoy. Although, alone we can’t solve the problem but we want to be part of the solution.

So what do we do? We do a bit of everything - ambitious we know.

There are 3 things that make us who we are, we create events that are:

it’s not secret - we pride ourselves on being black-owned and black-serving. while most of our events are open to all, based on the need we saw that pushed us to create hors pair, from the music to the themes, our events are tailored to black folks

black-centred

we do a bit of everything: social, entertainment and professional. Want to sip on cocktails and dance? Come to our series of day parties. Into more activity-focused events? Come to Peinture + Prosecco. Into more professional opportunities? Come to our networking events!

diverse

it’s more than quality over quantity. Our goal is to create social events where you get the best of both worlds - the fun and entertainment you get from that event you went to last weekend coupled with the hospitality and execution of a luxe event.

we don’t just host events, we create experience

premium

‘Our goal is to create social events where you get the best of both worlds - the fun and entertainment you get from that event you went to last weekend coupled with the hospitality and execution of a luxe event. ‘

WHAT MAKES HPS DIFFERENT?

Ok but there are a bunch of social and entertainment groups in Ottawa. What makes you different?

More than events - our focus is on the whole experience. from start to finish we want you to feel, welcomed, cared for and entertained.

More than supporters - online and in person, we hope to create a community of folks that want to see us grow and see Ottawa flourish

More than a business - if you’ve gotten this far, I think it’s clear that this is not just a business to us. We hope to shed light to the great projects an initiatives in Ottawa, continue to be people-connecters and have a positive impact Ottawa social and entertainment scene.

OUR EVENTS

Day parties, brunches, paint and sip events, art shows, networking events. that’s our thing.

Our events aren’t for everyone, but they’re great for:

- Ottawa creatives

- black folks who are new to Ottawa

- black folks in Ottawa who are looking for fun events

- influencers (to shoot content and network)

- folks who enjoy afro-caribbean music

- the occasional event go-er

OUR GOAL

We aim to create events that are safe, curated and entertaining.

We aim to encourage a shift in Ottawa’s social, entertainment and nightlife scene to be more diverse and inclusive to minority and marginalized groups.

We aim to create spaces and platforms where Ottawa creatives can connect and to bring their ideas to life.

Media coverage

APT 613: ‘Hors Pair launches onto Ottawa’s social scene with all-white day party’. Read here

Ottawa Life Magazine: 'Ottawa’s first hair art show coming to SAW Gallery this February’. Read here

CKCU FM 93.1 : 'Crepu: Our DNA -- A Conversation with Sandra Ngenge Dusabe and Sharlene Clarke. Listen here

Radio-Canada Ohdio: ‘Femmes noires entrepreneures  :  défis et percées’. Read here

CBC’s All in a day with Allan Neal: ‘Crépu : Our DNA", a celebration of Black Hair with visual art’. Read here.

NUVO Magazine: Crépu: Our DNA Depicts Black Hair in All Its Glory. Read here

Ingenium: Crépu: Our DNA. Read here.

CBC Ottawa: News coverage on Crépu: Our DNA. Watch here

TV Rogers: Tout Savoir, Sharlène Clarke. Watch here

Apt613: The Ottawa Black Creatives Hub celebrates Black artistry with performing arts showcase Read here.

CTV News: Celebrating emerging black artists. Watch here.

FAQs

  • Short answer? No.

    Long answer?

    Hors Pair was born out of a need for events tailored to the various black communities in Ottawa and as a result, we focus our energy on catering to these communities.

    However, most of our events are open to all.

    When we'll host events that are exclusive to black people, don't worry - you'll know. We'll make it very clear.

  • The best way to stay in the loop is to check our website, specifically the events tab and to follow our instagram page @horspairsocial.

  • Please send us an email at mail@horspairsocial.com

  • Absolutely. Working with new creatives is something we actively looking to do with our events.

    Don’t have as much experience or instagram followers as your peers? Don’t worry. Send us an email and we can start a conversation.