School of the Arts Media Performance and Design Archives - News@91��ɫ

More 91��ɫ experts available for Olympics commentary

egamulin — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:00:54 +0000

91��ɫ alumnae Melissa ��ܳ��ñ��-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson compete for gold in Paris today, a first for beach volleyball for Canada, cheered on by ��ܳ��ñ��-Paredes' father, three-time Olympic coach and 91��ɫ Professor who teaches a course on the history of the Olympics and is available for comment to media. Also this week in Paris, breaking makes its debut at the Games, Olympians get sick with bacterial infection and organizers revise the closing ceremony of the Games this Sunday after a controversial opening. 91��ɫ experts are available to comment on this and more.

Danielle Howard

In 2018, a U.S. conservative news commentator said that LeBron James should just “shut up and dribble,” after the NBA star gave his views about then-President Donald Trump in an ESPN podcast.

Danielle Howard, an expert in race, sport and performance.

Those comments inspired a documentary by the same name that explored the social and political influence of NBA players through the history of the league, which in turn was an inspiration for AMPD Assistant Professor ’s latest research at the intersection of race, sport and performance.

“The documentary got me thinking, does dribbling have more to say about politics, about Black life, then we have initially given it credit for?”

Howard is working on a book called Making Moves: Race, Basketball, and Embodied Resistance that spans the twentieth and twenty-first centuries of basketball history. She examines America’s history of white supremacy and how comments like “shut up and dribble” reflect a continued dismissal of Black lives and experiences, images of the Black body on display through history from slave auctions to NBA drafts and how audience and media surveillance impacts movement. “The majority of bodies in the NBA are Black. So from a media standpoint, the majority of the media consumption we have of basketball is represented by Black bodies.”

She also looks at how Black athletes speak with their bodies, and how politics, history and social movements are embodied in athleticism, from the New 91��ɫ Renaissance basketball team to present times.

“Black performance in sport is not merely aesthetic, it has potential and purpose to be disruptive to the political and to ultimately incite change and liberation.”

Howard is available to comment on:

Race, politics and sport
Theatre and spectacle in the opening and closing Games
Aesthetics and virtuosity in Olympic sports such as breaking, gymnastics, diving and synchronized swimming
Sport as performance, particularly basketball

J-Rebel (Joseph Hersco), a youth worker in the Jane and Finch community in Toronto and expert in breaking.

J-Rebel

A half century after the birth of Hip-Hop among mostly Black and Latino, working-class youth in the South Bronx, breaking makes its debut as an Olympic sport. For longtime breaker (Joseph Hersco) from the Supernaturalz Crew, who helped develop and co-taught a course on the art of breaking at 91��ɫ with AMPD dance professor Mary Fogarty, he’ll be watching the competition on Aug. 9 and 10 with a mix of emotions and criticisms.

“There is a political side of Hip-Hop — it comes out of particular socio-economic conditions, right? I think a lot of that can easily get washed out, when the focus is around just who's winning in the competition,” says J-Rebel, who lives and works in the Jane and Finch community in Toronto. “But those things are intertwined in breaking — the politics, the cultural aspects, race, class and gender.”

J-Rebel, who teaches kids breaking and has travelled the world by competing in international breaking competitions comparable to the caliber we will see at the Olympics, picked up the practice himself decades ago with peers and in community centres in Jane and Finch, Lawrence Heights and Malvern where he grew up and lived. He says that while breaking is more accessible to the youth in his community — predominantly low-income and working-class — than a sport like hockey or football, there are still barriers to who might be able to compete at the highest level due to social inequalities that are still present in many communities in Toronto.

“It's not necessarily a predetermined thing because youth from these particular places have become resilient out of necessity, but your proximity to privilege and having resources is going to give you a better chance at developing your competencies.”

J-Rebel is available to comment on:

Origins and connections of breaking to hip-hop; roots in New 91��ɫ and Black diasporic cultural expression
Why the Olympics need breaking and not the other way around
Technical, cultural and social aspects of breaking
Ensuring access to breaking and sport in low-income and racialized communities.
History of breaking in Toronto

Martin Breaugh, an expert in French politics.

Martin Breaugh

France was on shaky grounds ahead of the Olympics, politically speaking, but the ruling parties dodged a bullet in the snap election by blocking the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party from taking power, says Professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies and an expert in French politics.

“The presence of RN ministers at the Olympics would have been an impossible situation to manage with the potential of athletes boycotting such ministers, as well as local officials and maybe even delegations from elsewhere, especially the former French colonies, doing the same,” he says.

Breaugh is available for email, phone and teleconferencing videos and is currently on Central European Time six hours ahead of Toronto. He is also available for interviews in French and can speak on:

The political situation in France in the leadup to the Olympics
How the handling of the Olympics will impact public perception of the government
History of politics in France

Satinder K.Brar, an expert in water contamination.

Satinder K. Brar

Despite France spending more than $1.5 billion in cleanup efforts to get it in good shape before the start of the Olympics, the Seine continues to experience problems with water pollution, with the men’s triathlon posted due to unacceptably high levels. Lassonde School of Engineering Professor is an expert in environmental biotechnology and decontamination, with particular expertise in water. Brar is also available for interviews in French, Hindi and Punjabi, and can comment on:

Cleanup efforts of the Seine
Waste water contamination and potential risks to athletes
Athletes falling ill with Campylobacter jejuni bacteria
Other pollutants sometimes found in urban bodies of water

Lyndsay Hayhurst

For 15 years, Faculty of Health Associate Professor has been collaborating with self-identified women and youth in Canada, Uganda and Nicaragua to investigate the role of sport for social justice and ‘development’. This includes examining cycling as a possible catalyst for achieving mobility justice and gender equity; investigating how community sport for development programs may create novel possibilities for feminist climate-justice activism; and addressing physical inactivity among marginalized youth and women (cis and trans) through the use of trauma-and violence-informed approaches.

Lyndsay Hayhurst, an expert in community sports programming.

“We're arguing that these , and that certainly flies in the face of some of the approaches to coaching and sport that we sometimes see are taken up at the Olympics,” says Hayhurst, also the 91��ɫ Research Chair in Sport, Gender and Development & Digital Participatory Research.

Hayhurst and collaborators just launched a short documentary film - - and she is available to comment on:

Sport and gender equity
Gender-diverse youth and sport
Trauma-and-violence-informed approaches to sport, recreation and leisure

Sexual and gender-based violence prevention in/through sport for development
Climate change initiatives and ‘greenwashing’ at the Paris Olympics
Sport for development and peace initiatives and NGO activisms
Community sport and recreation initiatives, especially cycling and soccer

Please check online for updates to this roster and full list of available experts.

For a list of some of the 91��ɫ-affiliated athletes and medical team members participating in the Games, .

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post More 91��ɫ experts available for Olympics commentary appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

91��ɫ experts have got you covered for Paris Olympics

egamulin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:23:22 +0000

July. 26, 2024, TORONTO – While the Olympics are a show of international friendship and athletic excellence, they are also about politics and diplomacy, tourism, social change and spectacle, and sometimes even espionage.

Hernán ��ܳ��ñ��, three-time Olympic coach and expert on the History of the Olympics, is in Paris cheering on his daughter in beach volleyball.

“The Olympics has the potential to be such a positive force for good in the world,” says 91��ɫ Faculty of Health Associate Professor , a three-time Olympic coach who teaches a course on the history of the Olympic Games and will be in Paris July 26 onward cheering on his daughter, . “Every Olympics strives to meet its ideals, and every Olympics falls short — but I am an optimist, I believe each Olympics gets better and better.”

��ܳ��ñ�� and other 91��ɫ experts are available to give comment to media on everything from nationalism in sport and why the economic pressures on athletes are getting even worse, to branding and tourism opportunities, the evolution of women’s basketball in Canada and how large sporting events intersect with sex tourism and displacement of low-income people, and more.

Hernán ��ܳ��ñ��

��ܳ��ñ��, who helped Canada secure a bronze in the Atlanta ’96 games, teaches in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science at 91��ɫ. He was an early coach for his daughter, who along with her Canadian beach-volleyball partner and fellow 91��ɫ alumna Brandie Wilkerson, is currently ranked fourth in the world and is in Paris competing for a medal. ��ܳ��ñ�� played for the Chilean national volleyball team and came to Canada as a political refugee during the Pinochet years, a journey which he documented in his book Playing Under The Gun: An Athlete's Tale of Survival in 1970s Chile. He is available from Paris to comment on the history of the Olympics and how political and social events intersect and affect the modern games from their inception in the late 1800s to now. ��ܳ��ñ�� can also offer interviews in Spanish.

Topics he can speak to include:

History of the Olympics
Sport and nationalism
Gender issues in sport
Compensation and treatment of athletes

Parissa Safai, expert in the sociology of sport, health and social inequality.

Parissa Safai

The Canada Soccer drone-spying controversy is, in part, a great example of how much more aggressive Canada has become on the international sport scene in pursuit of wins, says , professor in the Faculty of Health and Chair of the School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

“In many ways, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics marked a pronounced shift in Canada’s attitudes towards success on the Olympic stage and our high-performance sport system became even that much more intentional about ‘owning the podium’,” says Safai. “For an athlete, gold medal-winning performances demand not just an unconditional commitment to physical training and skill development, but presuppose disposable money and disposable time, as the financial support from governments is just not enough.”

Many athletes are highly reliant on their parents for financial support, and the costs of producing a gold-medal winning performance has gone up, adds Safai, putting more pressure on high-performance athletes, and making their finances even more precarious. Safai is an expert in the sociology of sport, health and social inequality. She is available for phone and video conference interviews and can speak to:

Sports medicine and sports related pain and injury
Sport risk-taking
Sport and social inequality and gender equity in sport
Barriers to physical activity in communities
Sport policy and governance

Danielle Howard, an expert in race, sport and performance.

Danielle Howard

In 2018, a U.S. conservative news commentator said that LeBron James should just “shut up and dribble,” after the NBA star gave his views about then-President Donald Trump in an ESPN podcast.

“The documentary got me thinking, does dribbling have more to say about politics, about Black life, then we have initially given it credit for?”

“Black performance in sport is not merely aesthetic, it has potential and purpose to be disruptive to the political and to ultimately incite change and liberation.”

Howard is available to comment on:

Race, politics and sport
Sport as performance, particularly basketball
Theatre and spectacle in the opening and closing Games
Aesthetics and virtuosity in Olympic sports such as gymnastics, diving, synchronized swimming and breaking

Vijay Setlur, expert in sport marketing and tourism

Vijay Setlur

“France is already the most visited country in the world, but hosting the Olympics would diversify the destination and its visitor economy,” says , a marketing instructor at 91��ɫ’s Schulich School of Business specializing in sports marketing and tourism marketing. “People visit the country for its museums, galleries, architecture and culinary offerings, but Paris will now be able to attract more international sporting events to capitalize on the growing sport tourism segment and elevate its status as a sports city.”

Setlur attended and gave commentary at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and is also a consultant for Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football). Setlur is available to comment on:

Canadian soccer drone scandal and how it might affect the perception of Canada Soccer and sponsorship activity
Sponsorships and the Paris Olympic Games
How the NFL and ICC are hoping to leverage flag football and cricket, making its debut at the LA28 Games, to engage younger consumers
TV ratings and viewership of the Games
Use of technology at the Olympics

Sarah Bay-Cheng, expert on the history of women's basketball in Canada

Sarah Bay-Cheng

“For me, sports is another kind of performance: It's aesthetic, it's time-based, there's an audience,” saysProfessor , dean of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design at 91��ɫ and a former NCAA basketball player. “As the playwright Sarah Kane once said, the difference between theatre and a football (soccer) match is that you don't know how the football match is going to end.”

Bay-Cheng’s research focuses on the intersection of performance and media, including how digital technologies create performance conditions in museums and other cultural heritage sites. In this capacity, she is co-curating a gallery exhibition for the Museum of Toronto on the history of basketball in Toronto that will open in the spring of 2025.

“In Toronto basketball didn’t follow a linear development. Different versions of the game emerged at different times and in different places. Part of the work of preparing the exhibition has been to dig into the history of basketball in Canada and what has made Toronto such an exceptional place for the sport. As a former player, I’ve been very interested in learning more about the history of women's basketball in Canada as relation to, but also very distinctive from the history of the sport in the United States.”

Bay-Cheng is available to comment on the history of basketball in Canada, particularly the women’s game:

The American and Canadian roots of the game
How women’s basketball started among primarily white, upper-class women in the U.S., Ontario and eastern Canada, and why they were no match for a team from Western Canada that adopted a more aggressive style of play
How Title IX in the U.S. was a game-changer for women’s basketball
How both the men’s and women’s games have become more international, with training concentrated in NCAA schools
Sports as mediated performance

Amanda De Lisio, expert in sport mega-events, sex work, displacement and migration

Amanda De Lisio

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, Faculty of Health Assistant Professor partnered with researchers in Rio de Janeiro to examine what happened with sex workers during the games.

“One of the narratives that follows the sport mega event is related to the involvement of human trafficking,” says De Lisio in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science. “We work with people who are often the target of these anti-trafficking strategies to find out what is actually happening on the ground, are they being trafficked or exploited in their labour? And how their patterns of labour and migration in the city may change as a result of the mega event.”

De Lisio is working with groups in Los Angeles, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympic Games to examine what is happening on the ground there ahead of the games. Her , published earlier this month, looks at the security apparatus of the Rio Olympics, and argues that “despite the enormous investment and facade of newly militarized host communities, insecurities remained, and ‘security’ as a practice failed to be guaranteed.” De Lisio is also available for interviews in Portuguese.

She can comment on:

Understanding sex work as labour in a vulnerable sector and how displacement brought on by mega-events affects sex workers and other communities
Sport mega-event construction and the financialization of housing
Local groups in Paris decrying Olympics-related displacement of low-income people

J-Rebel (Joseph Hersco), a youth worker in the Jane and Finch community in Toronto and expert in breaking.

J-Rebel

J-Rebel is available to comment on:

Origins and connections of breaking to hip-hop; roots in New 91��ɫ and Black diasporic cultural expression
Why the Olympics need breaking and not the other way around
Technical, cultural and social aspects of breaking
Ensuring access to breaking and sport in low-income and racialized communities.
History of breaking in Toronto

Martin Breaugh, an expert in French politics.

Martin Breaugh

Breaugh is available for email, phone and teleconferencing videos and is currently on Central European Time six hours ahead of Toronto. He is also available for interviews in French and can speak on:

The political situation in France in the leadup to the Olympics
How the handling of the Olympics will impact public perception of the government
History of politics in France

Satinder K.Brar, an expert in water contamination.

Satinder K. Brar

Despite France spending more than $1.5 billion in cleanup efforts to get it in good shape before the start of the Olympics, the Seine continues to experience problems with water pollution, with the men’s triathlon posted this week due to unacceptably high levels. Lassonde School of Engineering Professor is an expert in environmental biotechnology and decontamination, with particular expertise in water. Brar is also available for interviews in French, Hindi and Punjabi, and can comment on:

Cleanup efforts of the Seine
Waste water contamination and potential risks to athletes
Other pollutants sometimes found in urban bodies of water

Lyndsay Hayhurst

Lyndsay Hayhurst, an expert in community sports programming.

Hayhurst and collaborators just launched a short documentary film - - and she is available to comment on:

Sport and gender equity
Gender-diverse youth and sport
Trauma-and-violence-informed approaches to sport, recreation and leisure

Sexual and gender-based violence prevention in/through sport for development
Climate change initiatives and ‘greenwashing’ at the Paris Olympics
Sport for development and peace initiatives and NGO activisms
Community sport and recreation initiatives, especially cycling and soccer

Please check your inbox or online for updates to this roster.

For a list of some of the 91��ɫ-affiliated athletes and medical team members participating in the Games, .

About 91��ɫ

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

About 91��ɫ

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post 91��ɫ experts have got you covered for Paris Olympics appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

SSHRC announces nearly $10M for 91��ɫ U researchers in Partnership Grants

suhasini — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 19:53:56 +0000

Four researchers in areas covering Indigenous sovereignty to international ecological issues impacting the society will receive nearly $2.5M each

TORONTO, August 29, 2023 – The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) announced today nearly $10 million in Partnerships Grants funding for four 91��ɫ researchers, who study pressing societal issues from both local and global perspectives.

“Today’s funding announcement highlights the council’s faith in the high calibre of our researchers’ work ranging from Indigenous Circumpolar Cultural Sovereignty, Ecological footprint to renewable greener transition and policy gaps in international mobility in collaboration with other local and international subject experts,” says Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “I thank SHHRC for their support and I commend 91��ɫ’s research community for their ongoing commitment to creating positive change, both locally and globally.”

The four recipients of nearly $2.5 million each and their projects spanning six to seven years are:

Visual arts and art history , School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design will receive the funding for her project “Curating Indigenous Circumpolar Cultural Sovereignty: advancing Inuit and Sámi homelands, food, art, archives and worldviews.” The project will leverage curation on unprecedented local, national, and global scales to address the importance of cultural sovereignty for Inuit, Sámi and Alaska Native decolonization, says Hudson.

in the Faculty of Environment and Urban Change leads “The International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab: Training, research, and novel applications.” The lab uses 91��ɫ created Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity (EFB) method to study environmental conditions that threaten human and ecological well-being around the world. Through the partnership, the lab aims to develop talent in using EFB to manage humanity's use of Earth's resources and apply this to increasingly intersecting issues of sustainability and justice.

The project “African Extractivism and the Greener Transition” led by politics will build on the insights of a multidisciplinary team of partners in place since 2018, to study the dynamics of minerals used in renewable energy technologies, found in Southern Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project will utilize partners’ proven records in supporting policy-making processes, community outreach and research training for civil society organizations, and engage a diverse range of stakeholders with the aim of transforming policy debates into action.

, also from the politics department of LA&PS faculty, leads “Liberating Migrant Labour?: International Mobility Programs in Settler-Colonial Contexts” that seeks to address policy gaps in international mobility programs, having identified a pressing need for investigation into the conditions and outcomes of such programs. Researchers will also study traditional temporary labour migration programs in the context of settler-colonial states, whose political economies are premised upon the dispossession of Indigenous lands, resources, and political autonomy, and immigration regimes shaped historically by racialized distinctions between migrants and settlers.

In addition, 21 91��ɫ-led projects received more than $4 million in , awarded to emerging and established scholars in the social sciences and humanities to work on research projects of two to five years.

The SSHRC also announced $1.5 million funding under the for 10 91��ɫ researchers for collaboration with new or existing partners, and to design and test new partnership approaches.

For a complete list of the grants click .

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 647-463-4354, suhasini@yorku.ca

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Justice Fund announces gift to 91��ɫ U for Black & Indigenous students’ arts education

suhasini — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 20:49:16 +0000

The announcement of $100,000 Justice Fund Bursaries to the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design was made during Justice Fund Summit “Lover of Humanity” in Toronto

TORONTO, August 9, 2023 — This fall, 14 Black and Indigenous students will be eligible to apply for financial support to attend 91��ɫ’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD), following a $100,000 donation announced at the Summit: Lover of Humanity, late last week.

The recently announced Justice Fund Bursaries are valued at $7,143 each. While eligible first-year students will be given priority, the bursaries are open to all Black and Indigenous students in AMPD who demonstrate involvement in community and social-justice work, sharing the vision of Justice Fund and its co-founders Yonis Hassan, Noah “40” Shebib and Jermyn Creed.

“We are grateful for the support of the Justice Fund and very proud to be partners in advancing opportunities for youth in Toronto,” says AMPD Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng, who took part in the summit on Aug. 3, where similar partnerships focused on priority communities were made.

Bay-Cheng was also a panelist at the summit’s Fireside Chat – along with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and John Wiggins, vice president of organizational culture and inclusion for the Toronto Raptors. Bay-Cheng shared her own experiences, including challenges, and arts- and culture-based solutions for youth and underserved communities in the City and beyond.

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

is ranked as one of the Top 100 preforming arts schools globally by QS World University Rankings 2023. AMPD is one of Canada's most comprehensive arts, culture, and design schools, offering 30+ competitive degree programs, nearly five football fields worth of premier facilities, a diverse community of 3,000 socially engaged students ranging in creative disciplines, and a network of nearly 20,000 alumni leading in industries around the world. With 50 years of proven success and innovation, AMPD is a place for inclusive excellence, purposeful curiosity, and sustained career mobility.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 647-463-4354, suhasini@yorku.ca.

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Grand finale: high-school student ensembles to showcase musical talent honed at 91��ɫ U summer camp

suhasini — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 21:09:19 +0000

Budding musicians who had a weeklong, rare opportunity to learn under the tutelage of award-winning faculty members will perform with peers at a celebratory event

TORONTO, July 27, 2023 — Several high school students from across the GTA and beyond are undergoing a music intensive this week, learning from Juno-winning artists and other accomplished musicians in 91��ɫ’s . The young musicians will perform in ensembles during a celebratory event concluding the music camp, tomorrow, July 28, from 4:45-6:15p.m at the .

“I don’t do as much theory and as detailed as here, and I like how the professors take the time to explain minor details on the side, just so that you can understand the idea as a whole; it really helps to break it down,” says Gabrielle Amon a participant at the , who does not attend a music school. “It's going to take programs like these to dive deeper than you can in a music class in the school setting because here it is more like learn and absorb as much as you can.”

The Woodbridge resident who starts Grade 12 this year says it’s worth the early rising and spending most of the day in a class, as opposed to the usually laidback summer-break routine. “I feel my routine changing has showed to me that I truly value this program and it is worth it.”

Amon is among the 50 students converging from Toronto, Vaughan, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Barrie, and the Durham region — and even a student from Alberta and another from Israel — for spending their summer break to explore a range of musical styles including jazz, R&B, Gospel, Hip-Hop and the blending of musical traditions from around the world.

“It's been so wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm on the faces of the students as they learn from our renowned faculty here at 91��ɫ. The aim of our program is to create a warm, friendly and inclusive environment for high school students to study a wide range of musical styles, develop their skills and cultivate their passion for music,” says , who co-founded the lab as a unique online camp in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with . “The lab provides a vibrant environment for young people to grow and discover. Hopefully, it will inspire the next generation to create in the pursuit of an inclusive and innovative future.”

The lab was recently renamed following a $40,000 donation from Nick Nurse, co-founder of NNF and head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. A portion of the donation will fund participation bursaries for Black, Indigenous, persons of colour as well as young women, aside from certain programming costs.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 647-463-4354, suhasini@yorku.ca.

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91��ɫ U’s music department offers high school students an exclusive opportunity to study under jazz greats

suhasini — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 14:31:43 +0000

NBA coach Nick Nurse commits $40K to fund such opportunities, bursaries and programming in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design

TORONTO, July 18, 2023 — Fifty high school students will have the rare opportunity of learning from Juno-winning artists at 91��ɫ’s , thanks to a $40,000 donation from the Nick Nurse Foundation (NNF), July 24-28.

Nick Nurse, co-founder of the Nick Nurse Foundation
and head coach for NBA's Philadelphia 76ers

“I’ve always been a passionate advocate for equitable access in both sports and the arts. Success, regardless of discipline, should be a testament of merit, discipline and ingenuity — not a question of access or resources,” says Nick Nurse, co-founder of NNF and head coach for Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. “I know with the support of a globally recognized, academically and socially responsible school like AMPD, this donation can help eliminate barriers, level the playing field and empower the next generation of creative leaders in a city that has a special place in my heart.”

Participants will work closely with Juno-winning and internationally recognized jazz and gospel artists including AMPD faculty members , , and during the week-long intensive, culminating in a public performance.

The donation will support bursaries for equity-seeking students, classes, workshops and guest artist visits to the newly renamed the Nick Nurse Foundation Summer Jazz & Groove Lab. A portion of the donation will fund participation bursaries for high school students who are Black, Indigenous and/or people of colour as well as young women.

"We are extremely grateful for the donation and Nurse’s commitment to improving the lives and futures of Toronto’s young people through the arts,” says AMPD Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng. “With the Nick Nurse Foundation Summer Jazz & Groove Lab, we can provide youth with the necessary resources to positively contribute to society through music and jazz. We are tremendously excited by the opportunities this gift will open for BIPOC students and young women in the local community.”

“The Nick Nurse Foundation’s generous donation will fuel creative opportunities for young musicians to deepen their interest in contemporary styles of music,” say Lab founders and coordinators and . “The Lab will provide a vibrant environment for young people to grow and discover. Hopefully, it will inspire the next generation to create in the pursuit of an inclusive and innovative future.”

The Lab began as an online opportunity for high school students in the Summer of 2021 as the vision of music professors Cadó and Lemish. Now, the Lab is a cornerstone at the University that pioneered the inclusion of jazz and gospel in its Music degree program.

Click for more information on the Nick Nurse Foundation Summer Jazz & Groove Lab.

, established in January 2020, The Nick Nurse Foundation provides a pathway to success by empowering children and young adults to achieve their full potential. We do this by creating networks of support for families and communities by motivating our youth and ensuring improved academic opportunities. The Nick Nurse Foundation is dedicated to supporting children and young adults through exposure to resources that contribute to their ability to develop, grow, and succeed in life.

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91��ɫ U’s interdisciplinary capstone team receives award for innovative teaching

suhasini — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 15:52:06 +0000

The D2L Innovation Award honours the leadership team for its innovative approach to promoting student-centred teaching and learning in post-secondary education

91��ɫ’s Cross Campus Capstone Course (C4) program, which bridges the gap between classroom education and hands-on problem solving through interdisciplinary experiential education, has won a major award for innovation in teaching. This is one of several awards the unique program has won in the three years since its launch.

The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE), in partnership with D2L, has announced C4’s interdisciplinary team as a recipient of the 2023 D2L Innovation Award for its innovative approach to promoting student-centered teaching and learning in post-secondary education.

“We created this program to provide upper-year undergraduate and graduate students with an opportunity to work collaboratively on real world challenges with social impact,” says dance Professor Danielle Robinson, who co-founded and co-leads C4 with engineering Professor Franz Newland.

Along with Robinson and Newland, other members of the winning team, Rachelle Campigotto, Dana Craig, Danielle Dobney, Andrea Kalmin, Alice Kim and Natasha May will be honored during the Annual STLHE Conference in Charlottetown, June 13 to 15.

“The innovation demonstrated by these exceptional teams is inspirational to all of those invested in teaching and learning in higher education. We are immensely proud and grateful of the recipients’ contributions to learning and scholarship in Canada,” says STLHE Chair Elana Cooperberg in a press release that noted the recipients are at the forefront of innovation both within their institutions and higher education more broadly.

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Concert to celebrate Canadian Jewish composers spanning 115 years

suhasini — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 11:06:49 +0000

TORONTO, March 22, 2023 – 91��ɫ’s Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies and the will present a chamber music recital on Thursday at the Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Keele Campus.

This free recital will celebrate Canadian Jewish composers spanning 115 years as part of the performance and lecture series “Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ 91��ɫ.” The series is dedicated to showcasing the multicultural diversity of Jewish musical expression and the ongoing intersections between Jewish and non-Jewish musical practices and communities.

“The initiative is driven by an inclusive philosophy that believes in the power of music to serve as a bridge-builder and a vehicle for cultural exchange and dialogue,” says music , lead organizer of the event.

“Our performers will reveal a wide range of colours coming from the imagination and life stories of the featured composers. All these works have in common an aspiration to peace, to prayer, to joy and to celebration,” says music scholar and performer Diane Kolin, who will share insights about the repertoire and the composers in it during her pre-concert talk.

The series is also part of the , hosted by the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design.

WHAT: Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ 91��ɫ, celebrating the music of Canadian Jewish Composers

WHO: 91��ɫ music faculty members and special guests. Click here for bios and more info

WHEN: Pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m.; concert at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: , Accolade East Building (ACE), 83 91��ɫ Blvd, 91��ɫ Keele Campus

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 647-463-4354, suhasini@yorku.ca

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Drumroll… jazz virtuoso Terri Lyne Carrington this year’s Oscar Peterson Artist-in-Residence at 91��ɫ

suhasini — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 23:42:06 +0000

Grammy-winning drummer and educator to offer masterclasses, public performances and workshops geared at mentoring students who will be the future of jazz

Following the 65th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, acclaimed music composer, producer and educator Terri Lyne Carrington’s next stop will be Toronto, where she will engage with 91��ɫ students and the public as this year’s Oscar Peterson Artist-in-Residence at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), from Feb. 7-9.

Supplied / Photo by Michael Goldman

As an acclaimed musician, she has a track record for being a dedicated educator and an advocate for racial and gender justice – in the industry and beyond – throughout her professional journey.

“At some point, I realized that being an educator was satisfying another part of my artistry and contributing to our musical community differently than playing shows or making records,” Carrington tells News@91��ɫ, recalling how her passion to teach was shaped. “I will get the same 'charge' so to say, or inspiration from a one-on-one connection, as I would from performing in front of an audience.”

Needless to say, her calendar is filled with concert tours, composition and production work, and being an educator at the prestigious , her alma mater. However, Carrington sets aside time to travel and meet young artists, to both impart the knowledge and experience she has acquired ever since legendary Canadian jazz pianist , former 91��ɫ chancellor.

Supplied / Photo by Michael Goldman

“There is something about seeing a lightbulb come on in a young person and knowing that your words and actions could possibly change their life. That brings a special kind of satisfaction beyond a good concert,” Carrington adds. “It’s also a responsibility that one has to be up for. This is why balance is important. I decided I wanted to do both and that neither would have priority over the other. And I think it all boils down to caring about the field, caring about the art form, and caring about humanity.”

Carrington is also equally committed to rectifying the imbalances in the music industry, particularly in jazz field where most instruments have traditionally been dominated by men. She founded the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice at BCM in 2018. “I am very hopeful because it seems things have been improving for a while, but now it feels like there is some real momentum in this area. It is collective work and takes the entire community to make real change.”

When it comes to righting the future of the music industry, according to Carrington the only solution is breaking down gender norms, starting in middle school. “These teachers really need to be educated about the best ways to create gender balance in the classrooms,” she says. “Music is not sports, and does not have to be treated as such.

We all need to look at the possibilities of sound coming from different bodies and allow our imaginations to truly welcome a new aesthetic in jazz.
TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON, OSCAR PETERSON ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, YORK UNIVERSITY

Carrington is not only a trailblazing musician – she is an activist, advocating for gender equality. She will be making a presentation, Jazz and Gender Justice, open to the public, during her residency. The lineup of open to the public, organized by the , include a meet-the-artist welcome Tuesday morning and a concert at the Thursday evening.

Carrington, who received an from 91��ɫ last year, notes that programs like the Oscar Peterson residency help in advancing her profession, allowing to enrich her own knowledge and broaden her perspective as an educator. “I think going into different regions helps educators understand common issues within different institutions.”

Doing presentations of any kind are part of professional development as well, says Carrington.

The Oscar Peterson residency will help Carrington create positive change and advance her vision for a better future in the jazz music industry. And it will undoubtedly help her touch the lives of music students and young artists just the way Oscar Peterson himself touched hers.

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2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: 91��ɫ breaks ground on the Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery

manton — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 19:26:00 +0000

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