School of the Arts Archives - News@91��ɫ

Two chances to catch live gospel music tonight at 91��ɫ U

egamulin — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:33:07 +0000

Media invited to gospel music performance and talk and annual Word, Sound Power event featuring Canadian dub poet, writer and Juno award winner Lillian Allen

TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2026 – Media have two opportunities to attend live gospel music at 91��ɫ’s Keele campus this evening, with two Black History Month events featuring the 91��ɫ Gospel Choir (YUGC), one for the 91��ɫ community and the other one open to the public.

The YUGC’s roots go back to the 1990s with a student-run choir called Vessels of Honour. In 2005, the YUGC was created as a course, making 91��ɫ the first university in Canada to offer gospel music course curriculum. Growing from a small group of 20 students to more than a hundred, the choir regularly performs to sold-out audiences.

Gospel Music Collaboration with Founders College and Black Excellence
5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Open to the 91��ɫ community, the YUGC, led by choir conductor Natalie Stewart, will perform, interspersed by a discussion led by Assistant Professor on the impact of gospel music on the Black diaspora. Performance and talk starting at 5:30 p.m. with a panel discussion and Q&A to follow.

Put on by (BE U) and Founders College, the event takes place at Founders Assembly Hall, 152 Founders College.

Centering our Stories and Communities: Word, Sound, Power: Black Artistic Expression
5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

The Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in the Faculty of Education at 91��ɫ, with the support of UPS, are pleased to present their annual Black History Month Celebration.

Word, Sound, Power: Black Artistic Expression will be an evening of performances showcasing Black artistic expression here at 91��ɫ. Featuring musical performances including the Oscar Peterson Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Music Chair , and the YUGC, as well as spoken word artists from Highschool Students to Emcees.

The evening also features a spotlight presentation by Canadian dub poet, writer and Juno Award winner&�Բ��;—&�Բ��;Lillian Allen.

5:30 - 6:30 p.m. RECEPTION (CIBC Lobby, Accolade East Building, 83 91��ɫ Blvd.)

6:30 - 9:00 p.m. PERFORMANCES (Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre, Accolade East Building, 83 91��ɫ Blvd.)

RSVP

This is a free event open to the public. All are welcome to attend, but seats are limited.

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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:

Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Unpacking the power of gospel music to Black history

roshanp — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 15:16:21 +0000

91��ɫ expert is available to explain gospel music popularity and history

TORONTO, February 10, 2020 – Gospel music is so ingrained in pop culture today that gospel choirs are everywhere from the Superbowl and Grammys to detergent and car commercials, says Karen Burke, one of Canada’s leading authorities on gospel music’s history and performance practices.

, an associate professor in 91��ɫ’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, will be among several gospel, spoken word, jazz and R&B performances at the Faculty of Education’s Black History Month event. The event, , will be held on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

With musicians from pop star Justin Bieber to rapper Kanye West belting out gospel music, the origins of gospel music easily could be forgotten. Gospel music began as spiritual songs, sung by enslaved African Black people in the U.S. The songs were peppered with concealed messages of survival and plans to escape from the slave owners.

“Gospel music is an important tool to understand the depth of Black history, and the gospel music community in Canada today is a big vibrant and diverse community,” says Burke, who is organizing musical performances and directing the 91��ɫ Gospel Choir at the event.

A singer, choral director and composer, Burke started Canada’s first university gospel music course at 91��ɫ in 2005.

“Gospel choirs are used all the time to emphasize important events, like at the Grammys or the Oscars or Meghan Markle’s wedding,” says Burke. “The hydraulic lift goes up and there’s the gospel choir hoisted in the air and the energy is electric.”

The event is hosted by the��Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, currently held by Professor .

Of the event’s theme, James says gospel music is quite culturally relevant to Black history, adding that “gospel music was��central to the colonial project and hence��a part of life for enslaved African Black people in the West. But while the music is rooted in Christian spirituality, it’s important to remember that��Black people are not all Christians, so we will all have a different relationship to the music.”

WHAT: Faculty of Education’s Black History Month event

WHEN and WHERE: Wednesday, February 12, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. reception (Martin Family Lounge, 2nd Floor Accolade East, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. performances (Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, at 91��ɫ’s Keele Campus (see #92 on this��).

NOTE:��Members of the public are required to as space is limited. Members of the media should RSVP to the contact below.

91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452, vthomps@yorku.ca

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What is cinema in an era of mobile screens?

roshanp — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 16:40:54 +0000

Industry leaders to speak at 50^th anniversary event for 91��ɫ U’s School of the Arts

TORONTO, November 14, 2019 – The screen industry in Canada is undergoing rapid change in response to social media, streaming services and new media such as virtual and augmented reality.

In a time of ubiquitous mobile media and computing, predictions for the future of Canada’s screen industries will be discussed on a panel – Unfolding Screens: Envisioning the Future of Media Arts in Canada – as part of 91��ɫ’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design’s on Wednesday, November 20.

, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, will be joined on the panel by , CEO of Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, and Ingrid Veninger, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and assistant professor in 91��ɫ’s Department of Cinema & Media Arts. All three are alumni of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD).

The moderator is , Dean of AMPD and a respected scholar on the intersections of theatre and digital media. Building on the school’s historic strengths in experimentation across the arts, AMPD is expanding its research and teaching in emerging industry developments, such as digital media and computational arts. Formerly known as the Faculty of Fine Arts, the School of AMPD created Canada’s first undergraduate film program in 1969, first university theatre course in 1971, first Master’s program in dance in 1976, first graduate program in film in 1979, and the first university courses in gospel music in 2005. With a name change to AMPD in 2015, the School continues to offer the only BFA degree in screenwriting in Canada.

The 50^th anniversary event also includes a choice of three student performances. The first two productions, Good Night Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) and Dance Innovations are both at capacity on event day, but tickets are available throughout the week. Seating is available for the third performance, 91��ɫ Jazz Festival: Small Ensembles.

WHAT: Film and theatre industry leaders to discuss media history and the future of screen arts and culture in Canada on a panel

WHEN: Wednesday, November 20, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre inside 110 Accolade East Building at 91��ɫ’s Keele Campus, 83 91��ɫ Boulevard (see #92 on this��).

NOTE:��Members of the public are required to RSVP for the panel discussion by emailing infusini@yorku.ca. Members of the media should RSVP to the contact below.

91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452, vthomps@yorku.ca

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Classical and musical theatre singing will fill 91��ɫ U halls at 2017 Ontario Vocal Showcase

roshanp — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 17:20:37 +0000

TORONTO, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 – 91��ɫ will be filled with the sweet sounds of singing this weekend when its School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design hosts the annual of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).

The Showcase is an opportunity for student singers, children and adults from across the province to perform and receive written feedback from a panel of three adjudicators. The singers also compete in various categories for scholarships.

Classical voice adjudications will take place Saturday, while the musical theatre adjudications will be on Sunday. First-place winners from all categories will perform at the final concerts at the end of each day’s classes.

Each year, the Vocal Showcase alternates between either 91��ɫ or the University of Toronto, and the University of Western Ontario and Wilfrid Laurier University.

“This year is our turn. We love to host the event in the Accolade East Building where we can show off not only our excellent new facilities and Recital Hall but also our fine vocal student participants,” said , Associate Professor of classical vocal performance at AMPD and one of Canada’s best known mezzo-sopranos. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet their colleagues from across the province as well as to show 91��ɫ’s Department of Music and School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design to prospective new students, their parents and teachers. We are very excited to host this important event.”

WHAT: National Association of Teachers of Singing 2017 Ontario Vocal Showcase

WHO: Students in Grade 5 to fourth-year post-secondary and adults up to age 30 training under a singing teacher who is a NATS Ontario member

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 18 to Sunday, Nov. 19

WHERE: Accolade East Building, Keele campus, 91��ɫ. See number 92 on the .

NATS is the largest professional association of teachers of singing in the world with nearly��7,000 members in the United States, Canada and some 30 other countries.

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��is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097,��sandramc@yorku.ca

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91��ɫ announces “game-changing” $2M gift for music education partnership

roshanp — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:46:25 +0000

��TORONTO, November 17, 2016��– 91��ɫ and the will establish a new research chair in music education, and develop a new partnership through a $2 million gift from the Carswell Family Foundation (CFF). 91��ɫ professor emeritus Allan Carswell announced the donation at an event held at 91��ɫ on November 16. In addition to the new research chair, the funding will support the RPSM’s collaboration with the Jane-Finch community, benefiting more than 1,300 children.

“It is an honour to thank the Carswell Family Foundation for this incredible gift, which will strengthen evidence-based research in music education and music programming, and transform the lives of children for years to come,” said Mamdouh Shoukri, President and Vice-Chancellor, 91��ɫ.

The celebration included a number of performances including the 91��ɫ Gospel and Regent Park choirs and featured Grammy and two time Juno Award winning singer, Liberty Silver.

Professor emeritus Allan Carswell announced a $2M donation to music education at an event at 91��ɫ, November 16. Part of the funding will support the Regent Park School of Music collaboration with the Jane-Finch community, benefiting more than 1,300 children.

The $2 million CFF gift will fund the Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts, a permanent endowed chair position within the 91��ɫ. The Chair will facilitate and direct interdisciplinary projects and enhance community music and art programs. The gift will also fund an important new partnership between 91��ɫ and the RPSM to strengthen community music programming and research, increase reach and impact on students; and enhance community music education initiatives in Toronto.

“This remarkable gift from the Carswell Family Foundation will be a game-changer for Regent Park School of Music and the 1,300-plus kids we are currently reaching in Jane-Finch and across the city,” said Richard Marsella, executive director of the Regent Park School of Music. “The partnership with 91��ɫ will give us access to academic researchers, who will inform, improve and refine what we do to help kids succeed through music.��We are delighted to be part of this truly unique community and academic initiative.”

Dr. Allan Carswell and the CFF focus on community philanthropy that has direct impact. The Foundation has previously, generously supported 91��ɫ with funding for new scientific research labs, awards, and scholarships. Earlier this year, the Foundation gifted $1 million to fund graduate scholarships in the University’s Faculty of Science and Lassonde School of Engineering.

“The Helen Carswell Chair will amplify the scope and impact of the research being done by artists and scholars at 91��ɫ��in collaboration with community partners, and the outstanding work being done by the Regent Park School of Music,” said AMPD Dean Shawn Brixey. “It establishes a crucible in which scholarly research, creative practice and community art-making come together to generate even more powerful, more influential and more lasting outcomes to benefit our local community and society at large.”

For 30 years, Dr. Allan Carswell served as a full-time professor of physics at 91��ɫ, where he developed a new remote sensing laser technology that is now used worldwide. At 91��ɫ, he also founded his company, Optech Incorporated, which commercialized the technology.

91��ɫ recently launched “Impact: The Campaign for 91��ɫ”, a $500-million fundraising and alumni engagement initiative. The campaign aims to build stronger communities on campus and throughout the University’s local and global networks to enrich learning and research. The creation of the Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts directly supports that priority.

��is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university—our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200-plus leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

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Media contact:
Gloria Suhasini, Media Relations, 91��ɫ, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094,��suhasini@yorku.ca

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Performing Indigeneity: Michael Greyeyes directs interdisciplinary Theatre @ 91��ɫ production of THE BIRDS

roshanp — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:48:38 +0000

“Your actions affect us all
Those here and those who come after”

TORONTO, March 8, 2016 – The Birds by First Nations playwright is a powerful adaptation of one of western theatre’s earliest comedies: the classical Greek play by Aristophanes. directs the combined creative talent from four departments in 91��ɫ’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design in a compelling production of Nolan’s work, leading 21st century audiences inside colonization from an Indigenous point of view.

Theatre @ 91��ɫ’s interdisciplinary production of The Birds, featuring new writing, choreography, music and interactive digital audio visuals, opens March 21 and runs to March 26 at the Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre on 91��ɫ’s Keele campus.

The Birds masks, designed by Mike Dangeli and created in collaboration with 91��ɫ students

Greyeyes, a 91��ɫ theatre professor and critically acclaimed artist, envisions The Birds as a story of women and transformation, and an opportunity to communicate the realities underlying Indigenous and settler relationships.

“Subjectivity is a gift we can give each other,” said Greyeyes. “Subjectivity allows you to step into someone else’s shoes. And as the saying goes, 'if you’ve walked a mile in another’s shoes, it’s impossible to see them with old eyes'. With our production of The Birds, we want to give our audience new eyes: the opportunity to see things from the perspective of the Aboriginal community.”

Nolan re-situates the play to Turtle Island (North America), recasting the two humans who visit the land of the birds as colonizers-come-lately, intent on remaking this Indigenous paradise in their own image. Interweaving the Roman poet Ovid’s tale of the abused princess Philomela and her sister Procne as the backstory to the Nightingale in the play, Nolan places a tragic past at the heart of this comic fable.

“...we cannot forget our history
It is a part of us”

The Birds is presented in two acts, linked with collectively devised original content. Independent dance artist , who teaches in the Department of Dance, choreographed an original concert work with the department’s resident company, the 91��ɫ Dance Ensemble, that anchors the first act and give shape to the historical backstory hinted at in Nolan’s text.

Serving as assistant directors, eight BFA and MFA students from the Department of Theatre augment further responses to the text with a series of interstitial performance and media works that connect Lee’s choreography with Greyeyes’ staging that is the focus of the production’s second act.

First Nations guest artist, master carver led workshops for students and members of the Indigenous community to create six original large-scale masks for the show. Set, costume, lighting, sound and projection design are by undergrad theatre students. Artists from the Digital Media Program and Department of Music round out the creative team. The cast features performers from the 4th Year Acting Conservatory.

“The structure for this collaborative production is modelled after Indigenous creation protocols and governance,” said Greyeyes. “In particular, we’re exploring the ‘one-eighths’ principle, which emphasizes consensus. The idea is that each person only knows one-eighth of the story, and needs seven others to get the full picture. Working together on The Birds as creators, designers, performers and producers, we’re weaving a story where everyone’s voice has similar weight. A woven story is stronger than a single strand.”

... it is possible to carry our past
And move forward – Transformed”

The Birds is the final main stage performance within Performing Indigeneity, the Department of Theatre’s 2015-16 thematic focus. 91��ɫ’s theatre program joins the national conversation being undertaken by the country’s most influential theatre organizations and leads the nation in addressing how post-secondary theatre training intersects with Canada’s Indigenous peoples and the diversity of their artistic practices.

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The School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, 91��ɫ, presents
The Birds
A Theatre @ 91��ɫ production
Written by Yvette Nolan and directed by Michael Greyeyes

The Birds website: ��

When: March 20 to 26, opening Monday, March 21
Schedule: Previews March 20 at 7:30pm, opens March 21 and runs to March 24 at 7:30pm nightly, plus matinees March 23 at 1pm and March 26 at 2pm. *No show on March 25 (Good Friday)

Where: Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre, Accolade East Building, 91��ɫ, 4700 Keele St. Toronto

Admission: $20 | students & seniors $12 | preview $7
Group rate: $10 (for groups of 10 or more; not available through online purchase — please call the box office)
Box Office: or tel. 416-736-5888

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is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our 52,000 students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 24 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide.

��Media Contact:
Amy Stewart ��416-650-8469 | amy.stewart@yorku.ca

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