Sfu's Vancity Office Of Community Engagement

On this episode of See How We Run!, we’re joined by two cultural workers: Asia Jong, an emerging curator, arts facilitator and who was one of the co-organizers of Ground Floor Art Centre, a collectively-run DIY gallery, studio and project space with a focus on supporting early emerging artists; and Vitória “veto” Monteiro, an emerging visual artist, arts facilitator, ​​and current Board President of grunt gallery and Acting Curator of Learning and Engagement at the Contemporary Art Gallery. Hosted by SFU VOCE staff member and emerging visual artist Kathy Feng, the three are in conversation about some of Asia and Vitória’s previous work and individual practices. They explore how to create opportunities for emerging artists, and the history of Ground Floor Art Centre and other DIY spaces similar to it. They also talk about incorporating accessibility into the gallery, opening up spaces through workshops and prioritizing access needs, as well as the importance of centering care and joy in arts and cultural spa

On this episode of See How We Run! we’re joined by Gallery Gachet’s executive Director Demi London and artistic director Moroti George to talk about the evolution of Gachet’s approach to supporting artistic creation and exhibition, in ways that are accessible to and supportive of people facing systemic barriers and social marginalization. We speak about the ways the gallery’s programming and operations changed over time in response to shifts in funding, space and the needs of the community, and we discuss their personal entry points into their work at the gallery. This episode is hosted by SFU VOCE program manager Julia Aoki. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/see-how-we-run/229-art-as-agency-autonomy-and-community.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/229-art-as-agency-autonomy-and-community.html Resources: Gallery Gachet: https://gachet.org/ Dion Smith-

On this episode of See How We Run! we’re joined by Neworld Theatre’s managing director Alen Dominguez and consultant Caitlin Jones to talk about Progress Lab 1422’s Backstage Spaces report. Progress Lab is a building in East Van that is a dedicated performance creation space and home to a collective of renowned theatre and dance companies, who collaboratively run the space with their nonprofit tenants’ board C-Space. The Backstage Spaces report provides an understanding of the issues performance creation spaces face in terms of affordability, city zoning, and property-tax, that threaten not only the companies tenancies but their creative capacities. This episode is hosted by SFU VOCE program assistant and interdisciplinary performance artist Samantha Walters. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/see-how-we-run/228-backstage-spaces.html. Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast

Welcome to See How We Run! An original Below the Radar mini-series featuring conversations with arts and cultural workers in Vancouver. In this first episode, co-hosts Julia Aoki, Kathy Feng, and Samantha Walters introduce the series and what’s to come. In each episode, they’ll speak to artists, consultants, administrators, and advocates about how art and culture is made and sustained in Vancouver. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/see-how-we-run/227-see-how-we-run.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/227-see-how-we-run.html Resources: Gallery Gachet: https://gachet.org/ Hives for Humanity: https://www.hivesforhumanity.com/ Progress Lab 1422: https://c-space.ca/ Backstage Spaces Report: https://c-space.ca/backstage-spaces/ Contemporary Art Gallery: https://cagvancouver.org/ Powell Street Festival: https://powellstreetfestival.com/ Bios: Julia Aoki is an

This week on Below the Radar, we’re joined by Vancouver legend Norman Armour, a curator, consultant, producer, director, actor and non-profit arts specialist with over 35 years of experience. Norman discusses his experience co-founding the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, his storied career in the Canadian arts scene, as well as his health. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/226-norman-armour.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/226-norman-armour.html Resources: Norman Armour: https://www.normanarmourconsulting.com/ PuSh International Performing Arts Festival: https://pushfestival.ca/ Rumble Theatre: https://rumble.org/ The Post at 750: https://thepostat750.ca/ VIFF Live: https://viff.org/live/viff-2023/ Bio: Norman Armour is a Vancouver-based curator, consultant, producer, director, actor and non-profit arts specialist with 35+ years of exp

Alex Hemingway, Senior Economist and Public Finance Policy Analyst at the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), joins Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. They discuss the Canadian housing crisis, the misclassification of independent contractors in the gig economy, and the CCPA’s report promoting a wealth tax. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/225-alex-hemingway.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/225-alex-hemingway.html Resources: Alex Hemingway: https://policyalternatives.ca/authors/alex-hemingway Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA): BC Office: https://policyalternatives.ca/offices/bc/about CCPA: Wealth Tax Report: https://www.policynote.ca/tax-the-rich/ Understanding Precarity in BC Project: https://policyalternatives.ca/projects/understanding-precarity No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilde

This week on Below the Radar, we're joined by Samir Gandesha, Professor in the Department of the Humanities and the Director of the Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University. In this conversation, Samir and Am discuss the importance of challenging ideas in academia, how family trauma has impacted his perspective, and the long history of the Institute for the Humanities–leading up to the celebration of the Institute's 40th anniversary in October 2023. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/224-samir-gandesha.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/224-samir-gandesha.html Resources: Samir Gandesha: https://www.sfu.ca/people/gandesha.html Institute for the Humanities: https://www.sfu.ca/humanities-institute.html Dissertation: Tragedy and Enlightenment: https://philpapers.org/rec/GANTAE Spectres of Fascism: https://btlbooks.com/book/spectres-of-fascis

Bruce Mutsvairo, Professor of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University, and a 2023 SFU CERi researcher-in-residence, sits down with Am Johal to discuss his journey from journalism into academia and the state of journalism in Africa. He and Am also discuss the complexities of citizen journalism in relation to influencers, especially in the context of transparency, misinformation, and inequality. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/223-bruce-mutsvairo.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/223-bruce-mutsvairo.html Resources: Bruce Mutsvairo: https://www.uu.nl/staff/bmutsvairo Introducing Bruce Mutsvairo: https://www.sfu.ca/ceri/blog/2023/Introducing-Bruce-Mutsvairo.html Platforms, Power and Politics: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=platforms-power-and-politics--9781509553570&fbclid=IwAR0qhMg8n4OLgGo0ucxHYcTwtdXSF38ZpYbDYYCLmcCNpZIEWuf3

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Ali Kazimi, director and winner of the 2019 Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. Ali shares with Am how he got into filmmaking, his experiences of discrimination when arriving in Canada, and his path into the production of his various films, such as Continuous Journey, Narmada, Random Acts of Legacy, and his latest film, Beyond Extinction. In talking about his film, Shooting Indians, created in collaboration with Jeffrey Thomas, Ali describes the film’s dialogic approach, and how Jeffrey challenges the visual stereotypes of Indigenous people put forward by the American photographer, Edward Sherriff Curtis. Ali explains how he uses archives to unearth never before seen footage of the Komagata Maru, and how he embraces the imperfections of old archival materials. Finally, Am and Ali discuss the effort it takes to maintain autonomy as a filmmaker. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-

On this episode of Below the Radar, Angela Aujla, visual artist and Professor of Sociology at Georgian College, sits down with Am Johal. Angela shares her career transition into the visual arts, while continuing to draw upon her academic background in Sociology and Anthropology to influence her mixed-media works. Angela also discusses the influences and inspiration of her art exhibition, My Grandmother’s Dress. The episode ends on a meaningful conversation about the complexities of diaspora identities and how different generations dealt with them. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/211-angela-aujla.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/211-angela-aujla.html Resources: Angela Aujla’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angela_aujla_art/?hl=en Angela Aujla - Exhibition: My Grandmother’s Dress: https://maclarenart.com/exhibition/my-grandmothers-dress/ Bi

This week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Ryan Tacata, Assistant Professor of Performance at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Together, Am and Ryan discuss his performance residency at the Libby Leshgold Gallery, and methods of designing pedagogy for contemporary performance education. Ryan also shares how he started in live performance and some of the various artists who have inspired him. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/220-ryan-tacata.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/220-ryan-tacata.html Resources: Ryan Tacata: http://www.ryan-tacata.com/about/ School for the Contemporary Arts: https://www.sfu.ca/sca.html White Carpet: https://libby.ecuad.ca/exhibitions/2023/soft-launch.html La Mamelle: http://www.ryan-tacata.com/la-mamelle For You: http://www.foryou.productions/about The Welcoming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Z3

On this episode of Below the Radar, Charlotte Gill, author of the books Ladykiller and Eating Dirt, sits down with Am Johal to explore her latest book, Almost Brown, which shares her experience growing up as a mixed-race child in a multi-cultural/religious household. Charlotte describes the family dynamics that led her Punjabi father to marry her English mother and become estranged from his father, and in turn, the process that led Charlotte to becoming estranged from her own father. The episode ends on a meaningful conversation about how mixed identities narratives have changed across generations, and how the language to discuss those identities have evolved. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/219-charlotte-gill.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/219-charlotte-gill.html Resources: Charlotte Gill: https://charlottegill.com/about/ Almost Brown: https://

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University, joins Am Johal to discuss the pertinent topic of fascism and how political figures use and promote the image of “strongmen'' in their pursuit of power. Am and Ruth explore the modern political environment through Ruth’s book, Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, linking the style of Mussolini to politicians like Berlusconi, Orban, and Trump, and the process by which they become more corrupt, more reliant on power, and thereby more reliant on extremists. In conjunction with our previous episode with Alberto Toscano, these two episodes give a historical perspective to understanding the rise of fascism in the present. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/218-ruth-ben-ghiat.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/218-ruth-ben-ghiat.html Resources: Ruth Ben-Ghiat: https://ruthb

Critical theorist Alberto Toscano sits down with Am Johal to discuss the emergence of critical theory alongside fascism's rise in the 1920s and 30s. He speaks of Georges Sorel as a politically radical figure from the time period, highlights the role of political violence in the emergence of fascism, and delves into contemporary American currents of fascism – particularly focusing on the racialized form of state terror present in the United States. From there, Alberto discusses the concept of fascism and its continued relationship to settler colonial formations, its association with extreme neoliberalism, and the importance of figures like Aimé Césaire, W. E. B. Du Bois, Angela Davis, and George Jackson in emphasising manifestations of racial fascism. He acknowledges the complexity of using terms like American fascism, and mentions the need to understand the dynamics and political economy underlying the far-right movements in the U.S., which are the result of white homogeneity and privileged groups imagining

Below the Radar is returning from our summer break, bringing you 15 new conversations from an eclectic range of guests. We have invited local and international academics and artists to speak on topics ranging from continuing and emergent forms of fascism, and expressions of diasporic narratives and experiences in literary, visual, and moving image arts, to citizen journalism in Africa and shifting dynamics of labour in an increasingly casualized economy here in BC. We’re also delighted to bring to you a new series created by 3 members of our team: Program Manager Julia Aoki, Program Assistant Samantha Walters, and Research Assistant/Editor Kathy Feng. Together, they feature the work of local arts collectives and organizations, highlighting conversations about creation, spacemaking, accessibility, and self-determination within the framework of Vancouver’s cityscape. The season kicks off on September 5, 2023, with new episodes every Tuesday. Thank you so much for tuning in to Below the Radar, and we’re excite

A family journey that spans three generations. This week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Bill Sundhu, a human rights & criminal justice lawyer. Bill shares the remarkable story about his parents' arrival in Canada following the partition of India, and how an interview with his mother led to them reconnecting with her sister in Pakistan. Am and Bill also discuss growing up in Williams Lake, Punjabi diaspora, and the lasting legacy of the partition. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/216-bill-sundhu.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/216-bill-sundhu.html Resources: Bill Sundhu: https://bwilliamsundhu.com/ Gurdev Sundhu’s story in The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-youtube-connected-gurdev-sundhu-to-a-sister-she-lost-in-the-partition/ Gurdev Sundhu’s Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAf2U1Q3I7k Bi

This week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Jorge Amigo, the head of cultural programming at the Vancouver Public Library. Together they discuss the power of library public programs, some of Jorge’s past public projects, as well as how the urban design of Vancouver relates to social isolation, and potential paths towards cultivating more friendships. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/215-jorge-amigo.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/215-jorge-amigo.html Resources: Vancouver Public Library Program: https://www.vpl.ca/programs-events Be my Amigo: https://vancouversun.com/life/relationships/be-my-amigo-determined-to-make-vancovuer-a-friendlier-city On Civil Society: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/featured/on-civil-society.jsp Opera Adventures: https://www.vancouveropera.ca/press-release/vancouver-opera-and-van

Head of the departments of surgery at both the Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia, and Am Johal’s former brain surgeon, Dr. Gary Redekop, joins Am on this episode of Below the Radar. Dr. Redekop and Am discuss advancements in medical procedures, how patients and medical practitioners experience surgery differently, and the relationship between neuroplasticity and human resilience. This episode explores the importance of preventative care, and celebrates our amazing capacity for human resilience and recovery. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/214-gary-redekop.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/214-gary-redekop.html Resources: Dr. Gary Redekop: https://neurosurgery.med.ubc.ca/faculty-spotlight/gary-j-redekop-bsc-md-msc-frcsc/ UBC: Department of Surgery: https://surgery.med.ubc.ca/about/ Bio: Dr. Redekop received his MD

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Lama Mugabo, founding director of Building Bridges with Rwanda, a campaign manager with the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, and a member of the Hogan’s Alley Working Group. Together, they discuss local training and advocacy programs for people with lived experience of homelessness and other marginalizing barriers, Hogan’s Alley Society’s advocacy in Vancouver’s historically Black neighbourhood, and Lama’s capacity building and educational work in Rwanda. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/213-lama-mugabo.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/213-lama-mugabo.html Resources: Lama Mugabo https://www.lamamugabo.com/ BC Poverty Reduction Coalition: https://www.bcpovertyreduction.ca/ Building Bridges with Rwanda: https://www.bbrwanda.ca/ Hogan’s Alley Society: https://www.hogansalleysociety.o

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal speaks with Michael Clague, a community developer who has spent decades connecting underserved people to much-needed supports and programming. They begin by discussing Michael’s early service work as a UBC student, and move into conversation about the BC labour movement, community arts programming, and Michael’s new book, titled So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?: At 82, A Life In Progress. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/212-michael-clague.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/212-michael-clague.html Resources: Michael’s book, So, How Have I Been Doing at Being Who I Am?: https://bcbooklook.com/a-life-in-progress/ Carnegie Community Centre: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/carnegie-community-centre.aspx Britannia Community Centre: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-cultu