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Canada Reimagining CanLit: New Writing, New Views Canada at War   Crime Art Crime: Fraud, Plunder and Theft of Culture Scams and Scammers   Discussion Economist Readers Events of the Fortnight New Yorker Readers Opinions A Opinions B   Film Artists’ Lives in Literature and Film Contemporary Film A Contemporary Film B Gender’s Voice in…

CANADA’S FORGOTTEN 40% – A VIRTUAL REALITY TRIP NORTH OF 60 Biweekly, Monday, 12 – 2, Week 1 Reports of Indigenous people’s issues and actions are everywhere in the media.  Join us for an Academy year of discovery.  By focusing on the realities of life in a variety of Northern communities, we will get to know…

WE NEED YOUR INPUT! The Special Events Committee spends many hours developing special events for Academy members to enjoy. It is important to us that these events reflect members’ interests.  To ensure this happens we are sending out a short survey. You will find the link to the survey below. Please take a few minutes…

Are you having a problem with Zoom? Would you like to make sure that your presentation runs smoothly? Email your request for Tech Team assistance to Ouracademy2021@gmail.com. Please make it as detailed as possible. A member of the Tech Team will then contact you to set up a mutually acceptable time for a Zoom appointment.Do…

On July 1st the workshop spaces held for new members will be released and you will have the opportunity to register for a 4th workshop. This year for the first time we have a new workshop for you to consider at this stage. Facilitators Yvette Matyas and Thea Hermann have developed a topical and thought-provoking…

Facilitator FAQs

Biweekly, Monday  10-12, Week 2 – Fall term only
WORKSHOP CANCELLED

This workshop is for music lovers who want to learn about the fusion of jazz and classical music which developed in the 20th century. We will be examining the origins of jazz, its impact on European composers from Debussy and Ravel onwards, and its subsequent use by North American composers like Gershwin, Copland, Bernstein and John Adams, to name but a few of a host of serious musicians attracted to the vitality of the genre.

The workshop will also offer opportunities to see what artists primarily identified as jazz musicians (e.g. Scott Joplin, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck et al.) created by using classical forms like opera and symphonies. The only prerequisite for the course is a love of music. Musical terms will be explained by the facilitator. CDs, tapes, DVDs and the internet provide a vast array of material for a 20-minute presentation.  The facilitator will assist with technical questions about music theory. A selection of possible topics will be provided. An excellent introduction to the topic can be found in Alex Ross’s book, The Rest is Silence.

Biweekly, Friday 2-4, Week 1 – Fall term only
space available

Public parks, both in Canada and around the world, are spaces for recreation, sports, conservation, education, commemoration, community and economic development, political protest and more. They also serve as cultural spaces for music, theatre, dance and film and in literature.

Public parks can be contested public spaces: To what extent do they reflect the struggle or cooperation between public and private actors, indigenous people and park authorities? What are their historical roots? Who has access, who is excluded? Do they honour indigenous rights? When and how do park visits degenerate into over-tourism? How have social media altered park use? When and why do parks serve as the site of political and social protests? How are parks used in wars and what is their role in climate change?

Participants may choose from a variety of topics and are expected to make a 20-minute presentation. There will be recommended readings for each topic, but none that are required of everybody.

Biweekly, Thursday  2 – 4, Week 1 – Fall term only to start with
space available

“Inequality is the defining challenge of our time,” said President Obama in December 2013. ‘Equality’ and ‘Inequality’ are words used every day but what do they mean? Are they mutually exclusive? Both will be considered in their broadest sense and not solely in monetary terms. The workshop will look at authors as diverse as Kurt Vonnegut and Thomas Piketty. Each participant will be expected to make a 20-minute presentation on a topic. The focus will be on breaking EQUALITY and INEQUALITY down into ‘bite- sized’ manageable issues such as universal basic income, education, employment, race, dignity, social mobility, income and wealth.

Biweekly, Wednesday 12 – 2, Week 1
WORKSHOP CANCELLED

Join us in exploring diverse dance forms from around the world. Learn about the twist, tango, flamenco, break dancing, Shaolin Monk Dance and many more.  Learn to appreciate the dance form and its historical, cultural, and political context. Each participant will research and do one presentation on a specific dance form or a dancer exemplifying the dance form, to be followed by discussion.