Located in the Faculty of Communication & Design at Ryerson University, The Studio blurs the boundaries between art, activism, and scholarship.

1. The Studio.
Congress 2017 I Ryerson University
Blurring
BoundariesMedia, Activism, Scholarship

2. Artivism Meets
Scholarship
The Studio works to blur the boundaries
between media artmaking, activism, and
theoretical /scholarly investigation.
We are: filmmakers, designers, scholars,
media artists, students and teachers in the
areas of: media studies, cultural studies,
critical race/ feminist/disability and queer
theory, and arts-based social justice work.
We do: community-based research,
symposia, a speakers’ series, scholarly
publication, and the promotion of social
justice content for Canadian broadcast &
cultural industries.

3. Inside &
Outside the
Classroom
FOCUS AREAS
MEDIA & ART PRACTICE
Mentor, support, and exhibit student, faculty and
community work dedicated to activist media, art,
and/or design
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Create intersectional spaces for publics to debate,
discuss, and interact with activist media producers
and objects
GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
Convene scholars, artists, and activists to foster a
critically informed discourse about the relationship
between activism, scholarship, and art-making
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Promote the development of critically informed
activist media pedagogy

4. Then & Now
HISTORY
2012
Marusya Bociurkiw launches
Ryerson’s first media activist
speakers’ series, “Pre/occupy
Theory”, featuring Skawennati,
Dorothy Kidd, and Alison Hearn.
This popular series becomes the
impetus for forming The Studio.
2013
The Studio for Media Activism &
Critical Thought is officially
launched as an FCAD research
hub. The Studio-related course,
RTA 893 Social Justice Media,
becomes part of Ryerson
curriculum. Students in the course
also attend and write about, the
Studio’s yearly speakers’ series.
2014
A full slate of programming is
developed. A panel discussion
on police & state violence
featuring Rinaldo Walcott, Cheryl
L’Hirondelle, and Abdi Osman
kicks off an annual speaker series.

5. 2017
Arnait Video, an Arctic
women’s media collective
presents at the annual Speaker
Series. Marusya Bociurkiw
initiaties a new course, RTA 521:
#Activism. The Studio Working
Group is formed. The Studio
partners with London South Bank
University’s Centre for Research
in Digital Storymaking and Guelph
University’s Centre for Art and
Social Justice.
2016
The first annual symposium
on theories & practices of the
archive: De/Materializing Bodies:
Activist Media Archives. Over
60 scholars from across North
America attend. Raven Sinclair
launches her film, A Truth To
Be Told: The 60’s Scoop in the
Splatsin Community, as part of the
symposium.
2015
Third Annual Speaker Series,
“Means of Production” launches,
featuring Raven Sinclair, Deanna
Bowen, Eliza Chandler & others.
Marusya Bociurkiw premieres
the film, This Is Gay Propaganda:
LGBT Rights & the War in Ukraine.

6. The Working Group
LEADERSHIP
Prof. Eliza Chandler Artist Abdi Osman
Chad Story
Prof. Marusya Bociquw
Prof. Wendy McGuire
Kiké Roach
Honorary Member
Prof. Raven Sinclair
Jonathan Petrychyn

7. The Centre for Art and Social Justice
Theory & Practice
PARTNERS

8. February 2, 2015
Special screening of the documentrary
Migrant Dreams, followed by conversation with
with Dir. Min Sook Lee, and Chris Ramsaroop from
Justicia for Migrant Workers.

9. September 29, 2016
Prof. Eliza Chandler presents findings from her
research on representations of disability in media.

10. November 10, 2016
Street nurse and activist Cathy Crowe in
conversation with Dr. Alex Abramovich.

11. November 12, 2016
Participants take part in The Studio’s first annual
symposium, Activist Media Archives: De / Materializing
Bodies.

12. Winter 2017
The Studio hosts the annual Winter Speakers’
series exploring the theme, “Mapping Media
Activism: Collectives and Collaborations.”
MEDIA ACTIVISM
MAPPING
COLLECTIVES COLLABORATIONS
2017
WINTER
SPEAKER
SERIES
Eaton Lecture Hall
Room RCC204
80 Gould Street
First Tuesday
Feb – April
7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Presented by
The Studio
for Media Activism
Critical Thought
February 7
PANEL DISCUSSION
Resisting Erasure,
Rising Up, and
Raising Voices
March 7
WORKSHOP
Mapping Safe Crip
Spaces
April 11
VIDEO TALK
Inuit Women’s Voices
For more information, visit
studioformediaactivism.com
or follow us on Twitter at
@ryersonstudio
Event is FREE and wheelchair accessible.
2017
WINTER
SPEAKER
SERIES
MAPPING
Transmedia Zone
Second Floor
80 Gould Street
WORKSHOP
March 7
7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Presented by
The Studio
for Media Activism
Critical Thought
Event is FREE and
wheelchair accessible.
Mapping Safe
Crip Spaces
An interactive event with disability activist
and artist Maayan Ziv, moderated by
Dr. Eliza Chandler

13. The Studio.
StudioForMediaActivism.ca
Connect with us on Facebook (fb.com/studioformediaactivism)
and follow us on Twitter (@ ryersonstudio).