Cooltural
Volume 3: March 18 & 20, 2025
Thank you for joining us for Cooltural: Vol. 3.
We'll see for Cooltural: Vol. 4 in 2026!
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
The Wedding Collection: Drop-In Viewing at The Image Centre
10:30AM-12:00 PM
Peter Higdon Research Centre, IMC 2nd Floor, enter via 122 Bond Street
Drop-in for a special viewing of The Wedding Collection (external link) , featuring a curated selection of wedding photographs from across the globe. Discover the rich diversity of traditions and the power of storytelling through imagery as you view this fascinating collection at The Image Centre.
French Conversation Table
1:00PM-2:00PM
POD-247-J, Podium Building, 350 Victoria St.
Practice conversation in French in an informal environment. This session is hosted by Dr. Ndeye Ba and all language levels are welcome. Ne manquez pas cette chance de mettre en pratique vos compétences en français!
Multilingual Crochet Workshop
2:15PM-3:30PM
POD-249, Podium Building, 350 Victoria St.
Create a crochet bookmark at this multilingual workshop where instructions will be provided in Spanish, French, and English! Open to all crochet skill levels and language levels, this session will be hosted by Dr. Mignette Garvida. Supplies will be provided. Please arrive by 2:30PM - arrive earlier for tea and to select your yarn colour!
LIR208 Showcase Gallery
2:00PM-3:30PM
POD-249, Podium Building, 350 Victoria St.
Visit this pop-up multimedia gallery showcasing creations by students in LIR 208 - Skateboarding as a Cultural Bridge. This new course taught by John Barnes explores how skateboarding acts as a cultural bridge between different language communities and a medium of expression for traditionally marginalized social groups.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Cooltural Food Tasting
12:00PM-2:00PM
CPA Lounge TRS 1-003, TRS 7th Floor, 55 Dundas St. West
Join us for gastronomy presentations and food tastings curated by Dr. Frederic Dimanche, Dr. Kinga Zawada, and Chef Tommy McHugh! All are invited to this collaboration between Languages, Literatures and Cultures and Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Nowruz Celebration and Pop-Up World Tea Cafe
2:00PM-3:00PM
POD-249, Podium Building, 350 Victoria St.
Happy Nowruz! Drop in for Iranian sweets and to learn about Nowruz celebration traditions with Dr. Elham Mirzania. Enjoy the sweets and sample teas from around world at our casual pop-up cafe.
Music in the City
5:00PM-6:30PM
SLC 1st Floor Amphitheater, 341 Yonge St.
Celebrate the first day of spring with dancing and a live band performance! This session kicks off with a salsa dance lesson by Sarita Leyva. The musical performance features Lady Son with Dr. Sean Bellaviti from Philosophy and Music and Dr. Julián Zapata from Languages, Literatures and Cultures. This session will be co-hosted by LIR students Fatima Salah and Ingrid Neagu.
Event Partners
Thank you to our event collaborators and sponsors!
- Professors and staff from the department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
- Students from the Language and Intercultural Relations (Hons. BA) program.
- Salsa dance instructor Sarita Leyva (external link) .
- Lady Son (external link) .
- Sean Bellaviti and the Department of Philosophy and Music.
- Dr. Frédéric Dimanche and the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
- Chef Tommy McHugh and the Culinary & Catering Department at the Ted Rogers School.
- Dr. Denise Birkhofer and The Image Centre (external link) .
- Faculty of Arts, Office of the Dean including Dean Amy Peng, Dr. Melanie Knight, Dr. Anne-Marie Lee-Loy, Elani Phillips and Arianna Guaragna.
Accessibility Accommodations & Wayfinding
If accessibility accommodations are required to ensure full participation, please contact the department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures with as much notice as possible.
See TMU's Campus Map for information regarding entrances, elevators, and ramps. For wayfinding support, please contact the department by March 13, 2025.
Contact: Winnie Ho or via @llc_torontomet (external link) .
Notice of Filming and Photography
This event series will be hosted in-person and photos and videos of attendees may be taken, shared and used by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
Cooltural, our event series featuring the intersection of culture, language, food and arts, ran on Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Through a range of immersive experiences, Cooltural brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds to engage in meaningful dialogue, cultural exchange, and celebration. We're looking forward to welcoming everyone again in 2025!
Cooltural 2024 Video Recap
Event Partners
Thank you to our event collaborators, sponsors, special guests, and hosts!
- Instructors and staff from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
- Faculty of Arts, Office of the Dean (opens in new window) including Dr. Amy Peng, Interim Dean; Dr. Melanie Knight, Interim Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies; Dr. Anne-Marie Lee-Loy, Associate-Dean, Undergraduate Studies; and the Communications Team.
- Dr. Sean Bellaviti and the Department of Philosophy and Music.
- Language and Intercultural Relations Course Union (LIRCU (external link, opens in new window) ).
- French for All Club (external link, opens in new window) .
- Chef Jesus Morales and the restaurant team from La Bella Managua (external link, opens in new window) .
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen
12:15PM
POD 249
Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen (Thanksgiving Address) by Dr. Brandon Martin will open Cooltural 2024.
Intercultural Food Tasting
12:15PM-1:30PM
POD 249
Gastronomy presentations and food tastings hosted by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
- Introduction to Spanish Tapas by Dr. Mignette Garvida and Dr. Enriqueta Zafra with guest student from SPN 607.
- Preparation of Arabic Coffee by Dr. Rania Ibrahim.
- Celebration of Nowruz with Iranian Sweets by Dr. Nazanin Shahdi.
Language Tables Celebration
1:30PM-2:30PM
POD 250
A celebration of TMU's Language Tables! Join to practice conversation in Arabic, French, Mandarin Chinese and/or Spanish. This is a nonjudgemental environment to practice speaking and listening while learning about culture. All language levels welcome.
- Arabic Chat Cafe hosted by Dana Almasri.
- Chinese (Mandarin) Table hosted by Dr. John Edward Stowe and Dr. Elham Mirzania with CHN 201 students.
- French Conversation Table hosted by Dr. Ndeye Ba.
- Spanish Conversation Table hosted by Dr. Dorismel Diaz.
French for All: Conversation, Culture, and Chic Merchandise
12:15PM-1:30PM with the Intercultural Food Tasting
1:30PM-2:30PM with the Language Tables Celebration
Embrace the French spirit! Discover and purchase unique French-inspired merchandise and engage with fellow French enthusiasts.
Short Films with Director Q&A
2:30PM-3:30PM
POD 469
Join us for a multilingual screening of two short films.
- Abuela by Rebeca Ortiz (external link) with a director Q&A.
- Errance by Karla Meza provided by LATAFF (external link) . A Q&A will follow with guest Dr. Tanya Aberman, Coordinator, Sanctuary Scholars.
Drumming Circle
3:45PM-4:45PM
POD 250
Join in or observe a drum circle as part of our ANT 200 class (Anthropological Perspectives). The circle will be led by Alpha Rhythm Roots (external link) .
This session is made possible by a Guest Speaker Grant from the Faculty of Arts.
Music in the City
5:00PM-6:30PM
SLC 1st Floor Amphitheater
A salsa dance lesson by Sarita Leyva (external link, opens in new window) kicks off this session. It'll be followed with a live band performance by Lady Son with Dr. Sean Bellaviti from the Department of Philosophy and Music and guest pianist Dr. Julián Zapata from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Multicultural Expressions: A Talent Show with Lunch Provided by La Bella Managua
11:00AM-12:30PM
SLC 3rd Floor Sandbox
Participants will weave together threads of different cultures, languages, and literary traditions in their performances. Join us for poetry, song, and painting, followed by a lunch kindly provided by La Bella Managua.
Hosted by Ingrid and Kurt from the Language and Intercultural Relations Course Union, the talent show will feature a live painting from LIR student Tatsbita S. and performances by Faculty of Arts professors Dr. Jamin Pelkey, Dr. Julián Zapata, and Dr. Gerd Hauck.
Cooltural 2023 Video Recap
