TMU researchers present projects at the PechaKucha (chit-chat) Social

On the second day of this year’s RUBIX – an annual exhibition and symposium showcasing the scholarly, research and creative activities of The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) – 11 faculty and students presented their research in a rapid-fire format, leading to an evening of learning and laughter. 

The PechaKucha Social on March 13 at The Creative Enterprise Hub HQ challenged presenters to share their research in sync with 20 images displayed for 20 seconds each. Japanese for “chit-chat,” PechaKucha is a storytelling format that encourages presenters to be concise, dynamic and visually compelling. The event was hosted by David Gauntlett, the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Creativity, and Ashley Jane Lewis, one of the inaugural recipients of TMU’s Postdoctoral Fellowship for Black Scholars.

Presentations ranged from AI’s impact on creativity to the cultural significance of Black dolls and Indigenous dugout canoes. A surprise ad-lib presentation added a fun twist. The following is a sampling of the evening’s research talks.

A sampling of presentations:

With rapid insights and predictions for the future, performance professor Owais Lightwala kicked off the evening with “20 thoughts about AI + Creativity.” He highlighted AI’s strengths, such as being better conversationalists than humans, but also foresaw backlash from those seeking originality. “Humans strive for authenticity,” he said. “Yet studies show people can’t consistently distinguish between AI and human-generated art. AI wrote half of this presentation – can you tell which half?”

Professional Communication professor Kisha McPherson’s project examined the importance of learning how digital media shapes black youth identities, voices and futures with her project, “Co-Creating Knowledge with Black Youth: Digital Media & Community-Based Action Research.” “The digital future is black and young,” she said. 

Media and Design Innovation PhD candidate Derek Sands presented “Canoe Story,” a film project about healing. By tracing childhood memories and oral histories, he explored how memories live in our bodies. This summer, he will lead a community project to build and launch a dugout canoe. Through his research, Derek was thrilled to find his grandfather’s dugout preserved at The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario. 

Derek also filmed the project presented by students Nautica Holdip, an Interior Design alumna, and Brenna Nanie, a Creative Industries undergrad, to chronicle their teamwork on the “Indigenous Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ICIE) Build” project. Working with TMU’s Design + Technology LAB, the students collaborated with the City of Toronto and The Indigenous Design Studio to design and fabricate interior elements, such as cladded walls and columns, furniture and floor rugs, of this Toronto hub for Indigenous entrepreneurs.

Other presenters included:

• Nia Alexander Campbell, a Media and Design Innovation PhD candidate, presented “Decolonizing the Doll: Black Women's Creative Expression and Cultural Resistance.”
• School of Interior Design professor Andrew Furman presented “Glideology,” a slideshow about the art of comic books.
• David Gauntlett presented “Practice-Based Research Methodology,” which discussed and questioned the notion of research creation.
• Media and Design Innovation PhD candidate Daniella Kalinda built a version of the Rwandan game, Igisoro, with an added collaborative aspect in “Tangible Cultural Displays.”
• Ashley Jane Lewis presented “Memory Pattern,” focused on North America’s oldest-running quilt guild. 
• Media and Design Innovation PhD candidate Erin Thurlow presented “The Fountain: Images in Reverse,” a simultaneous examination of limits and relationships.

Related links:

A decade of innovation: Celebrating research and creative activity at The Creative School

Researcher Spotlight: Mapping out Black youths’ experiences in Canada