A look back on the year of creativity

As we near the end of 2021, I am so incredibly proud of the innovation, diversification, entrepreneurship, and creative contributions our community has made. 

Between a global pandemic, greater awareness of social injustice, political uncertainty and a myriad of complex challenges, 2021 has been a daunting year, to say the least. Despite these challenges, we watched our students experiment and explore new ways of thinking, making and doing. They created podcasts and prototypes, experimented with technology and new media, pursued industry experience opportunities and many even joined the workforce. We watched our alumni win awards, solve real world problems, launch companies, create space for themselves and even break records.

In this particularly challenging year, recognized as the International Year of Creative Economy by UNESCO (external link, opens in new window) , our faculty were cited by major news outlets more than 250 times as experts in their respective fields, contributing to ongoing critical conversations about today’s most pressing issues and timely topics. Our programs and innovative hubs also continue to be recognized by leading media platforms including Forbes (external link, opens in new window) , CNN (external link, opens in new window) ,  The Hollywood Reporter (external link, opens in new window) , NOW Magazine (external link, opens in new window) , Complex (external link, opens in new window) , TVO (external link, opens in new window) , dezeen (external link, opens in new window) , and more!

The Creative School has had a very busy year, focused on expanding our impact at home and abroad, and providing our community with ample opportunities. In August, we announced that after seven decades of success, FCAD would be rebranding to The Creative School.

In addition to a successful rebranding campaign, our faculty launched even more transdisciplinary initiatives in experiential and globalized learning. Here are just a few highlights:

The Creative School and Ted Rogers School of Management teamed up to expand the education possibilities for postgraduate students with a concurrent MA/MBA (opens in new window)  providing students with an opportunity to earn a dual interdisciplinary degree with the potential to launch them to the highest levels of executive and leadership roles within the creative industries.

In the fall, The Creative School launched three new academic programs set to revolutionize the creative sector and bridge academia and industry: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Professional Music, Masters of Fine Arts in Scriptwriting and PhD in Media and Design Innovation. 

The pioneering new Professional Music BFA at The Creative School (opens in new window) , broke ground in North America’s third largest music market when it launched this fall, and went viral after the introduction of the new elective course ‘Deconstructing Drake & The Weeknd’ for the Winter 2022 term.  

The pandemic spurred a focus on healthcare and in response, we launched the Healthcare User Experience (HUE) Lab (opens in new window) , a new creative research space that uses the human-centred principles of innovation, design, and strategic communication to improve the healthcare experience for both patients, and practitioners. 

The Creative School fully embraces the world of esports with the creation of The Conduit, a new research lab focused on video games and esports (opens in new window)  which aims to further legitimize video games and esports industries through academic and creative work.

A swift re-envisioning of international opportunities through new virtual global learning initiatives and strengthened online partnerships allowed us to launch 21 all-new online global learning projects, with more than 400 students participating in a global experience.  (opens in new window) 

In May 2021, The Creative School launched The Innovation Studio Future Makers program (opens in new window)  in partnership with the City of Toronto and six top arts and culture organizations as a way to provide students with a hands-on opportunity to revive the creative sectors and re-envision audience engagement. 

Looking towards the future 

After more than a year of remote instruction, I am looking forward to feeling the energy around campus again, creating opportunities to connect, and being inspired by one another. I am certain that together we will create an extraordinary academic experience that will play a significant role in  rebuilding our industries.

We will continue to bring brilliant minds together from across the creative fields to reimagine, innovate and impact the world we live in. 

The future is creative! 

The Creative School at Ryerson University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.