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Second Annual TEDxECUAD Talks Published

Stage Tedx Ecuad
Max McDonough
This post is 4 years old and may be out of date.

By Guest Entry

Posted on September 10, 2018 | Updated August 06, 2019, 9:07am

Watch all 10 talks + performances from the most recent TEDxECUAD event on the theme of "Equilibrium", held in March 2018.

This past spring, the second inaugural TEDxECUAD event was held at the new Emily Carr campus. This featured seven speakers and three performances from a range of disciplines to spark conversation in the community around the theme of Equilibrium.

About the speakers and performers:

“Equilibrium” (Aboriginal dance performance) | Jessica McMann: Jessica McMann dances mesmerizing fancy shawl and hoop dance with incredible dexterity, exploring Indigenous Identity and history while interacting with the theme of "Equilibrium." Jessica McMann is a Cree musician, contemporary dancer and choreographer. Her recent compositions and soundscapes explore Indigenous Identity and history. She has been dancing fancy shawl and hoop dance for 16 years, and has had the opportunity to present contemporary and traditional work at festivals across Western Canada, and tour Northern Europe. Currently her personal experience, Cree and Blackfoot language, and the strength of Indigenous women guide her current contemporary dance work.

“What hummingbirds can teach us about society” | Teodoro Monsalve: With mind blowing facts about hummingbirds and rare territories in the natural world, visual artist Teodoro Monsalve pinpoints intriguing connections between the migration and behavior of birds and humans. See how he creates fascinating paintings to engage with these phenomena and open new insights into what could unite us as people. Hailing from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Monsalve's practice includes painting, drawing, printmaking, installation and performance. Currently addressing interculturality, place and metamorphosis, he draws from his home country of Ecuador and his personal experience in Canada to create his multicultural voice. He has also explored motifs within the natural world of the Andes and the Amazon region of Ecuador, opening dialogue in historic landscape painting, and the exotic and the sublime experience of nature through the use of sacred plants and shamanic ceremonies.

#ConfidentEitherWay – How makeup affects mental health | Marie-Pascale Lafrenière: What is the relation between an everyday use of makeup and substance addiction? In this talk, Marie-Pascale Lafrenière reveals the surprising ways in which makeup can affect mental health from a very young age. Inspired by her own battle with anxiety and depression, she shares why she decided to start the #ConfidentEitherWay movement. Marie-Pascale Lafrenière is a post-media feminist artist from Gatineau, Quebec. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at Université du Québec en Outaouais in 2017 before pursuing an MFA at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Her work questions the relations between female representation and mental health. In her performances, videos and art objects, she explores the ways in which pop culture and social media are redefining our perception of the female gender. She also draws inspiration from her own experiences with mental illness. In 2016, she was awarded the Scholarship of Excellence in Visual Arts by the Université du Québec en Outaouais and Axenéo7.

I have good news about your discomfort | Adiba Muzaffar: Should we fight our body’s nonverbal language? Dissecting manifestations of discomfort allows for a dialogue about performativity, personal space and touch to ensue. Adiba Muzaffar analyzes this visual language using examples from her volunteer-work in art-based therapy and other personal experiences. Muzaffar is from India and has a background in film-making. An MFA graduate of Emily Carr University of Art + Design, her practice involves media art and installation and has maintained close connections to the body as a site for the human psychological condition. Through non-fictional video narratives led by personal accounts and experiments with visual imagery, she has persevered to yank at the invisibility of stigma through several moving image works.

4 ways men relate to violence against women | Angela MacDougall: Angela Marie MacDougall introduces an unprecedented way of understanding gender based violence with a spectrum of eye-opening roots of the past, a hard-hitting understanding of the present, and energized ways to participate in the future. She ends with an inspiring call to action because once you know, you will want to act. MacDougall is an expert in social and cultural manifestations of relationship violence. With experience spanning 30 years, Angela has made ending gender violence her personal mission. Based in Vancouver, Canada she is Executive Director of Battered Women’s Support Services, where she oversees a matrix of services and dynamic team that support thousands of women, while working for cultural and systemic change which includes urging men to own their role.

“Equilibrium” (acrobatic yoga performance) | AcroYoga: With bold and edgy acrobatic maneuvers, Acro Yoga physically redefines the theme of "Equilibrium." Interwoven with spoken word, humor, and some Newtonian theory, they tie it to aspects of everyday life from career to diet to relationships and inspire a renewed strength in lifestyle. Acro Yoga (Paul, Chris, and Valtteri) share a love of strong technique, clean lines, and the natural beauty of British Columbia. Building connection through the collaborative practice of partner acrobatics, they are constantly learning about communication, trust, and the creative process; they find continual amazement in the unlocking potential of the human body through deliberate training and conditioning. Negotiating the fragile equilibrium between the limits of the human body and the downward pull of gravity has been a journey of discovery and a source of joy for all three of them.

Who are the Renaissance men and women today? | Haig Armen: Are you a specialist, generalist, or something else altogether? A designer, musician and entrepreneur who builds his own instruments, Haig Armen demystifies the debate on their value, and through a brief history of instrument creation and an alluring performance with the audience, emphasizes the underestimated value in being a polymath. Armen's research explores the intersection of design and programming, focusing on data visualization, gestural interfaces and music technology. He works in design-led entrepreneurship and creating new musical instruments using emerging technologies. He has led the Interaction Design Major at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, designed interactive work for CBC, BMW, Chanel & Nokia, and received international design awards including Webby Awards, Prix Italia and Art Director’s Club of New York as a producer of CBC Radio 3′s online magazine. Haig Armen is a Professor and Designer living in Vancouver, Canada. For the last 6 years Haig has lead the Interaction Design Major at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. His research explores the intersection of design and programming, focusing on data visualization, gestural interfaces and music technology. His most recent efforts are in design-led entrepreneurship and creating new musical instruments using emerging technologies.

Making, learning, empowerment | Ron Burnett: Most know Ron Burnett as a university president leading arts education. Entering a new phase, he reveals his unexpected journey through film, sciences and more along with insights on interdisciplinary learning, interviewed by TEDxECUAD Co-organizer & Lead Curator Nani Gonzalez. Dr. Burnett served as President + Vice-Chancellor of Emily Carr University of Art + Design from 1996-2018. He received the Order of Canada in 2013 and the Order of British Columbia in 2015. He was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2010 and received the International Digital Media and Arts Association Outstanding Leadership Award. Holding a BA, MA and PhD from McGill University in media arts, communications and cultural studies, Burnett began his career at Vanier College where he founded the Creative Arts Department. He later worked at LaTrobe University and became Director of the Graduate Program in Communications at McGill University. Burnett is also a photographer and filmmaker. Authoring over 150 essays and articles in books and journals globally, his writings on film were among the first published in Canada. He developed one of the first academic websites in Canada, and actively blogs on education, culture and the media.

Using public art to bring bees back to the city | Cameron Cartiere: One of every 3 bites of the food you eat may soon be taken away. Dr. Cameron Cartiere breaks down how bees and other pollinating insects are responsible for most of your food, the threats they face, and how they could easily be saved at nearly no cost if people take steps to preserve their own environment. Cartiere's specialty is to use public art as the driver of community engagement and social change in order to improve the environment. A Professor of Public Art and Social Practice in the Faculty of Culture + Community at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Cameron Cartiere is a leading author and practitioner in the field of Public Art. Partnering with municipal governments, other artists and writers, ecologists, scientists and institutions, she uses the power of public art to transform neglected urban spaces into vibrant installations that can save bees, preserve birds, and become new community spaces, all while teaching members of the public how to become creative participants, citizen scientists, urban gardeners and ecological crusaders. She has created award-winning public art installations throughout Canada, the USA and Mexico, including "As The Crow Flies," one of the longest public art installations in Canada.

Do you care? (music performance) | Chloe Lloyd: With her one of a kind voice and harmonics, Chloe Lloyd (Clementyne) illuminates TEDxECUAD's "Equilibrium" theme through her passion for social change and her love for how music can say what words can't. Clementyne is a songwriter, performer and producer based in Vancouver. With a background in audio engineering and music production, she takes inspiration from 70s pop and fuses it with modern recording mediums to create her unique sound.

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