Pony Cabaret co-hosts Miss Cookie LaWhore and Erin Scott have a top-notch list of entertainers lined up for this year’s event on June 20.

What: Pony Cabaret, an evening of drag and variety entertainment
Who: UBCO Creative Writing Professor Michael V. Smith and Ms. Cookie LaWhore
When: Thursday, June 20, 7 to 9 pm
Where: Mary Irwin Theatre, Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Ave.
Cost: Suggested fundraising amount $10 to $40; show is for ages 18+

Now in its eighth year, Pony Cabaret is set to gallop onto the stage on June 20.

The cabaret is queer-run and stocked full of talented performers featuring drag, storytelling, comedy and burlesque. The show is hosted by Ms. Cookie LaWhore and local impresario Erin Scott.

Ms. Cookie is the alter-ego of UBC Okanagan Creative Writing Professor Michael V. Smith and her role, explains Smith, is to be the biggest freak in the room so everyone else can feel a little more normal.

“We have so many different kinds of performers this year. It’s such a great smorgasbord of radical weirdoes,” says Smith. “I’m really looking forward to seeing all of these artists on stage.”

This year’s event will feature a rogue’s gallery of queer entertainers including Montreal-based performer Alexis O’Hara, Canadian drag star Chiquita Mère and Calgary rapper Sinzere, with performances from Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Tintina Tundra, KENDONTCRY and Evan the Juggler.

“I’m excited to be back on the big stage with some big names. Hosting at the Mary Irwin Theatre elevated the show last year, and I’m excited to do it again this year,” says Scott, co-host of the event.

Pony Cabaret is supported by UBCO’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies and is organized and executed by the Inspired Word Café as part of the annual New Leaves Festival. The theme for this year’s festival “Queer Art as Resistance” celebrates queerness in the arts through drag, hip-hop, poetry, punk rock and more.

Having the cabaret during this festival allows visiting artists and performers to connect more deeply with the local community over three days, explains Scott, who is also the board president of Inspired Word Café.

“We believe in the resistant power of queer art and feel Pony has embodied that for years in the Okanagan. Teaming up is a no-brainer,” Scott adds.

The evening starts at 5:45 pm with an opening reception for the New Leaves Festival. Doors will open at 6:30 pm for the cabaret. A bar and concession will be available before and during the show. The venue is wheelchair accessible and has gendered, stalled washrooms, with a gender-neutral, accessible washroom available by request. The show is for adults 18 and over.

Pony Cabaret is a fundraiser for the Inspired Word Cafe and tickets are available on a sliding scale between $10 to $40.

For more information and tickets, visit: https://ponycabaret2024.eventbrite.ca.

The post Kelowna’s premier cabaret corrals top-notch entertainers appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Graduates toss their caps as their ceremony comes to a conclusion at one of three graduation ceremonies at UBCO Thursday.

When Liam Krebbers crossed the stage to receive his degree at UBC Okanagan’s final graduation ceremony today, it was a brand-new experience for him.

Like many of his classmates, Krebbers graduated high school in June 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time of isolation, protective masks and cancelled or modified celebrations.

“I graduated high school during the time of online and physically distanced ceremonies,” says Krebbers.  “I walked across the stage in a nearly empty arena, 15 minutes apart from my friends. I’m very excited this year to be part of an actual graduation ceremony and I’m looking forward to graduating with all my friends.”

Krebbers was one of 2,400 graduates celebrated Thursday and Friday at UBCO—the largest number of graduating students since the university campus was established in 2005.

For many students, notes Dr. Lesley Cormack, UBCO’s Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, it was their first opportunity to cross that stage in front of a jam-packed audience.

“We are incredibly excited to celebrate graduation every year, but this year is particularly meaningful as many of the students graduating did not have a traditional high school graduation due to the pandemic,” says Dr. Cormack. “Ceremonies like graduation provide opportunities for connection, signify our collective values and allow us to come together to celebrate the hard work that has gone into obtaining a UBC degree.”

Along with conferring more than 2,400 doctoral, master’s and undergraduate degrees, UBCO celebrated a number of top academic awards, teaching excellence awards and the conferring of seven Bachelor of Nsyilxcn Language Fluency (BNFL) degrees. This is the second cohort of students to graduate from the BNLF program, the first being last year after the degree program was introduced in accordance with UBC’s commitment to truth and reconciliation.

During graduation, UBCO also celebrated three people who have been instrumental in the growth of the campus and the community with honorary degrees.

Dr. Deborah Buszard, who served as Interim UBC President from 2022 to 2023, and UBCO’s Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for eight years before that, was presented with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa Thursday morning. Ian Cull, former UBCO Associate Vice-President, Students was also presented with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa Thursday afternoon. Kelowna entrepreneur Ragwa Gopal, a leader in British Columbia’s tech and innovation community and founder of Accelerate Okanagan in 2012, was presented with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa Friday morning.

Honorary degrees are awarded by universities to recognize people who have made substantial contributions to society at the provincial, national or international levels. Dr. Cormack noted all three honorary degree recipients have made a significant difference to the Okanagan region, the community and UBCO since it first opened 19 years ago.

In all, six ceremonies took place yesterday and today, and the students of 2024 were celebrated loudly and proudly by their families, fellow students as well as UBCO faculty and staff.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the UBC Okanagan Class of 2024 for their hard work, perseverance and determination,” adds Dr. Cormack. “They are going out into a world as change makers and it desperately needs them. We are proud of them and can’t wait to see what they achieve.”

The post UBCO celebrates the Class of 2024 appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Celebrated Cree/Métis artist Kevin McKenzie’s art exhibit is on display at UBCO’s FINA gallery as part of UBC Okanagan’s annual Indigenous Art intensive.

What: Honky Tonk Chapel exhibition
Who: Celebrated Cree/Métis artist Kevin McKenzie
Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 5 from 5 to 7 pm
When: Exhibit runs until August 22, weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm and weekends from 9 am to 5 pm
Where: FINA Gallery, Creative and Critical Studies building, 1148 Research Rd., UBC Okanagan

Using a unique combination of neon lights, resin-cast buffalo skulls and pop culture, celebrated Cree/Métis artist Kevin McKenzie recently opened his first exhibition in the Okanagan as part of UBC Okanagan’s Indigenous Art Intensive.

Called the Honky Tonk Chapel, the show opened at UBCO’s FINA Gallery on May 10.

Curated by UBC Okanagan Gallery Curator, Dr. Stacey Koosel, the exhibit features McKenzie’s well-known series of resin-cast, neon glowing buffalo skulls in an installation which juxtaposes pop culture, muscle cars, hot rods and honky tonk bar references with sacred icons intrinsic to Indigenous traditional beliefs and spirituality, such as buffalo skulls and religious motifs.

McKenzie was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and is a member of the Cowessess First Nation on Treaty 4 territory. He rose to prominence in the early 2000s with his self-described lowbrow buffalo skull series 426 Hemi Hot Rod Buffalo, Red Voodoo and Immortals which were all acquired by the National Gallery of Canada.

“The Honky Tonk Chapel exhibition combines some of Kevin McKenzie’s best-known works with new paintings from his Indigenous comic book hero series—two of which are brand new paintings made for this exhibition,” says Dr. Koosel.

McKenzie’s exhibition marks the fourth annual showing and collaboration between UBC Okanagan Gallery and the Indigenous Art Intensive. Artists Krystle Silverfox, Tiffany Shaw, Manuel Axel Strain and Whess Harman each held previous summer exhibitions as part of the Indigenous Art Intensive.

This year’s Indigenous Art Intensive includes public keynote speakers and artist talks every Wednesday until June 12, from noon to 3:30 pm in UBCO’s university theatre.

Honky Tonk Chapel continues to be open to the public until August 22, at the FINA Gallery, located inside the Creative and Critical Studies building at UBC Okanagan.

A free opening reception takes place on June 5 at 5 pm and the public is welcome to attend.

More information about the UBC Okanagan Gallery and the exhibition can be found at: gallery.ok.ubc.ca.

The post Honky Tonk Chapel exhibit opens at UBCO appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Hundreds of pieces of unique art will be the focus of attention during UBCO’s annual Art on the Line fundraising event in March.

What: Art on the Line Fundraiser and Gala
Who: Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies students, faculty and local artists,
When: Saturday, March 16 from 5:30 to 10 pm
Where: Engineering, Management and Education building, 1137 Alumni Avenue, UBC Okanagan, Kelowna
Cost: $200 per ticket, which admits two people and guarantees one piece of artwork. Day of entry admission, $10 at the door

It’s part auction, part fundraiser, part gala and part luck of the draw.

UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS), in association with the Visual Arts Course Union, once again presents the annual Art on the Line Fundraiser and Gala.

Taking place on Saturday, March 16, the 22nd annual Art on the Line event brings together the local arts community to celebrate the work of UBCO’s students, faculty, alumni and several artists practicing in the community.

The evening is an entertaining gala, where approximately 135 works of art are collected from local students, faculty and creators. The artwork is then raffled off to guests as the night progresses. Every guest will go home with a vibrant piece of donated art, explains event host and emcee, FCCS Visual Arts Instructor David Doody.

“The artworks donated will be on display and promoted for hundreds of local art collectors to view with anticipation,” says Doody. “We encourage the community to join us for this exciting evening of local art, beer and wine, live entertainment and of course great conversation.”

Matthew Kenney, a fourth-year Bachelor of Media Studies student and one of the event organizers, explains the drama to the evening. Each guest selects a piece of donated work that they would like to take home. However, no one knows until their ticket is pulled which piece of art they will have the opportunity of actually claiming as their own.

“Connecting over art is one of my favourite things in life,” says Kenny. “Art on the Line is in the amazing position of being able to connect emerging and practicing artists with members of the community. It’s something we do not take for granted and work hard to create meaningful relationships between the artists and art enthusiasts of the Okanagan, thus in turn further developing its creative arts culture.”

Proceeds from the event support UBCO visual arts student exhibitions like the fourth-year show, the visiting artist program, opportunities for travel grants and exhibitions, as well as local charity Third Space, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing mental health services and counselling to young people in the Okanagan.

“We are proud to be including submissions from our Bachelor of Fine Arts and our Bachelor of Media Studies students, faculty, alumni and local artists,” adds Kenney. “This varied collection makes it the widest variety of works shown within any previous Art on the Line event.”

Art on the Line tickets are $200 for two people to enter and the ticket guarantees one piece of artwork. People who would like to attend and view the exhibition but not take home a piece of art can purchase a ticket at the door for $10.

Organizers are also accepting submissions of 2D and 3D artwork for the event. Submission forms, event tickets and more details can be found at: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/artontheline

The post UBCO hosts annual gala evening of art and entertainment appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Local writer Shelley Wood is UBCO’s latest Writer in Residence and this year’s judge of the annual short story contest.

Kelowna-based author Shelley Wood is spending two weeks this spring at UBC Okanagan as the campus’s next Writer in Residence.

Part of her role will be to read and provide feedback on manuscripts from local writers, host a public lecture and judge the many entries for the Okanagan Short Story Contest.

The goal of UBCO’s Writer in Residence program is to promote Canadian authors and literature to Okanagan residents while at the same time, providing budding writers an opportunity to receive feedback on their creative work, explains Andrea Routley, Lecturer of Creative Writing and organizer of the residency program.

“Getting fresh eyes on your work can help you see what’s missing—tension, layers, characterization, pacing, or voice—or what you might need to cut for the work to draw a reader in. Sometimes that means helping you see what you need to change or fix and discussing ways to do that, but a consultation may also clarify for you what you absolutely can’t bear to part with, which can be the incentive you need to roll up your sleeves and get back to work,” Routley says.

Originally from Vancouver, Shelley Wood earned her undergraduate degree in English literature from McGill University and her master’s degree in journalism from UBC. Her short stories and creative nonfiction have been published in Grain, Room, Causeway Lit, Canadian Notes & Queries, Phoebe, the Antigonish Review, The New Quarterly, Bath Flash Fiction, Freefall and the Saturday Evening Post. Her debut novel The Quintland Sisters was an instant Canadian bestseller and her second novel The Leap Year Gene will be published next summer by Harper Collins Canada and Union Square Press in the US. She divides her time between her home in Kelowna, BC, and her work as a medical journalist and editorial director for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York, NY.

Local writers of adult fiction or non-fiction are invited to submit manuscripts for Wood’s review and feedback. Wood will also meet with a select number of UBCO students and community writers between February 26 and March 8 to coach their writing.

Anyone who would like to submit their manuscript to Wood can find out more at fccs.ok.ubc.ca/about/events-workshops/authors. Manuscripts will be accepted between February 1 and 12.

Wood will also host a public reading and reception on Wednesday, March 6 in UBCO’s Creative and Critical Studies Building gallery at 6 pm. And as the judge of the Okanagan Short Story Contest, Wood will announce the winners on Wednesday, March 27 at the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art. Both events are free and open to the public.

The post UBCO’s Writer in Residence to work with local emerging writers appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Prospective students interested in UBCO’s visual arts or media studies programs are welcome to attend Creative Day where they can attend workshops and participate in a portfolio review to help them prepare their university application.

What: Creative and Portfolio Day at UBC Okanagan
Who: Prospective visual arts and media studies students, faculty members
When: Saturday, January 13, 10 am to 3 pm
Where: UBC Okanagan Creative and Critical Studies building, 1148 Research Road Kelowna

Each year UBC Okanagan visual arts and media studies faculty open their doors for Creative Day to host a series of free workshops for prospective incoming students.

Led by several professors in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, Creative Day provides an opportunity to learn more about a variety of subjects and media such as animation, drawing and printmaking.

Creative Day workshops are a chance to find out more about UBCO’s Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Media Studies programs and facilities through fun and interactive projects, explains Visual Arts Associate Professor and Department Head Shawn Serfas.

“We offer a hands-on experiential learning environment where students can develop their own artistic voice, and we encourage students to cross disciplines while refining their specialized practices,” says Serfas. “This is something we want to share with prospective students, and Creative Day is a great opportunity to make that happen.”

Options this year include a drawing workshop, a chance to try printmaking, a tour of the on-campus gallery and an information session about the media studies program with a chance to assess current student projects.

Professors will also review portfolios from prospective applicants who will receive advice on assembling their entrance portfolio to submit for approval before the final deadline on January 31. If a person has already completed their portfolio, they can receive approval on the spot.

“Putting a portfolio together can be a daunting task. We are offering a chance to meet with professors who will provide feedback to prospective students. We see great value in this activity, which helps to build confidence in these budding artists,” says Instructor Andreas Rutkauskas.

The portfolio requirement is an important part of the application process and gives the reviewers a chance to learn a bit more about each application and get a sense of what kinds of art-making these students are working on, he explains.

Creative and Portfolio Day takes place January 13 starting at 10 am. There are limited seats available for some of the workshops and portfolio reviews, and pre-registration is encouraged. To register or find out more, visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/creative-portfolio-day

The post UBCO Creative Day opens studio doors for prospective students appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Entries are open for UBCO’s annual Okanagan Short Story Contest. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.

The annual Okanagan Short Story Contest, which has been running since 1997, is now open for submissions from writers living in BC’s southern interior.

The contest has a long tradition of introducing budding writers to the Okanagan community. Winners in previous years have gone on to publish with Penguin Random House, Arsenal Pulp Press and NeWest Press, as well as numerous national and international magazines and journals.

This competition, initiated by UBC Okanagan professors Nancy Holmes and John Lent, will this year be run by Creative Writing Lecturer and UBCO alumnus Andrea Routley, who says she is excited to oversee this competition.

“The perspectives and multiple knowledges of the diverse people of BC’s southern interior are important voices in Canada’s literary landscape, and I’m thrilled to be in a position to help draw attention to that,” she adds.

Local emerging writers are invited to submit their original writing for the chance to win several prizes, including a top prize of $1,000 along with a one-week retreat at The Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre in Kelowna. Second and third prizes are $400 and $200 respectively. This is the fifth year in a row the contest has been open to high school students and the top prize for that category is $200.

Submitted entries will be adjudicated by faculty from UBCO’s creative writing program and celebrated Canadian author Shelley Wood.

Originally from Vancouver, Wood earned her undergraduate degree in English literature at McGill and her graduate degree in journalism at UBC. Her short stories and creative nonfiction have been published in Grain, Room, Causeway Lit, Canadian Notes & Queries, Phoebe, the Antigonish Review, The New Quarterly, Bath Flash Fiction, Freefall and the Saturday Evening Post. Her debut novel, The Quintland Sisters  was a Canadian bestseller. She divides her time between her home in Kelowna, and her work as a medical journalist and editorial director for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York.

Entries for the Okanagan Short Story Contest are open to fiction writers in the southern interior of British Columbia—east of Hope, west of the Alberta border, north of the border to the United States and south of Williams Lake. All original entries must be between 1,000 and 4,000 words and writers are welcome to submit as many entries as they choose. There is a $20 entry fee for each story, but no charge for students in the high school category. Entries must be received by 11:59 pm on February 2, 2024.

All proceeds from the competition go towards the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies’ creative writing scholarships at UBC Okanagan and towards supporting Indspire, an Indigenous organization that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

Winners of the short story contest will be announced next spring at a public event as part of the Creative Studies Spring Festival, and the finalists will be invited to read from their work.

For a full list of contest details and rules, visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/short-story

The post Submissions open for UBCO’s annual Okanagan Short Story Contest appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

On October 24, UBCO will host its second debate this year, following up on the successful event this spring. This topic this fall: Free Speech is Not Dead.

Freedom of speech. Is it a gift, a privilege or a right?

Does it even exist?

In the second event of its kind, UBC Okanagan Debates will host four leading experts from the world of academia, law and media to debate whether the digital age has choked off free speech or empowered it to thrive.

Does mainstream media control whose voice gets heard to maintain their grip on profits and influence? Are secretive social media algorithms limiting those who speak their minds? Or is the digital age supercharging free speech, granting anyone with an internet connection the power to express and influence regardless of their language or geography?

“Freedom of speech is a fascinating, nuanced topic. Who has it, why, and how does today’s world shape how we use it?” says Dr. Lesley Cormack, Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UBC Okanagan. “What is so exciting about UBC Okanagan Debates is each side has the opportunity to take a firm position and see how persuasive they can be, both in the eyes of the audience and against their fellow debaters. It’s going to be a timely discussion.”

Debating experts include Dr. Greg Garrard, a Professor of Environmental Humanities at UBCO, and Dr. Joel Bakan, a Professor at UBC’s Allard School of Law. Dr. Bakan, a renowned expert in constitutional law, is currently challenging X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, over censorship issues. He and Dr. Garrard stand on the side that free speech is dead. Opposing them will be Dr. Margo Young, a Professor at UBC’s Allard School of Law and Sue Gardner, the former head of cbc.ca and is a special advisor to the Wikimedia Foundation.

“UBC Okanagan Debates is a signature event for our campus,” says Marten Youssef, Associate Vice-President, University Relations. “Civil debates are our response to connecting a polarized world, because we believe that the absence of debate is not harmony, it’s indifference.”

The debate takes place Tuesday, October 24, at the Kelowna Community Theatre beginning at 7 pm. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for UBC alumni and $5 for students. A reception will follow the debate.

This is an in-person debate and will not be livestreamed or available online afterwards.

To purchase tickets or learn more about the event, visit: ok.ubc.ca/debates

The post UBCO to host second debate: Free Speech is Not Dead appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Wildfire suppression planes work on a fire in the Okanagan earlier this spring.

This week, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations downgraded many evacuation orders to alerts—but every resident in the region knows the wildfire situation continues to evolve and will leave a lasting impression both on the landscape and in the Okanagan’s collective psyche.

While fire crews continue to work the frontlines, a team of UBC Okanagan experts can provide information on fire growth, habitat loss, post-fire spreading and even the emotional turmoil of being evacuated due to wildfire.

Mathieu Bourbonnais, Assistant Professor, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

Areas of expertise:

• Wildfire risk,
• Wildfire suppression and mitigation
• Firefighting and use of satellites for wildfire detection and monitoring

Email: mathieu.bourbonnais@ubc.ca
Tel: 778 583 0272

Greg Garrard, Professor of Environmental Humanities, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

Areas of expertise:

• Environmental literature
• Culture and climate change (including skepticism)
• The cultural ecology of wildfire
• Political polarization 

Email: greg.garrard@ubc.ca
Tel: 250 863 2822

Karen Hodges, Professor of Conservation Biology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

Areas of expertise:

• Conservation biology
• Habitat loss
• Extinction risks
• Wildfires and wildlife
• Climate change and wildfire
• Endangered species
• Boreal forests
• Mammals
• Birds

Email: karen.hodges@ubc.ca
Tel: 250 807 8763

Alessandro Ielpi, Assistant Professor, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

Areas of expertise:

• Watershed processes
• Rivers and floodplains
• Post-fire flooding
• Stream widening and bank erosion

Email: alessandro.ielpi@ubc.ca
Tel: 250 807 8364

Mary-Ann Murphy, Associate Professor, School of Social Work and Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Areas of expertise:

• Dealing with the emotional trauma of wildfires
• Lessons from evacuees
• What to pack when evacuating
• Caring for seniors in extreme heat
• Aging and demographics

Email: mary-ann.murphy@ubc.ca
Tel: 250 807 8705

David Scott, Associate Professor, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

Areas of expertise:

• Effects of wildfire on hydrology and erosion
• Evaluation of fire site rehabilitation methods in terms of controlling erosion and sedimentation

Email: david.scott@ubc.ca

John R.J. Thompson, Assistant Professor, Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

Areas of expertise:

• Statistical fire growth modelling and simulation
• Fire image analysis

Email: john.thompson@ubc.ca
Tel: 289 776 9678

Babak Tosarkani, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering

Areas of expertise:

• Supply Chain Management
• Operations Management
• Sustainability and Circular Economy
• Risk Management
• Strategic Sustainable Development

Email: babak.tosarkani@ubc.ca
Tel: 647 551 7732

The post UBC experts on wildfires and associated issues appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

UBCO Professor Jodey Castricano, left, along with graduate students Zach DeWitt, Madeline Donald and Annie Furman, is planning a multispecies storytelling workshop at Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre on July 21.

What: Storytelling symposium and workshop
When: Wednesday, July 19 and Friday, July 21.
Where: Graduate Collegium, ASC 460, Arts and Sciences building, UBC Okanagan and Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre, 4711 Raymer Rd., Kelowna

A global collaboration is bringing together humanities researchers who will use storytelling practices to aim the light on planetary agendas regarding climate change.

Participants in the ongoing research exchange between UBC Okanagan and visiting faculty from England’s University of Exeter are planning a two-day event that will bring artists and scholars together to discuss planetary injustices.

The event, Telling Stories: The Humanities in an Age of Planetary Agenda-Setting, includes both a symposium at UBC Okanagan on July 19 and a Multispecies Storytelling Workshop on July 21 at Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre.

The initiative involves a collaboration between Professor Jodey Castricano, with UBCO’s Faculty of Creative Studies (FCCS) and Drs. Ina Linge and Paul Young with the University of Exeter. This collaboration originated when Dr. Castricano was invited to the University of Exeter for a Visiting International Academic Fellowship.

This is the second of a series of events housed at both University of Exeter and UBC Okanagan. It will help advance an arts and humanities scholarly response to climate change, mass extinction and environmental degradation, in order to drive healthy, sustainable and just social and environmental change, explains Dr. Castricano, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in FCCS.

“At a time when demands for environmental sustainability and food system justice are increasingly urgent, and planetary agendas are being set by scientific and financially interested parties, this project explores how arts and humanities scholars and artists can contribute to agenda setting and climate justice through storytelling methods,” Dr. Castricano says. “This approach is important because stories serve to naturalize certain ways of thinking about and acting in the world because they invite and inspire meaningful social and cultural engagement and action.”

By engaging scholars, thinkers, makers and creative people, the two-day event aims to reframe and rewrite climate justice narratives and stories that are currently exclusive to science, technology and economics.

To find out more and register for the events, visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/telling-stories

This event is supported by UBCO’s FCCS and the UBC Okanagan-Exeter Excellence Catalyst Grant and is organized by the Post-Anthropocentrism and Critical Animal Studies Research Group.

The post Telling stories in a time of climate change and planetary injustice appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.