On April 5, inquiring minds from across the Greater Toronto Area are invited to a special evening of learning and discovery at CRAM the first free learning festival of its kind in Canada. From 5 to 11 p.m., Toronto’s four universities will open their doors to the public to share some truly fascinating and novel research experiences that would not normally be available to the public. York University is taking this festival in a totally innovative direction with a slew of research events, a presidential panel, food trucks and more.
This article is part of a series that profiles events taking place at York University’s Keele Campus.
Patrick Alcedo, associate professor, Department of Dance, School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University, is planning something lush and dynamic for CRAM.
His presentation titled, The Global Filipino: A Moving Experience, will take place in the Vari Hall Rotunda at 6 p.m. and will be repeated at 10 p.m. Joined by a multi-ethinic group of 25 dancers and musicians, Alcedo will transport visitors into the rich cultural world of the Philippines.
Flipinos are the fastest growing immigrant community in Canada. Through live performance of Philippine folk dances, documentary film and a lecture, Alcedo will use a multiplatform approach to make sense of how Filipinos continuously strive to be “at home in the world.” Through dance and music, he will present his own exploration of a changing culture based on his years of ethnographic and archival research in the Philippines and the Greater Toronto Area.
The following video is from Alcedo’s Canada@150 project and offers a glimpse into the artistry of some of the dances that will be part of the CRAM event.
Holder of the Government of Ontario’s Early Researcher Award, Alcedo is an ethnographer, dancer and documentary filmmaker, his works have been recognized with a Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship, an award from the Fulbright Association of America and grants from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Toronto Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. He has published in various anthologies, and created two award-winning documentaries, including “Dancing Manilenyos,” which enjoyed its American premiere on March 23 at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.
CRAM happens on April 5 from 5 to 11 p.m. at York University’s Keele Campus. Each research event will last approximately 25 minutes and includes a Q-and-A with the featured researcher. CRAM events will take place in Vari Hall, 198 York Blvd., Keele Campus. There’s no cost to attend but organizers request that participants register their intent to attend (it helps with planning the event).