Ideas that can change everything March 2017
2017 Festival Schedule
March 6
T’Sou-ke solar: Indigenous leadership in building a more
sustainable future
11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M. | CLEARIHUE BUILDING (CLE) 302
Recently named Canada’s first Aboriginal solar community,
T’Sou-ke Nation has become a world-renowned leader in
sustainability. Join community research partners from T’Souke Nation, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre and UVic as
they share stories of innovation in Indigenous economies
and resurgence, sustainability and land-based governance. A
mixture of storytelling, artifacts and visual media will spur a
richer understanding of how Indigenous leadership is shaping a
brighter and more sustainable future.
Whither plastic? Nurdles and plastics on Victoria beaches
2–3:30 P.M. | MCPHERSON LIBRARY (LIB) 129
Pollution from plastics is a growing problem in marine
environments worldwide. Plastics don’t readily break down,
they’re known to soak up contaminants, and marine animals
sometimes mistake them as food, causing plastics to move
up the food chain. This session will examine nurdles (kernels
or pellets used to make plastics) and plastic debris fouling the
beaches of Victoria, and will wrestle with the question: How can
we wean ourselves from plastics?
Triple-play research café: Exploring the vital impacts of
educational research
4–6 P.M. | MCKINNON BUILDING (MCK) 179 AND
LOBBY AREAS
Join us for an event that will challenge your assumptions
about educational research! Hear faculty members speak on
diverse topics including the beauty of science education, the
ways technology is re-making the world of learning and how
museums can be used to challenge and invigorate public
debate. Have a chat with our graduate students who are on
the leading edge of inquiry into new curriculum practices,
mental health for youth, the challenges of leadership and new
ways of deeply engaging young learners. Then take a guided
lab tour: find out how the human brain responds to stimuli,
why we measure physical performance or how we improve
rehabilitation efforts—and the ways the results are translated
into healthy personal practices.
UVic’s mini med school: Preventative medicine and
navigating the health care system
4–6 P.M. | MEDICAL SCIENCES BUILDING (MSB) 150
From the outside, the world of medicine looks both exciting
and complicated, with state-of-the-art drugs and technologies
that allow doctors to perform near-miraculous cures. In reality,
however, medicine is still unable to do many things, and
prevention is still the best option. This presentation will explore
the science of staying healthy and how our medical system
really works. Students will also share preliminary data from a
research project that assessed the impact of health education
on public health literacy.
The contemplative mind: Mindfulness in higher
education
4:30–6 P.M. | UVIC’S INTERFAITH CHAPEL
Scientifically-based research has shown the benefits of
contemplative practice in reducing stress, improving focus,
enhancing creativity, promoting empathy and compassion, and
improving both psychological and physical health. Integrating
Spirituality, a program of UVic’s Multifaith Services (MFS), offers
mindfulness meditation as an experiential tool to facilitate
learning. Students, faculty and staff have experienced deeper
insights and improved quality of teaching, learning and health.
Join us as faculty members and MFS chaplains share successes
achieved through classroom presentations.
www.uvic.ca/ideafest
March 6 contd.
Angry populism: Understanding the new politics of
anxiety and xenophobia
7–9 P.M. | ENGINEERING/COMPUTER SCIENCE BUILDING
(ECS) RM 123
Across the world there’s a renewal of ‘angry populism,’ where
large numbers of people are feeling abandoned by their
political and economic leaders and turning to demagogues
and xenophobia. What accounts for this return to the worst
of our past? UVic scholars offer historical perspectives on the
contemporary surge of support for Trumpism, Brexit and antiimmigration parties in Europe, looking at historical precedent
and highlighting the sources of reactionary populism’s
contempt for the political establishment.
Visual storytelling: A glimpse into world-changing
research
7–8:30 P.M. | BOB WRIGHT CENTRE (BWC) A104
Close to home and around the globe, social sciences researchers
tackle challenges and find solutions that make our world a
better place. Using visual storytelling techniques, researchers
from the Faculty of Social Sciences will take you around the
globe with their short photo stories about community-engaged
research. Victoria city councillor and spoken-word poet Jeremy
Loveday hosts the evening, introducing you to communityengaged researchers from anthropology, economics,
environmental studies, geography, political science, psychology
and sociology.
March 7
Roses are red, violets are blue: An introduction to the
science of colour
2:30–3:30 P.M. | DAVID TURPIN BUILDING (DTB) A102
Why is the sky blue? Why is grass green? Why is blood red?
We’re all drawn to colour and become curious about it at a
young age. This public talk will provide an introduction to the
science behind colour in terms of what it is, how we perceive
it and what materials produce it. Anecdotes from throughout
history, as well as modern uses, including alternative energy and
health, will be used to illustrate how pervasive colour has been,
and continues to be, in our world.
Rethinking the creative economy
4–6 P.M. | DAVID TURPIN BUILDING (DTB) A110
When it comes to the creative economy, myths often trump
facts. While some believe the arts have no significant financial
impact, the cultural sector boasts 700,000-plus jobs and
contributes more than $60 billion annually to the Canadian
economy—10 times more than sports, and that’s not even
factoring in the value of art. This lively panel discussion will blow
the lid off outdated arts myths, consider culture’s lasting impact
and explore our key investment: our students.
Research Reels
5–6:30 P.M. | MACLAURIN BUILDING (MAC) A144
Get a taste of the outstanding research and creative activity
taking place at UVic, as told by our talented students, faculty,
staff and alumni. A juried collection of short videos highlighting
UVic research and how it’s having an impact on our lives and
our world will be showcased one night only on campus.
Join us. Grab some free popcorn. Prepare to be amazed and
inspired!
On being here to stay, together
5:30–7:30 P.M. | BOB WRIGHT CENTRE (BWC) B150
Reconciling a regrettable colonial past with a respectful future
is a challenge and an opportunity for governments and peoples
around the world. As we celebrate Canada’s 150th, how do we
reconcile the past and participate in an inclusive and diverse
future? Join us for a conversation on the impact of universal
aspirations for the rights of Indigenous peoples and of national
calls for reconciliation. What can we do as individuals and within
our communities to support these goals?
Reconciliation and resurgence: How Indigenous artists
are re-imagining the story of Canada
7–9 P.M. | ALIX GOOLDEN HALL, 907 PANDORA AVE
Join university chancellor and celebrated broadcast journalist
Shelagh Rogers for an intimate conversation with Indigenous
visual artists Rande Cook and Carey Newman and UVic visual
anthropologist Andrea Walsh. Across Canada, contemporary
Indigenous artists are using images to explore place, truth
and identity and challenging us to transform our perspectives,
conversations and ideas. Collectively, this great imagining is
playing a unique and pivotal role in understanding our past and
determining our shared future.
Free admission, registration required: uvic.ca/ideafest/register
www.uvic.ca/ideafest
March 8
Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
Fair
11:30 A.M.–3 P.M. | STUDENT UNION BUILDING (SUB)
MICHELE PUJOL ROOM AND UPPER LOUNGE
Connect with the next generation of Canadian researchers!
UVic’s Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
offer exceptional undergraduate students the opportunity to
carry out research in their field of study. The JCURA Research Fair
will feature over 100 of these inspiring projects, ranging from
the latest in robotics to literary analyses of the human condition.
Popular poplars and primeval pines: Centre for Forest
Biology greenhouse tour
12–1:30 P.M. | UVIC’S GLOVER GREENHOUSE
Take a guided tour through the Centre for Forest Biology’s
Glover Greenhouse and discover the latest in UVic’s tree and
forest biology research, from tree genomes and genetics, to
forest pathogens, seedling resiliency and plant adaptation.
Led by centre experts in plant biology, this guided tour will
also include a look at the greenhouse collection of unusual
specimens, including carnivorous plants and ancient
gymnosperms.
Living research: Stories from the field
2:30–4:30 P.M. | DAVID STRONG BUILDING (DSB) C118
Discover how UVic is connected to the world through studentled research in partnership with migrant and refugee rights
organizations in India, Bangladesh, Singapore, South Africa and
Malaysia. Students will share experiences from diverse projects
including: a phone app to learn Bangla, a cookbook-storybook
from India, a digital resource library, a curriculum development
project for refugee youth, and a digital collage showcasing the
lives of rickshaw wallahs. Come and learn about the power of
community-based research and what happens when students
get out of the classroom and into the field.
Re-presenting the living landscape: The common ground
community mapping fair
3–6 P.M. | DAVID TURPIN BUILDING (DTB) B211/215
How does mapping Indigenous place names relate to ecocultural restoration and contribute to gathering stories about
place? Join us for a celebration and showcase of local and
global community mapping, place-making and story gathering,
supported by the UVic Community Mapping Collaboratory.
Hear from neighbourhood and campus mappers, students,
researchers and activists. Play a community mapping game and
share your story on the UVic and CRD Community Green Map
community platforms.
Research + Community: Provost’s Engaged Scholar
Award
4:30–6:30 P.M. | UNIVERSITY CLUB (UCL) SALAL ROOM
Curious about the impact that UVic research has on our
local communities? Discover and celebrate the integration
of outstanding UVic scholarship and real-life community
engagement at the 2017 Provost’s Engaged Scholar Awards.
Last year’s award winners, Jessica Ball and John Lutz, and the
2017 winners will each share their personal experiences in
community-engaged research. The celebration will include a
presentation of the 2017 awards by the Vice-President Academic
and Provost.
Why art matters in dangerous times
5–7 P.M. | MCPHERSON LIBRARY (LIB) 025
This lively panel argues that at a time when xenophobia,
ethnocentrism, political tensions, and censorship are on the rise,
art and the visual—from the meme to the masterpiece—have
more to offer society than ever before in human history. This
panel event accompanies the exhibition Learning through
looking: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Department of
Art History & Visual Studies.
Art and children, children and art
7–9 P.M. | CORNETT BUILDING (COR) A221
Children’s art can be seen as a prism, making the psychological
lives of children visible, and telling us about societal
conceptions of art and the link between childhood and the
visual world. In turn, when children are depicted in art, there are
inherent messages about the places they inhabit. Join scholars
from across campus in this lively and multidisciplinary event
that will include new research, debate and art. The audience is
invited to bring children’s works of art.
Brave spirits on new paths: The road to Indigenous
economic reconciliation
7–9 P.M. | ALIX GOOLDEN HALL, 907 PANDORA AVE
What are the bold steps for all Canadians towards Indigenous
economic reconciliation? In this session, UVic professors John
Borrows and Brent Mainprize will offer insight from their
research into this subject, before Ovide Mercredi (past National
Chief, Assembly of First Nations), Guujaaw (former Haida leader),
and David Suzuki (renowned author and environmentalist) share
their personal perspectives and expertise in a stimulating panel
discussion. From sustainable development to the legal and
political framework of Indigenous economic reconciliation, the
event will explore topics relevant to all Canadians. A moderated
Q&A with the audience will follow the presentation.
www.uvic.ca/ideafest
March 8 contd.
Ecology of a changing coast
7–9 P.M. | MACLAURIN BUILDING (MAC) A144, DAVID LAM
AUDITORIUM
The BC coastal region—from the Salish Sea to the Great Bear
Rainforest and the Haida Gwaii archipelago—is home to some
of the richest biodiversity on Earth. Fish, bears, wolves, whales,
migratory birds and botanical species, among others, flourish
here. And for millennia First Nations have flourished alongside
them. Yet today, the effects of climate change, overharvesting
and development are impacting this fine balance. Three
researchers at the forefront of their fields discuss their research
on the changing ecology of the BC coast and their efforts to
minimize these threats, working with local communities and
government.
March 9
Arts and media in the Hispanic and Italian world
9:30 A.M.–3:30 P.M. | UNIVERSITY CENTRE A180
Join the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies for its 32nd
annual colloquium. This year’s event explores arts and media in
the Hispanic and Italian world and includes presentations on
recent research by faculty members and students, a keynote
lecture (in English) by Alvaro Vázquez Mantecón, (Universidad
Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City) on the representations
of politics in recent Mexican art and a screening of the
documentary Picasso’s Guernica. This screening will be followed
by a discussion on the links between arts and politics. A link to
the full schedule is on the Ideafest website.
Cleaning and monitoring Earth
12–1 P.M. | GREATER VICTORIA PUBLIC LIBRARY, CENTRAL
BRANCH, COMMUNITY MEETING ROOM
Nanotechnology—the study and application of extremely
small things—is one of the new frontiers of discovery in science
and engineering. This lecture will describe the potential global
impact of newly created nanotechnology that cleans 100 per
cent of contaminants from wastewater, as well as three new
imaging methods being developed at UVic to monitor Earth’s
atmosphere, ocean and landmass. All of these technologies
have exciting commercialization possibilities!
The rise of smart cyber-physical systems
1–3 P.M. | ENGINEERING/COMPUTER SCIENCE BUILDING
(ECS) 660
Talking to gadgets is no longer a Star Trek fantasy. Cyber-physical
systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things are transforming the
way we interact and communicate with the physical world.
Digital assistants—such as Siri, Cortana, Alexa and Google—are
integrating data into our lives and helping us execute many of
our daily tasks with greater reliability and predictability than ever
before.
Join the Department of Computer Science for a technology
showcase and Pecha Kucha event, and discover some of the
latest in UVic CPS innovation, from smart gyms to autonomous
flying vehicles.
Bridges to knowing: The value and place of languages in
the humanities
2:30–4 P.M. | STUDENT UNION BUILDING (SUB) MICHELE
PUJOL ROOM
Join the Faculty of Humanities for a celebration of languages.
Take part in a round-table discussion on advanced research in
non-English languages—from investigating Spanish explorer
shipping logs, to studying the ways in which Japanese
animation critiques contemporary society. Hands-on activities
will include ‘Five Languages in Five Minutes,’ where you can
learn three useful phrases in five languages in five minutes or
less, and ‘Writing Right’ where you can learn to write your name
in Japanese, Cyrillic and Chinese. Come and explore research in
the languages of the world and find out how language ability is
so vital to humanities scholarship.
2017 UVic Author Celebration
3–4:30 P.M. | UVIC BOOKSTORE
Each year UVic faculty, staff, students and alumni produce an
incredible amount of intellectual content reflecting a wide
range of research, teaching, personal and professional interests.
Come and celebrate the university’s talented community of
authors with the UVic Bookstore and UVic Libraries at this
fantastic annual event.
www.uvic.ca/ideafest
March 9 contd.
Leading with their hearts and heads: Using business
skills in Swaziland and Nepal
4:30–6 P.M. | DAVID STRONG BUILDING (DSB) C125
As ‘voluntourism’ takes off and westerners spend their holidays
and savings on aid projects, some question the validity of
these projects and the people running them. Meet business
professors who have worked on projects in Swaziland and
Nepal and be inspired by their on-the-ground stories. Discover
how these projects and others fit within the United Nations’
Sustainable Development Goals.
West coast eco-spirituality: Religion, reverence and
reason in Cascadia
4:30–6 P.M. | ENGINEERING/COMPUTER SCIENCE BUILDING
(ECS) RM 123
Nearly fifty per cent of British Columbians report they have
no religion—that’s more than twice the share of “nones” than
any other region in Canada and higher than anywhere else in
North America. The religious and spiritual style of the “Cascadia
bio-region” is influenced by its distinctive history, politics and
environment, and is expressed through such activities as hiking,
yoga, mindfulness practices, religious creativity and a reverence
for nature. Join local scholars, practitioners and critics of west
coast eco-spirituality to debate, debunk and discover the roots
and implications of this unique phenomenon.
Sound and the sea
7–8:30 P.M. | HARRY HICKMAN BUILDING (HHB) 105
What are the sounds of the sea? From the haunting songs
of marine mammals to the ear-piercing noises of shipping
traffic and sonar, the ocean is a 24-hour orchestra. Join Ocean
Networks Canada, UVic researchers, and Cowichan knowledge
holders to learn about recent research on the marine
soundscape, the cultural importance of sound in place-based
knowledge, and how bioacoustics are being incorporated into
the classroom, as we explore a noisy world beneath the waves.
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition Finals
7–8:30 P.M. | MACLAURIN BUILDING (MAC) A144, DAVID
LAM AUDITORIUM
An 80,000-word thesis would take nine hours for a grad student
to present. The time limit in this fast-paced competition—three
minutes. The Three Minute Thesis is an exciting competition
that challenges graduate students to describe their research
in a clear, engaging and jargon-free presentation using just
one slide—in 180 seconds. Master’s and PhD students from
across campus will participate in the final round of the UVic
competition in front of a panel of esteemed judges.
The write stuff: Meet the future of Can Lit
7–8 P.M. | COPPER OWL BAR, VENUE AND LOUNGE, 1900
DOUGLAS ST
Meet the next generation of Canadian literature as master’s in
fine arts students from UVic’s legendary Department of Writing
read (and perform) ground-breaking graduating manuscripts
in fiction, poetry, screenwriting and playwriting and creative
nonfiction at this lively (and licensed) literary cabaret.
Doors at 6:30: Free admission, no minors.
www.uvic.ca/ideafest
March 10
Old school lessons: Indigenous ways of teaching and
learning
10:30 A.M.–12 P.M. | FIRST PEOPLES HOUSE (FPH)
CEREMONIAL HALL
Join us at this interactive session where we’ll describe the ways
in which we’ve learned from elders, community members
and from our teacher who has integrated Aboriginal ways of
knowing and being into our work. We’ve been working and
learning at the Craigflower School House in a multi-aged
context where we interact, cooperate and learn from each
other in this beautiful setting, recently designated a National
Historic Site. Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, an educator, or
an interested member of the public, we hope to inspire you to
build together a shared future of respectful relationships.
Engaging in stories of Indigenous well-being
1–3 P.M. | FIRST PEOPLES HOUSE (FPH) CEREMONIAL HALL
Indigenous-led research and Indigenous methodologies
demonstrate a holistic nature that vastly differs from western
concepts of research. In this Pecha Kucha-style presentation,
UVic public health researcher Charlotte Loppie will briefly
explain some key components of Indigenous research
methods before turning the stage over to students, researchers
and affiliates of UVic’s Centre for Indigenous Research and
Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE). Presenters will speak
on the interdisciplinary frameworks they have undertaken to
understand Indigenous well-being, from language revitalization
to the importance of Indigenous networks within HIV/AIDS
interventions.
Migrating People
2:30–3:50 P.M. | DAVID TURPIN BUILDING (DTB) A120
One of the most pressing issues the world currently faces is the
movement of people across borders. This isn’t just a political
issue—it involves social justice, morality, the impacts of gender,
age and religion, and personal well-being. Come and listen
to a moderated panel discussion between humanists as they
unravel some of the complexities of global migration, including
forced migration, and explain how their research and teaching
responds to it.
From quarks to quasars: Your universe, one discovery at
a time
7–9 P.M. | BOB WRIGHT CENTRE (BWC) LOBBY
Is Pluto a planet? Can you really make a particle accelerator out
of Lego? What does it feel like to dive into a galaxy? Celebrate
an evening of discovery at the Department of Physics and
Astronomy’s mini-festival of fundamental science. Watch a
rapid round of student thesis talks (each just 360 seconds, to be
judged by you, the audience!), take part in a series of micro-labs
demonstrating some of the most famous experiments in the
history of science, and tour state-of-the-art facilities including
one of the world’s most powerful microscope and UVic’s
exceptional campus telescopes.
Re-imagining race, art and landscape
7–9 P.M. | LEGACY ART GALLERY DOWNTOWN, 630 YATES ST
How do artists of colour experience race and identity? Grafton
Tyler Brown was one of the first professional landscape artists
in BC, and the story of his racial identity shifted throughout
his career to where he eventually passed for white. Three
contemporary artists of colour—Charles Campbell, Kemi Craig
and Victoria’s youth poet laureate Ann-Bernice Thomas—will
perform new work relating to racial identity in response to the
UVic Legacy Gallery exhibition, The Mystery of Grafton Tyler
Brown.
March 11
Medieval Minutes
11 A.M.–12:30 P.M. | MCPHERSON LIBRARY (LIB) A005 –
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Medieval Minutes invites you to centuries of writing, singing,
decorating and—sharing! The program Manuscripts in the
Curriculum, organized by Les Enluminures Medieval Art, is
loaning UVic twenty-one 13th-century manuscripts this
spring. Come and discover these travelling treasures, under
the guidance of students and professors from UVic’s Medieval
Studies Program. Short presentations and posters included. Let’s
experience the Middle Ages (and the later Ages), together!
Everyone welcome. RSVP: [email protected]
www.uvic.ca/ideafest
March 11 contd.
Phoenix Theatre Human Library: Borrow a book, discover
a person
10 A.M.–4 P.M. | PHOENIX THEATRE (PNX) LOBBY | DROP-IN
EVENT
On Saturday March 11, 2017 please join us to celebrate the
fiftieth anniversary of the University of Victoria’s Department of
Theatre in a very original way. Enter the lobby of the Phoenix
Theatre, and discover the circulation desk where our volunteers
will register you with your own Human Library card and offer
to lend you one of a dozen possible human books. In choosing
from titles like ‘Actor’, ‘Playwright’ or ‘Producer’, you’ll sign one
out and be connected to the person behind that title. A oneon-one informal conversation will begin and the rest is up to
you. Interact live with Phoenix pioneers, current educators and
industry professionals. Whether you wish to connect with the
past, or make connections for the future, there will be a book for
you.
The Human Library is FREE and open to the public. Bookings
can only be made same-day, and must be done in person in the
Phoenix Theatre lobby. Books are on a rotating schedule and are
subject to availability, so please be aware that not every book
will be available during all hours the Human Library is open.
Please arrive earlier than before you expect to ‘read’ your book.
Books are checked out on a first come, first served basis starting
at 9:30am, thirty minutes before the human library opens.
Archives in your attic
12:30 P.M.–2 P.M. | MCPHERSON LIBRARY (LIB) A003 –
MEARNS CENTRE FOR LEARNING
Do you ever wonder whether those boxes of photos and
documents in your attic contain historically noteworthy
materials? Might these materials be of interest to future
researchers? Are there rare books in your study, and would you
like to learn more about them? Have you ever wondered if you
can preserve your digital photos and documents for future
generations? Join UVic Libraries archivists and librarians for a
lively discussion about rare and unique books and archives and
their role in research, followed by an opportunity to discuss
specific items from your family collection, their condition and
potential significance.
The Anthropocene is here! Living well in a ‘One Planet’
region
1:30–4:30 P.M. | JAMES BAY NEW HORIZONS ACTIVITY
CENTRE, 234 MENZIES ST
As we enter the Anthropocene, we face the challenge of living
within the Earth’s limits. Currently, our ecological footprint
requires four planets-worth of bio-capacity. How do we reduce
our footprint to only one planet-worth, while ensuring a high
quality of life for all? In this roundtable discussion, community
and university speakers will explore with the audience what
steps we can take in Greater Victoria to become a ‘One Planet’
region.
Ongoing events
Provoking motion and making movement
MACLAURIN BUILDING (MAC) A-WING, A. WILFRID JOHNS
GALLERY
Messages about how and why we should move our bodies
are constantly present in modern Canadian lives (for example,
the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Guidelines and
Healthy Schools BC). What gets defined as movement? How is
movement lived? What does movement do? This arts-inspired
movement studio was created through several collaborative
inquiries among young children and early childhood educators
and is an invitation for participants of all ages to explore
possibilities with movement. Rather than declaring what
movement is, this studio-exhibit acts as a provocation to
question, wonder, experiment and move together.
Exhibit launch: March 6th, 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Regular exhibit hours: March 6-11th, 9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Sensitive chaos: The creation of flowing forms in water
and air
VISUAL ARTS BUILDING (VIA) COURTYARD AND AUDAIN
GALLERY
Drawing 300 expands the concept of what it means to illustrate
an idea, by curating an exhibition based on the book, Sensitive
Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air by
Theodor Schwenk, 1965. The text is an exploration of fluid
dynamics in relation to our ability to read patterns revealed in
nature and art.
“All that life around us was really water, modeled according to
its own laws, vitalized by each fresh venture, striving to rise into
consciousness.” –Excerpt from the foreword by Jacques Yves
Cousteau.
Regular exhibit hours: March 6-18, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
www.uvic.ca/ideafest
Map of UVic
www.uvic.ca/ideafest