<div dir="ltr"><p style="text-align:justify"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:black">The
Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS) cordially invites media
researchers, creative practitioners, and social activists to the second part of
its public seminar series <em>Moving Forward</em>. The seminar offers
an opportunity to connect through a Roundtable discussion, film screening, and
exclusive performance on media, diversity issues, and silenced voices at
Toronto’s industReal arts room (688 Richmond Street West) from 6 to 10 pm on
Friday, May 30. The evening opens with a reception honouring
distinguishing participants Sylvia Fraser, Tushar Unadkat, Salvatore Greco,
Mary Fantaske, Michael Sizer, and Heryka Miranda.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:black">An award-winning novelist, a memoirist, a travel writer and a
journalist from <em>The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star</em>, Sylvia
Fraser has published a dozen books under her own name. She is probably best
known for her 1987 international bestseller,<span class=""> </span><i>My
Father’s House: a Memoir of Incest and of Healing</i>, credited as being one of
the first to break the taboo on childhood sexual abuse. She has also written
hundreds of magazine articles, for which she has won numerous awards, including
the 2008 Matt Cohen A Writer’s Life Award for her body of work. She has taught
creative writing at Banff Centre and various university workshops, and
participated in extensive media tours across Canada, the U.S. and Europe.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:black">Ryerson University’s Mary Fantaske reveals hidden truths in
marginal representations of bodies and abilities. She is an activist and
graduate student from the Department of Communication and Culture at Ryerson
University. Roundtable discussant Salvatore Greco has been an integral part of
the Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD) RTA School of Media at Ryerson
University. His critical observations and insightful views on Rob Ford’s
celebrity status and alternative use of tabloid formats set new grounds for social
justice in media culture. Filmmaker and activist Michael Sizer shows how the
public can use citizen journalism and screens his ground-breaking film <em>The
Whole World is Watching</em> after the Roundtable discussion.<span class=""> </span>The Roundtable also includes
internationally celebrated, awards winning media personality, Tushar Unadkat,
holds a Master of Design from the University of Dundee, Scotland and Honors in
Photography from University of Wolverhampton, England. CEO and Creative
Director of MUKTA Advertising, Unadkat is honoured with Canada’s Trailblazer
award at the 12th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival then in 2012. </span></font></p>
<p><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:black">The event closes with a live performance titled <em>Stepping
Into Her Knowing</em> by social change artist and holistic dance
practitioner Heryka Miranda. Of Guatemalan-Mayan/ US American heritage, Heryka
Miranda, gives a voice to the voiceless, subverts disabilities, and honours
Indigenous communities and land defenders through accompaniment, activism and
sacred ceremonies using the expressive dance arts. In 2013 she was the
International Guest Fellow with the award-winning <em>Dancing Earth</em> Indigenous
Contemporary Dance Company in Santa Fe, New Mexico and an ambassador of
Limitless Productions that was recently featured among academics, artists and
activists at the Feminist Art Conference (FAC). In August, Heryka begins her
graduate studies in Dance/Movement Therapy and Mental Health Counseling at
Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:black">This series is hosted by Holly Larson and moderated by Samita
Nandy. Featured on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Rogers Television among many more, Nandy
holds a PhD on fame from the School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts (MCCA)
at Curtin University in Australia and is the Director of The Centre for Media
and Celebrity Studies (CMCS). </span></font></p>
<p><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:black">The Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS) is an
international non-profit organization with cross-disciplinary faculty members,
postdoctoral researchers, and creative practitioners specializing in media
literacy, critical studies of fame and celebrity activism. The centre facilitates
academic and media partnerships with the aim of strengthening higher education
and creative industries, and has been covered by Canada’s<span class=""> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1BR1H9yAU8#t=184">CTV National News</a><span class=""> </span>in 2014.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:black">Date</span></strong><strong><span style="color:black;font-weight:normal">:</span></strong><span class=""><b><span style="color:black"> </span></b></span><strong><span style="color:black;font-weight:normal">Friday, May 30 (6 - 9
pm)</span></strong><b><span style="color:black"><br>
<strong>Location</strong></span></b><span style="color:black">:
industREALarts room (688 Richmond Street West) in Toronto, Canada<span class=""> </span><br>
<strong>Admission</strong>: $10</span></font></p>
<p><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:black">For more information on the Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies
and subscription, visit<span class=""> </span><a href="http://www.cmc-centre.com/">www.cmc-centre.com</a><span class=""> </span>or contact Samita Nandy at <a href="mailto:info@cmc-centre.com">info@cmc-centre.com</a> or 416-985-8887. </span></font></p>
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