Five researchers from York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) have received more than $1 million combined through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s (SSHRC) Insight Grants program.
The funding will support long-term research projects that examine how arts, performance and technology can contribute to a deeper understanding of social issues.
"SSHRC Insight Grants enable researchers to pursue ambitious, long-term programs of inquiry that deepen understanding of complex social issues and generate knowledge with real-world relevance," says Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation.
"Together, these projects will generate new insights that help inform policy, practice and public dialogue in Canada and around the world."
Learn more about the AMPD recipients below:
Shital Desai
Project: Strengthening communication and relationships in dementia care
Funding: $417,127
Professor Shital Desai has received funding for a six-year project investigating approaches to strengthening communication and relationships in dementia care.
Her interdisciplinary research explores how emerging technologies and inclusive design practices can support older adults, people living with dementia and their caregivers.
Magdalena Kazubowski-Houston
Project: Performing Eco-Grief: Youth, Theatre, and Climate Mourning in Canada and Poland
Funding: $217,657
Professor Magdalena Kazubowski-Houston’s project will examine how young people experience and express grief related to climate change through theatre and performance.
The research will consider how creative practices can help youth in Canada and Poland engage with feelings of loss, uncertainty and environmental change.
Russ Patrick P. Alcedo
Project: From Field to Stage: Choreographing for Theatre Philippine Folk Dance Practices through Ethnographic Research
Funding: $163,951
Professor Russ Patrick P. Alcedo’s project explores Philippine folk dance practices through ethnographic and choreographic research.
The project will examine how cultural knowledge moves from communities and field research into theatrical performance, while considering questions of representation, tradition and artistic interpretation.
Rebecca Caines
Project: Interfacing, Playtesting, Resetting: Reframing Technology Use Through Improvised Creative Technologies
Funding: $118,750
Professor Rebecca Caines’ research will explore how improvisation and creative technologies can offer new ways of understanding and engaging with technological systems.
Through collaborative experimentation and playtesting, the project will consider how artists and researchers can challenge established approaches to technology use.
Hong Kal
Project: Grievable Images: Visualizing State Violence and Resistance in South Korea Since 1948
Funding: $115,556
Professor Hong Kal’s project examines visual representations of state violence and resistance in South Korea from 1948 to the present.
The research will consider how images shape public memory, mourning and understandings of political violence.
Learn more about SSHRC.
This article contains excerpts from a story originally published in Yfile.
Cover Image (from left to right): Russ Patrick P. Alcedo, Shital Desai and Rebecca Caines.