University of the Streets Café launches new season
The topics run the gamut from climate change to supporting children with autism, to the transformative power of urban art. Concordia’s University of the Streets Café conversations series is in its 10th year, and the real-life chat forum is as popular and relevant as ever, says program coordinator Susan Edey.
“People love the program, and new people are finding out about it all the time,” she says, adding that though there are some regulars, the diversity of topics helps to attract a new and diverse crowd to every talk.
“Sometimes there’s an issue you’re really passionate about, but maybe your friend circle isn’t, or your family isn’t.
Maybe you’re really interested in the arts, and what makes Montreal such an attractive place for artists. You don’t have anyone to talk to about that normally, but you can go to this room and talk about it with people you don’t know,” she says.
The conversations are held in various cafés and community spaces across the city. Each one begins with a 20-minute introduction to the topic by a presenter, which is followed by a moderated conversation.
This new season of the University of the Streets Café opens Wednesday, February 27 with a conversation titled Investing in Knowledge: Whom does Research Really Benefit? The presenters are Associate Professor Ann-Louise Davidson from Concordia’s Department of Education, and student Kyle McLoughlin, coordinator of CURE (Community-University Research Exchange).
When selecting subjects for the conversations, Edey says she tries to choose topics that allow the knowledge to flow both ways, so the evening doesn’t end up being dominated by the presenter.
“We definitely try to pick topics that are relevant to people and that are interesting,” she says. “There’s a fine balance between having a topic that people can relate to, but that is complex enough that there are still questions left, and people have a reason to show up.”
Topics are either suggested to Edey by participants at the conversations or she comes up with them herself and then seeks out suitable presenters. Edey’s main tool for spreading the word is a popular Facebook fan page, which, she points out, has 200 new fans since the beginning of last term.
Is the conversation series an effective bridge between Concordia and the community? Edey thinks so. “When I discovered the program, I’d been in Montreal for a year at that time, and it was such a great outlet to hear different opinions and to engage around them,” she says. “I think it’s such a vulnerable and brave thing to watch strangers do that together.”
Related links:
• University of the Streets Café
• University of the Streets Café on Facebook