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University of the Streets Café

The University of the Streets Café organizes public conversations in cafés and community spaces across Montreal. The program is free and open to participants of all ages, all backgrounds, and all levels of education. Without grades or diplomas, the University of the Streets Café reinvents the idea of the ‘university’ by creating spaces for lifelong learning, critical thinking, knowledge-building and community engagement in local neighbourhoods. More

Conversations

(Click on a title for more information)

February 27 - Investing in Knowledge: Whom does research really benefit?

Each year, in universities across this country, ideas are born, plans developed, funding secured, research conducted and results published. This cycle is repeated over and over again, but beyond research professionals, whom does research really benefit, and how are its benefits experienced? Power dynamics and competing agendas affect even the most well-intentioned, community-oriented ways of knowing and researching. If that’s the case, is it possible to overcome these challenges to develop more socially responsible research questions, methods and collaborations? How can we design research of real-life value to the communities involved? Once the research is “over,” how are communities and publics accessing and using publicly funded research and data? Whether you are someone who researches, who has been researched or who has felt skeptical about the research headlines routinely splashed across our news pages, you are invited to join this public conversation and to consider what we wish research to be and to accomplish.
Guests: Ann-Louise Davidson (PhD) was born in the small town of Hawkesbury (Ontario). Prior to joining Concordia University, she taught in public and private schools, but she also worked as a waitress in a family restaurant and as a clown in a department store. She has been dreaming of making a better world for as long as she can remember. Kyle McLoughlin is a fourth year Anthropology student at Concordia University. He is part of a committee that coordinates the Community University Research Exchange(CURE) a project that works towards transformative social change through grassroots research in Montreal.
Moderator: Rachel Speiran is a community engagement and sustainability consultant. Her work continuously evolves and revolves around the social and cultural dimensions of Capital S and small s "sustainability". She is committed to authentic and inclusive communication and the humanization of socio-cultural sciences in sustainable community economic development initiatives.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Burritoville, 2055 Bishop St. (corner De Maisonneuve W.), Guy-Concordia Metro
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March 5 - Density Interrupted: What do wild spaces in the city mean to us?

In recent years, gentrification of the Mile End has altered the local landscape to the point that, for some, it is unrecognizable. However, on the East end of St. Viateur, only a few blocks from the hip new hangouts and the sky rocketing rents, one place has remained mostly unchanged: Le Champ des Possibles. Although it is being encroached upon by an ever-growing number of condos, this meadow endures as one of Montreal’s very last ‘wild spaces.’ Members of the community who use the space for gatherings, to grow vegetables, to install public art, and to ‘get away’ from the noise of the city, advocate that the wildness of this area is worth preserving. This begs the question: what does it mean to have unplanned ‘wild space’ in an urban environment? Why do people value it so much? Can it remain ‘wild’ as it becomes formalized, protected and popular? We invite you to join in this public conversation where we will share our personal experiences of the Champ des Possibles and explore what this kind of space represents for us.
Guests: Marke Ambard is an environmental sociologist with a background in conservation biology. He has worked in wild places across North America, counting critters as well as talking with locals about what the environment means to them. In order to reconcile his love of nature and cities, he works to encourage the flourishing of wild places in the heart of Montreal. Kendra Besanger is a MA candidate in Concordia’s Media Studies program. As a central focus of her creative thesis project, Le Champ des Possibles has spurred her fascination with spontaneous interventions in urban space and storytelling as a form of truth making. Originally from British Columbia and relatively new to Montréal, Kendra is intrigued by the potential of ‘wild space’ in an urban landscape. Her other pursuits and practice-based work include edible garden projects, site-specific installations, collaborative writing, photography, slow-to-emerge knitting and textile projects, and a blossoming interest in soundscapes. Sara Finley is a resident of the Mile End who has been visiting the Champ des Possibles since stumbling upon it in 2007. Her appreciation for its serenity and natural vegetation led her to join forces with other residents to form Les Amis du Champ des Possibles in 2009. Together, they lobby for the preservation of the field in the face of looming development.
Moderator: Sasha Dyck has many happy childhood memories of the Champs des Possibles. As a Mile-End native now living in Park Extension, he co-founded the Opération avenue du Parc initiative last fall to rethink the avenue linking his old and new neighbourhoods. He is interested in the way city-dwellers build identities and communities around urban spaces, and the politics of transforming and reclaiming those spaces. He is also a Nurse Researcher.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Arts Café, 201 Fairmount Ave. W (corner De l’Esplanade), Bus 80/55
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March 7 - Inquiring Identity: Who am I if I am never just one thing? (Repeat from Fall)

Throughout history, identity has been used as the basis for conflict, discrimination, affiliation, and privilege. From wars, to educational systems, to legal rights, identity informs both how we understand ourselves, and how we understand our place in the world. This conversation will begin with a literary metissage that braids together three personal narratives on the topic of identity and aims to provoke questions such as: Does identity come from our actions or does it guide our actions? Is identity in flux and/or multiple? What privileges come from certain identities? Who gets to decide our identity? Together, we will explore our slippery encounters with self and society by reflecting on the nexus between our internally-imposed definitions of identity and those that others impose upon us.
Guests: Jason Butler is currently pursuing an interdisciplinary PhD through Concordia’s Individualized Program, examining the education of drama therapists. With previous incarnations as a boy scout, a high school theatre teacher, a drama therapist with the homeless and a self in search of an other, Jason’s journey with identity has taken him from a small town in Utah to the mean streets of the Big Apple to the diverse and varied terraces of Montreal. Dislocated from Rwanda as a toddler, Lisa Ndejuru attended school in Germany, then immigrated to Canada as a teenager. The implications of the Tutsi genocide for her family and the broader Rwandan-Canadian community have been the focus of her work as a psychotherapist and psychodramatist, working with new media, creative writing, and with the Living Histories playback theatre ensemble. She holds an MA from Sherbrooke University and is the president of the Canadian association of pastoral counsellors. Tieja Thomas is currently pursuing a PhD through Concordia's Department of Education, where she is exploring the relationship between notions of identity and citizenship education. As the youngest child in her family, Tieja has spent much of her life trying to carve out a unique identity for herself amidst the fray of 4 older siblings. Drawing on her background in the arts (music, dance), Tieja enjoys finding creative ways to interrogate notions of "self".
Moderator: Linda Overing is pursuing her doctoral studies in Education at Concordia University. The second-born of six children, and a mother of four, she has been constantly intrigued--and sometimes challenged--by the different identity-forming paths embarked upon by even these closest of relatives. This has certainly influenced her research concerning literacy, international development, and ethics in which issues of individual and cultural identity formation and retention are of fundamental importance.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Coopérative des Bons Voisins, 247A Lakeshore Rd. (corner Cartier), Bus 211
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March 12 - Sowing Seeds for a Different Climate: How can we plan for an uncertain future?

The twenty-first century promises rising temperatures, oil prices and economic uncertainty. We’ve heard the numbers and experienced the phenomena. How are these crises affecting not just our attitudes towards the future but also our long-term decisions such as having children, going to school, or saving for retirement? As we re-evaluate our current lifestyles and our long-term preparations, how can we take care of ourselves and our community? Are there ways to meaningfully plan for a tomorrow we can’t predict? In this public conversation, we will seek to move beyond guilt, blind optimism, and doomsday gloom to create a compassionate space in which we can share stories of changes made and challenges encountered, and reflect upon our vulnerability and our resilience in the face of transition.
Guest: Danny Polifroni is a mechanical engineer working in the renewable energy industry and a student in the Community Economic Development graduate diploma at Concordia University. He is an active member of the Villeray en Transition citizens committee; a part of the global network of transition initiatives, and also ran as a candidate for the Green Party of Canada and Quebec
Moderator: At the age of 29, David Summerhays is slightly hurt he's never been asked to write a bio before right now. A recovering know-it-all, in 2010, David discovered the beauty of listening from the heart during a series of talking circles. For the past two years, he's been facilitating public conversations about the well-being of our communities, including for l'Éco-quartier St-Jacques, le Milieu, and Journées de la Culture. He teaches piano and is currently conducting a multi-year experiment in winter biking.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Café l’Artère, 7000 Parc Ave. (corner Jean-Talon), Parc Metro
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March 20 - Beyond Bloodlines: What are critical and socially-aware alternatives to the nuclear family?

The intimacy and reliability of a family is a vital source of support for most people. The argument goes that no matter who we become, our family will remain an important constant in our lives - something we will purposely and inevitably go back to. Yet, families, in a modern, nuclear sense, are also highly contentious - they can be stifling and oppressive environments from which we need to distance ourselves in order to thrive. Furthermore, the concept of the nuclear family can also be connected with consumerism and careerism. Together, in this public conversation, we will try to envision new, re-constituted families. Drawing on the experiences of communal living and activism from the 60s and 70s and the chosen families of LGBT and Punk communities, we will reflect on the ways in which we can reconnect with family tradition. Who are the people whom we love and with whom we want to experience family? What can this look like? How can we foster mutual support and care with others?
Guests: Alex Megelas is into researching the power of DIY tek communities, doing sports-for-the-people and drawing water-colour maps of dungeons. He's in a band called Best Friends. He bikes around town. He has cats. Shanna Shadoan is from a small town in Oklahoma, and is learning how to be a children's librarian at McGill now. She's interested in representations of minorities and alternative family structures in literature and the media, and how the stories we read ourselves help form our identities. She writes a blog reviewing books for young adult readers, and has knit more than fifteen pairs of socks in the past few years.
Moderator: Susan Edey grew up in Edmonton as part of a tight-knit family, but believes that her second, friend-based family exerted an equal influence on who she is today. With both of these families now on the other side of the country, Susan is interested in exploring how she can foster new family traditions in her home away from home. Having recently graduated from Concordia with an MA in Media Studies, Susan now has the great pleasure of coordinating University of the Streets Café, a program that she loves.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Espace Fibre, 2665 Augustin-Cantin St. (corner Charlevoix), Charlevoix Metro
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March 28 - Creative Migration: Why do artists from the rest of Canada move to Montreal?

Montreal's reputation as a creative city attracts artists of many stripes from all over the country, whether they're seeking inspiration, like-minded people, or just a change of scenery. It's easy to see why: the city's relatively low cost of living and vibrant artistic scenes have much to offer potential residents. The decision to migrate, however, is shaped by a complicated cluster of factors including personal ambitions, community bonds, and socioeconomic affordances. What similarities and differences do we find among Canadians who've chosen this Montreal-bound migration? Do artists from elsewhere in the world follow this path, and if so, for the same reasons? How do born-and-bred Montrealers feel about their city's powers of artistic attraction and the new arrivals who follow? This public conversation will invite us to reflect upon creative migration from a variety of perspectives, exploring its effects upon our experiences of community, home, and creative work.
Guest: Born and raised in Edmonton, Amy Macdonald is completing her M.A. in Communication Studies at McGill, where her research focuses on the intersection of art, culture, and urban space. As part of an independent research project with fellow Edmonton expat James Goddard, she is interviewing Albertans who have moved to Montreal for reasons related to their creative pursuits.
Moderator: A native Montrealer, Jimmy Ung thrives on connecting people and ideas. He particularly enjoys exploring how Art can contribute to community and civic engagement. Having travelled Canada from coast to coast several times, this conversation will be an opportunity for him to further reflect on how being a Montrealer is increasingly intertwined with feeling at home with those who have travelled here from elsewhere.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: La Petite Cuillère, 3603 Saint Denis St. (corner De Malines), Sherbrooke Metro
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April 2 - Understanding the Spectrum: How do we build a community of support for children with Autism?

Autism is on our minds: more than ever, we write about it, talk about it, diagnose it and portray it in TV and film. It’s not uncommon for new parents to anxiously watch their children for signs of delayed speech, strange behavior and unusual levels of intelligence. We have a heightened awareness of its existence, but what do we really know about the autism spectrum and its implications? How can we peel away the layers of mystery that surround this increasingly common condition? What steps can we take to build more support for children and families directly impacted by autism? Neither a seminar about symptoms nor a medical information session, this public conversation will open up a space for all of us to consider the human side of autism, to explore where our anxieties on this subject come from and to brainstorm ways in which we can rally as a community around those affected by this disorder.
Guests: Stacey Bebbington is a mother of two young children. With next to no knowledge of autism, Stacey experiences the same paranoid thoughts that will likely draw many other parents to attend this event. Stacey owns La Tasse Gamine with April Defalco, where she meets tons of wonderful parents every day. She can't wait to share this conversation with them and to learn more about this important topic. Jennifer Morris has over twenty years of experience working with children and has supported many families in crisis in the weeks after they receive a special needs diagnosis. Most recently she worked at Giant Steps, a school dedicated to children with autism. A mother herself, Jennifer also delivers parenting classes. Nancy Ship is a long-time practising speech language pathologist. She has spent over 20 years as a group animator of the Hanen Centre’s "More than Words" course, which helps parents of children with Autism and Asperger’s syndrome learn to connect with their children through play and total communication. Throughout the year, she offers free workshops sponsored by the West Island Association (WIAIH) and CROMs, part of a series called “It Starts with You.”
Moderator: Suzanne Amro is a full time high school teacher who specializes in the instruction of English Language Arts and Ethics and Religious Culture. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from McGill University and a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Concordia, where her focus was on Applied Ethics with an emphasis on the practice of dialogue. For the past year and a half, she has been involved in Compassionate Listening training.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: La Tasse Gamine, 5658 Parc Ave. (corner Saint Viateur W), Bus 80
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April 8 - Connecting People to Content: How can libraries adapt to the digital age?

With the advent of e-readers and the proliferation of easy to access web content, the demand for libraries as purveyors of books or as meccas for research has arguably declined, taking their funding with it. In this new reality, can libraries stay relevant? If yes, how, for whom, and at whose expense? What role can libraries and librarians play in helping us navigate the information overload that characterizes twenty-first century living? Is the solution fewer books and more computers? Fewer silent nooks and more spaces to socialize? Or, is it something different altogether? In an age of digital everything, what role might libraries play as centres of neighbourhood life—as places to foster community engagement and creative citizenship? What is the potential for university-library partnerships and community-library alliances in this regard? This public conversation seeks to bring librarians, library users and community stakeholders together to consider the current state of libraries and to re-imagine their future.
Guests: Eric Craven is the Digital Literacy Project (DLP) coordinator of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre. The DLP offers digital skills education to the participants of community groups and schools in the Montreal area. Eric was trained as a librarian at McGill University (MLIS) and obtained a BA in Sociology from Concordia University. He has taken a diverse career path being active in music, the digital economy and literacy organizations. Kathleen King is a community worker at the YMCA Residence, which provides housing to asylum seekers, accepted refugees, and Inuit from Northern Quebec. She also volunteers as a facilitator for the Y's women's group, "Femme en Action", which was created to assist refugee women in combating feelings of loneliness and isolation. Kathleen graduated from Concordia University with a Specialization in Cultural Anthropology. Edward (Ted) Little is a professor specializing in socially engaged and activist theatre at Concordia University. In fall 2012, Ted worked with Eric Craven and the Atwater Library to develop an interdisciplinary course providing students with hands-on training and experience as “artists in residence.”
Moderator: As a veteran library lover, Eryn Fitzgerald is thrilled to moderate a conversation with such personal and social significance. Whether it's joining a book club with librarians, seeking out the quiet corners of libraries during her travels, or holding onto expired library cards, Eryn often wonders what she would do without the powerful presence of libraries. The rest of the time, she supports, connects, and promotes innovative community-university partnerships at Concordia University as the Community Relations Coordinator.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Atwater Library, 1200 Atwater Ave. (corner Tupper), Atwater Metro
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April 10 - Ch-ch-changes: How can we thrive through life’s transitions?

Life is a continuous cycle of beginnings and endings. Whether it’s the break up of a relationship, the arrival of a child, the loss of a job, the first weeks in a new apartment, or the shift between seasons, the reality is, we experience change every day. One might think we would all be transition experts by now. However, when an unexpected event or situation causes us to go on a different path than the one we thought we were on, we often experience resistance, anxiety or fear. Why is it so hard for us to let go? Are there techniques and strategies that can help us get over the crest of change faster? Or, better yet, is it possible to cultivate a new orientation or relationship with this experience altogether? In this public conversation, we will explore the transition process from different perspectives and consider how we can remain agile and empowered as we proceed through this ever-evolving dance.
Guest: Solomon Krueger has oodles of personal and professional experience with change. As a newly single, new graduate, living in a new apartment, he finds himself immersed in both the sadness of chapters closed and the excitement of future possibilities. As part of this journey, he has led visioning retreats and transition workshops and has taken great inspiration from the stories of others.
Moderator: Allison Gonsalves is an educational consultant and teacher. She also sings in a choir and volunteers for Rock Camp for Girls. In her spare time, she enjoys making projects that generate interactions between strangers. She likes thinking about ways to create learning spaces for big ideas and paradigm shifting.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: La Ruche D’Art, 4525 Saint-Jacques St. (corner Lenoir), Place-Saint-Henri Metro
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April 17 - Collaborating Across Difference: What are the human dimensions of sustainable development?

Words like sustainable development and social responsibility are spouted around with such frequency that it’s hard not to feel skeptical. Talk of sustainability often seems like nothing more than an environmentalist’s pipe dream or a corporation’s PR strategy. Is it possible for the companies behind mines, pipelines and oilrigs to make holistically responsible decisions about resource development and community? What accountability must we take as consumers? In this public conversation, we will zoom in on the human side of sustainable development and talk about what interpersonal and organizational conditions are required to foster inclusive and participatory decision making. How can we bridge differences between worldviews, cultures, mindsets and values to foster the harmonious and constructive relationships needed to build sustainable solutions? What role might mindfulness play in all of this?
Guests: Sylvie-Nuria Noguer has been working for the last 16 years as a sustainability consultant, trainer and auditor with companies and organizations in various industry sectors. She views sustainable development as resulting from the actualization of deep personal values, both at individual and organizational levels, through a shared understanding of sustainability issues and through participatory decision making processes. The very human and inter-personal aspects of sustainability fascinate Rachel Speiran She is a community engagement and intercultural communication consultant that specializes in the social and cultural dimensions of sustainable development in the natural resources sectors. She believes that solutions to complex sustainability issues need to involve and integrate the collective intelligence of local and traditional knowledge holders.
Moderator: Deborah Dysart-Gale is chair of Concordia's Centre for Engineering in Society, located in the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science. The Centre and her own work are focused on how crucial issues such as sustainability and social justice are perceived by professional and citizen stakeholders, and the effect of technology on these social goals.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Coop la Maison verte, 5785 Sherbrooke St. W. (corner Melrose), Bus 105
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April 25 - Urban subversions: How do spontaneous artistic actions transform our city and our selves?

Imagine you’re walking down a city sidewalk, surrounded by crowds of strangers, submersed in a concrete landscape of buildings and streets. Out of the corner of your eye an unexpected something catches your attention. Maybe it’s the burst of colour of a yarn bomb, a modified slogan on a prominent billboard, or a hidden envelope tucked away for whoever stumbles upon it. How does this spontaneous artistic action make you feel? What impact does it have on your day? On your experience of the city? Anonymous and diverse, urban interventions are subtle yet powerful means of reclaiming the urban commons. But the question remains: what's the point? Who engages with these fleeting projects and how? Can we ever know? For this public conversation, we invite those who create urban interventions and those who experience them, those who love them and those who are more critical, to join us in discussing what motivates these acts of street art and how their impact might be evaluated and understood.
Guests: Allison Gonsalves is an educational consultant and teacher. She also sings in a choir and volunteers for Rock Camp for Girls. In her spare time, she enjoys making projects that generate interactions between strangers. She likes thinking about ways to create learning spaces for big ideas and paradigm shifting. Lindsay Zier-Vogel is a Toronto-based writer, arts educator and love letterer. Lindsay is the creator of The Love Lettering Project, a community-arts engagement project that has brought nearly 3,000 love letters to strangers over the last eight years. The Love Lettering Project was deemed one of the top 50 reasons to love Toronto in Toronto Life. She is currently working on a novel. lindsayziervogel.com and loveletteringproject.com
Moderator: Alex Megelas is into researching the power of DIY tek communities, doing sports-for-the-people and drawing water-colour maps of dungeons. He's in a band called Best Friends. He bikes around town. He has cats.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Le Milieu, 1251 Robin St. (corner Beaudry), Beaudry Metro
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April 30 - Struggling to Talk about Class: Does the concept of social class still resonate?

What’s your class? You know, your social class? Does it inform your politics or shape your identity? In Canada, most people identify as middle class, regardless of their income and occupation, the receding social net and eroding social gains. But are we really all just middle class? According to the Occupy movement, we might be. Its ideas of privilege and disparity have re-entered public discourse, but, still, it speaks of the 99%, the overwhelming majority—not the working class. So where and who is the working class in our techno-driven, service-based economy? In the absence of one, who fights for working class rights? Are class and class struggle irrelevant notions in our daily lives? In this public discussion, we will focus on what social class means to us, to society and to politics in Quebec and Canada today.
Guest: Sergio Martinez studied Philosophy in his native Chile and got a master degree from McGill University. He recently retired from teaching at Centennial College in Montreal. He has been active in politics since the time when he was a high school student. After the 1973 military coup in Chile he was forced into exile, first in Argentina and then in Canada where he has lived since 1976.
Moderator: Alexandre Enkerli describes himself as “an informal ethnographer with a formal training in ethnographic disciplines”. He currently teaches sociology and international community service at Concordia while doing field research with local community organizations. Fascinated by social dynamics, he works at supporting social change through people’s own initiatives.
When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: ECTO, 880 Roy St. E (corner Saint-André), Sherbrooke Metro
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University of the Streets Café

Conversations

February 27 - Investing in Knowledge: Whom does research really benefit?

March 5 - Density Interrupted: What do wild spaces in the city mean to us?

March 7 - Inquiring Identity: Who am I if I am never just one thing? (Repeat from Fall)

March 12 - Sowing Seeds for a Different Climate: How can we plan for an uncertain future?

March 20 - Beyond Bloodlines: What are critical and socially-aware alternatives to the nuclear family?

March 28 - Creative Migration: Why do artists from the rest of Canada move to Montreal?

April 2 - Understanding the Spectrum: How do we build a community of support for children with Autism?

April 8 - Connecting People to Content: How can libraries adapt to the digital age?

April 10 - Ch-ch-changes: How can we thrive through life’s transitions?

April 17 - Collaborating Across Difference: What are the human dimensions of sustainable development?

April 25 - Urban subversions: How do spontaneous artistic actions transform our city and our selves?

April 30 - Struggling to Talk about Class: Does the concept of social class still resonate?

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