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Research Projects

Student Research Projects

Marta Shpak (MA)

Project Title: Let The Children Be.

Elan Marchinko (PhD)

Research Interest: Histories of colonialism and its redress, feminist, queer, and critical race theory, intercultural performance and dance studies, performance, memory, and trauma, gendered racial violence surrounding representations of indigenous life worlds in Canada.

Danielle Alfaro (PhD)

Research Interest: Traditional folk dancing performed by the Salvadoran diaspora in Canada and its relationship to activism and identity.

Aisha Bentham (MA)

Research Interests: The intersection of food, wellness and performance. With sub areas in ancestry, location and memory.

Faculty Research Projects

Hemispheric Encounters

The Hemispheric Encounters research project is led by Dr. Laura Levin, an Associate Profession of Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies at York University. Hemispheric Encounters: Developing Transborder Research-Creation Practices brings together scholars, artists, activists, and community organizations from across the Americas to explore hemispheric performance as an artistic practice for addressing social and environmental justice.

For more information, please review the Hemispheric Encounters website.

Imaginative Ethnography

The Imaginative Ethnography project, led by Dr. Rebecca Caines, is a transnational, independent research and creation network whose work spans Canada, China, Cuba, Haiti, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, and Poland, and is home to 84 members located around the world. A space for hospitality that welcomes you to join conversations about new ethnographic writing, and multisensory, multimedia, and multimodal storytelling in practice, in theory, and in learning and teaching. A point of departure that invites you to live and work differently, to reimagine the pasts, presents and futures of the worlds we inhabit.

For more information about Imaginative Ethnography, please visit the Imaginative Ethnography website.

International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation

The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI) is a research institute focused on exploring improvisation as a model for social practice. It examines how improvisation can promote social justice, community-building, and creative collaboration across various disciplines, including music, performance, and digital media. The institute brings together scholars, artists, and community leaders to investigate the cultural, social, and political significance of improvisation.

Fore more information about the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, please visit the IICSI website.

MultiPLAY

Dr. Rebecca Caines’ MultiPLAY project is a Canadian initiative that explores digital art and community engagement through improvisation. It incorporates a range of media including sound, music, sculpture, virtual reality, theatre, and more. Led by artist Rebecca Caines, the project involves workshops, live-streamed talks, open studio sessions, and artist hackathons, with a focus on interactive and experimental art forms. MultiPLAY collaborates with festivals, galleries, and community groups across Canada and is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

For more information, please review the MultiPLAY website.

(Re)Setting the Stage

The (Re)Setting the Stage research project is led by Dr. Marlis Schweitzer, who serves as the Principal Investigator. The project also involves several co-investigators from the Department of Theatre, Dance & Performance, including Jamie Robinson, Keira Loughran, Mariló Núñez, and Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster. (Re)Setting the Stage seeks to situate debates about theatrical representation and the politics of casting in Canada within a broader historical context, advancing dialogue with directors, playwrights, actors, educators, students, and other creators who are actively transforming professional Canadian theatre and university-level theatre training.

To learn more about (Re)Setting the Stage, and their upcoming projects, carefully review the (Re)Setting the Stage website.

Sensorium

Sensorium is a research center based at York University that focuses on digital arts and technology, exploring how art intersects with science, performance, and digital media. It serves as a hub for innovative projects, research-creation, and critical studies, with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and immersive environments. Sensorium brings together scholars, artists, and technologists to foster interdisciplinary collaborations and to explore the role of art in understanding complex global issues.

For further details about Sensorium, including current projects and future research opportunities, please review the Sensorium website.

Toasterlab

Led by Professor Ian Garrett, Toasterlab is a mixed reality performance and immersive media studio that focuses on using technology to enhance storytelling in live performance and art. It explores the intersection of theatre, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other digital technologies to create innovative, immersive experiences. Toasterlab collaborates with artists, researchers, and communities to push the boundaries of interactive and site-specific performances.

For more information, please visit the Toasterlab website.

Learn More

The Graduate Program in Theatre, Dance, & Performance Studies at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.