Hello!

Creative Humanities is a platform for applied research and innovation at Sheridan College. In 2016, the Creative Humanities was founded by Dr. Brandon McFarlane with the ambition of inspiring new approaches grounded in creative inquiry and critical innovation. We imagine optimistic futures for the humanities and higher education, and engage in the struggle work necessary to manifest those utopian visions in our everyday lives.

Canadian Literary Censorship Project

We’re trying to discover and document the extent of banned and challenged books in Canada. Insofar as literary works communicate the values, aspirations, and anxieties of a society, the censorship of those texts might be taken as a bellwether for the overall health of that society, a measure of its citizens’ willingness to engage in unorthodox ideas or even their complicity in inequitable systems of power.

Data from the American Library Association show that literary censorship disproportionately targets authors and audiences of systemically marginalized groups: people of colour and those who identify within the LGBTQ2S community are, historically, much more likely to have their literary works censored. In Canada, however, there is currently no comprehensive, systematic, or readily-searchable compilation of censored literary works. Led by Prof. Alexander Hollenberg (Principal Investigator) with support from Dr. Brandon McFarlane (Co-investigator), and Dr. Owen Percy (Co-Investigator), we seek to remedy this knowledge gap.

Sheridan: Everybody’s Got a Story 2021-22

Inspired by the Covid-19 lockdown and the desire to foster a sense of community, this project asks Sheridan community members open-ended, emotion-driven questions to get to the heart of their stories. The narratives will be published in an online, interactive map which shows how people from around the world converge at Sheridan College to explore their creativity. Once campus reopens, the stories may also be shared in an installation at the Creative Campus Galleries.

Remaking Critical Theory 2020-21

A partnership between the School of Humanities and Creativity & the School of Visual and Creative Arts that synthesized innovation management and artistic practices to help undergraduates better understand critical theory, and apply insights to solve challenges pertaining to equity, diversity, and inclusivity in their industries.

Breaking Through Barriers to Gender Equity in Canadian Film 2018-19

Synthesized existing research to identify key obstacles to gender equity in the North American film and television sector. Three undergraduate researchers facilitated CPS sessions with Breakthroughs Film Festival’s Board of Directors to create the organization’s first strategic plan which reimagined the not-for-profit’s mandate from the perspective of intersectional feminism.

Call for Possibilities

What would you do if you had unlimited time and resources for a scholarly, research, or creative activity? Wield up to 2,500 words to pitch, imagine, or dramatize your most daring, creative, and/or ambitious idea via a special research cluster to be published in English Studies in Canada. Guest edited by Brandon McFarlane and Sarah Banting, you can find full details by clicking ‘learn more.’

Special Issue of University of Toronto Quarterly

The University of Toronto Quarterly published a special issue on the Creative Humanities guest edited by Brandon McFarlane. Authors include Andrea Charise, Stefan Krecsy, Glenn Clifton, Edmund Martin Nolan, Dale Tracy, David Gauntlett, and Mary Kay Culpepper. Click ‘learn more’ to find out how humanities scholars are transforming higher education in Canada.

Seeking New Perspectives

Over the course of her career as an artist and professor, Hyein Lee has learned the importance of being exposed to diverse perspectives. Find out how contributing to Remaking Critical Theory transformed how Prof. Lee approaches art and education.

Opening Up to New Experiences 

Learning to take risks has brought Melodie Downey to a year of fulfilling social, academic, and professional growth. Find out how serving as a Research Assistant for Remaking Critical Theory helped Melodie thrive during lockdown.

At the Crossroads of Critical Theory and Creative Practice

With Covid-19 turning the digital age into the virtual age, students and professors everywhere are adjusting to new ways of learning and engaging with education. Amidst this struggle, Dr. Alexander Hollenberg (Professor of Storytelling & Narrativity) wants to introduce new ways of approaching critical theory, content that typically feels “impenetrable”.

Student Success Award

Congrats to Dr. Glenn Clifton (Professor of Literary Studies and Creative Writing) who received the 2020 Student Success Award for his outstanding contributions to undergraduate learning on the TENT project. Dr. Clifton facilitated debrief sessions with undergraduate researchers and helped them share their learnings through blog posts.

Sheridan Students Take Centre Stage at Toronto Fringe

Oavkille News featured our project work at this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival.  “Sheridan College research students have a front row seat at this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival, which kicks off July 3. Sheridan students are generating a buzz in Toronto’s theatre industry for their pioneering work in expanding Toronto Fringe’s Theatre Entrepreneurs’ Networking and Training (TENT) program.”

Taking Care of Business

The Toronto Raptors aren’t the only ones bringing home hardware this spring: Victoria Webb (BBA Marketing Management) and Karly-Anna O’Brien (BBA Supply Chain Management 2019) won two major awards for their outstanding research. The Pilon School of Business all-stars have been applying their creativity and entrepreneurial know-how to train emerging producers in Toronto’s theatre community. These two exceptional women are slam dunking their way to success!

Creative Humanities Featured in Curiosities

Find out how an ecceltic team of undergraduate researchers at Sheridan College are collaborating with Toronto Fringe to bring new ideas to the Theatre Entrepreneurs’ Networking & Training program. Together, they’re helping emerging producers thrive in the theatre business.

New Opportunities for Toronto Artists 

We designed and instructed innovation workshops for TENT & Toronto Fringe in July 2018. Find out what we did and what’s in store for fall 2018!

TENT Collaboration Featured in Alchemy 

The word spreads thanks to Brittany German’s pen. The collaboration’s lead wordsmith, German (BA, Creative Writing & Publishing) is raising awareness about the impact we’re bringing to Sheridan students and Toronto’s theatre community.

Creative Problem Solving at the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals

Who doesn’t love a road trip? The mere suggestion invokes the idea of an adventure: discoveries to be unearthed, friendships formed, strengthened, deepened. All of this is exactly what happened when we took our collaboration with Toronto Fringe on the road one grey day in early November and headed west to the town of Windsor.