On this episode of See How We Run! we’re joined by Neworld Theatre’s managing director Alen Dominguez and consultant Caitlin Jones to talk about Progress Lab 1422’s Backstage Spaces report. Progress Lab is a building in East Van that is a dedicated performance creation space and home to a collective of renowned theatre and dance companies, who collaboratively run the space with their nonprofit tenants’ board C-Space. The Backstage Spaces report provides an understanding of the issues performance creation spaces face in terms of affordability, city zoning, and property-tax, that threaten not only the companies tenancies but their creative capacities. This episode is hosted by SFU VOCE program assistant and interdisciplinary performance artist Samantha Walters. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/see-how-we-run/228-backstage-spaces.html. Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/228-backstage-spaces.html Resources: Progress Lab 1422: https://c-space.ca/ Backstage Spaces Report: https://c-space.ca/backstage-spaces/ Neworld Theatre: https://neworldtheatre.com/ Bios: Alen Dominguez (He/Him) is a Mexican-Canadian theatre artist who trained as an actor at the University of British Columbia. He has since expanded his work into producing and arts management for several award-winning companies across Metro Vancouver. He's currently the Managing Director at Neworld Theatre and the chair of C-Space, which runs Progress Lab 1422. He's so lucky to get to work in that building surrounded by the coolest cats in town. He’s also worked with Tara Cheyenne Performance, Royal City Musical Theatre, Electric Company, The Chop, City Opera Vancouver, Bard on the Beach, Ruby Slippers, Arts Club, Citadel, Chemainus and Western Gold. Alen is a co-founder of the Canadian Latinx Theatre Artist Coalition (CALTAC) and an active member of the Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency (SCALE). Caitlin Jones is a long-time cultural worker, curator and writer—working with and within a range of independent and institutional contexts. As Executive Director of BCA (formerly BC Artscape) she was responsible for the development and operations of multiple affordable real-estate projects for the cultural community. As the Executive Director of the Western Front Society in Vancouver, in addition to her directorial and curatorial duties, she spearheaded programming, policy and dialogue around issues of equity and urban development, and the roles of artists within it. Prior to her move to BC she held a combined curatorial and conservation position at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, was the Director of Programming at the Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery and was a writer and advisor for Rhizome.org. Her writings on contemporary art and new media have appeared in a wide range of exhibition catalogues, periodicals and other international publications including The Believer, Documents in Contemporary Art series, among others. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Walters, Samantha. “See How We Run! Backstage Spaces — with Alen Dominguez and Caitlin Jones.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, November 28, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/see-how-we-run/228-backstage-spaces.html.

Welcome to See How We Run! An original Below the Radar mini-series featuring conversations with arts and cultural workers in Vancouver. In this first episode, co-hosts Julia Aoki, Kathy Feng, and Samantha Walters introduce the series and what’s to come. In each episode, they’ll speak to artists, consultants, administrators, and advocates about how art and culture is made and sustained in Vancouver. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/see-how-we-run/227-see-how-we-run.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/227-see-how-we-run.html Resources: Gallery Gachet: https://gachet.org/ Hives for Humanity: https://www.hivesforhumanity.com/ Progress Lab 1422: https://c-space.ca/ Backstage Spaces Report: https://c-space.ca/backstage-spaces/ Contemporary Art Gallery: https://cagvancouver.org/ Powell Street Festival: https://powellstreetfestival.com/ Bios: Julia Aoki is an administrator, writer, researcher, and advocate. She is the Program Manager at SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement. She has served as the Executive Director of Megaphone magazine, General Manager of VIVO Media Arts Centre, and General Manager and Programming Director of the Powell Street Festival, where she prioritized developing community centred programs. Julia currently sits on the board of 221A Artist Run Centre Society, and has volunteered with advocacy organizations such as the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres and DTES SRO Collaborative. Her writing on cultural expressions and community formations that are overlooked and underserved by commercial and political mechanisms and practices can be found in TOPIA, Space and Culture and a collection by Lexington Books. Kathy Feng is an interdisciplinary artist, born in Guangzhou, China, and is a guest living and working on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. As an immigrant and child of immigrants, she grew up between cultures in a constant process of learning, unlearning, and relearning. This framework informs the central themes to her work: in which memory and nostalgia are expressed through images, text, and the aesthetics of the temporal. Kathy holds a BFA in Visual Art with a minor in Art and Performance Studies from SFU's School for the Contemporary Arts. She began working at SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement January 2020 as a Research Assistant for the Below the Radar podcast. Samantha Walters is an emerging interdisciplinary performer, writer, and creator. She has been the Program Assistant at SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement since 2022. They are based on xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) lands. As an artist, she mostly works between contemporary theatre, directing, and video making. Their most recent works examine ecological relationships and post-human spiritualities, with a heavy favour towards the weird, the dark, and the camp. Collaboration within communities and alongside the non-human lies at the heart of her process. She grew up in England and Hong Kong and holds a BFA honours in Theatre Performance with a minor in English and a certificate in Performance Studies from SFUs School for the Contemporary Arts Cite this episode: Chicago Style Aoki, Julia, Feng, Kathy, and Walters, Samantha. “See How We Run! Conversations with Arts and Cultural Workers.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, November 21, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/227-see-how-we-run.html

This week on Below the Radar, we’re joined by Vancouver legend Norman Armour, a curator, consultant, producer, director, actor and non-profit arts specialist with over 35 years of experience. Norman discusses his experience co-founding the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, his storied career in the Canadian arts scene, as well as his health. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/226-norman-armour.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/226-norman-armour.html Resources: Norman Armour: https://www.normanarmourconsulting.com/ PuSh International Performing Arts Festival: https://pushfestival.ca/ Rumble Theatre: https://rumble.org/ The Post at 750: https://thepostat750.ca/ VIFF Live: https://viff.org/live/viff-2023/ Bio: Norman Armour is a Vancouver-based curator, consultant, producer, director, actor and non-profit arts specialist with 35+ years of experience. Since graduating from SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts in 1986, he has collaborated on over 120 works for the stage and other media. In 2005, he co-founded the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, serving as its Artistic and Executive Director for 14 years. Prior to that, he co-founded and established Rumble Theatre as a mainstay of the city’s thriving independent theatre scene. He is also a co-founder of the Post at 750, an innovative shared workspace for the non-profit arts. His consulting practice focuses on scenario planning, business strategy, mentoring, proposal writing and development, as well as international engagement, touring and exchange. His career and community contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the City of Vancouver Mayor’s Award and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from his alma mater. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Paramedic for the Arts — with Norman Armour.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, November 7, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/226-norman-armour.html.

Alex Hemingway, Senior Economist and Public Finance Policy Analyst at the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), joins Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. They discuss the Canadian housing crisis, the misclassification of independent contractors in the gig economy, and the CCPA’s report promoting a wealth tax. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/225-alex-hemingway.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/225-alex-hemingway.html Resources: Alex Hemingway: https://policyalternatives.ca/authors/alex-hemingway Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA): BC Office: https://policyalternatives.ca/offices/bc/about CCPA: Wealth Tax Report: https://www.policynote.ca/tax-the-rich/ Understanding Precarity in BC Project: https://policyalternatives.ca/projects/understanding-precarity No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age: https://janemcalevey.com/book/no-shortcuts-organizing-for-power-in-the-new-gilded-age/ Bio: Alex Hemingway is a Senior Economist and Public Finance Policy Analyst at the CCPA’s BC Office. His research focuses on tax fairness, public finances, public services, and economic inequality in BC and Canada. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Extreme Inequality in Canada — with Alex Hemingway.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, October 31, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/225-alex-hemingway.html.

This week on Below the Radar, we're joined by Samir Gandesha, Professor in the Department of the Humanities and the Director of the Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University. In this conversation, Samir and Am discuss the importance of challenging ideas in academia, how family trauma has impacted his perspective, and the long history of the Institute for the Humanities–leading up to the celebration of the Institute's 40th anniversary in October 2023. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/224-samir-gandesha.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/224-samir-gandesha.html Resources: Samir Gandesha: https://www.sfu.ca/people/gandesha.html Institute for the Humanities: https://www.sfu.ca/humanities-institute.html Dissertation: Tragedy and Enlightenment: https://philpapers.org/rec/GANTAE Spectres of Fascism: https://btlbooks.com/book/spectres-of-fascism Journal: Contours: https://www.sfu.ca/humanities-institute/publication/contours.html The Spell of Capital: https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789089648518/the-spell-of-capital Bio: Samir Gandesha is currently Professor in the Department of the Humanities and the Director of the Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University. He specializes in modern European thought and culture, with a particular emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. Samir was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and immigrated with his parents as an infant to Canada in the mid-1960s. Members of his extended family were expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin in 1972. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “The Reason for Reason — with Samir Gandesha.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, October 24, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/224-samir-gandesha.html.

Bruce Mutsvairo, Professor of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University, and a 2023 SFU CERi researcher-in-residence, sits down with Am Johal to discuss his journey from journalism into academia and the state of journalism in Africa. He and Am also discuss the complexities of citizen journalism in relation to influencers, especially in the context of transparency, misinformation, and inequality. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/223-bruce-mutsvairo.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/223-bruce-mutsvairo.html Resources: Bruce Mutsvairo: https://www.uu.nl/staff/bmutsvairo Introducing Bruce Mutsvairo: https://www.sfu.ca/ceri/blog/2023/Introducing-Bruce-Mutsvairo.html Platforms, Power and Politics: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=platforms-power-and-politics--9781509553570&fbclid=IwAR0qhMg8n4OLgGo0ucxHYcTwtdXSF38ZpYbDYYCLmcCNpZIEWuf3tCuSsv4 Bio: Bruce Mutsvairo is a Professor in the department of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University, where he also doubles as the UNESCO Chair on Disinformation, Data and Democracy. His research revolves around the importance of community engagement in academia. Bruce is SFU CERi’s researcher-in-residence from January until August 2023. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Platforms, Power, and Politics — with Bruce Mutsvairo.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, October 17, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/223-bruce-mutsvairo.html.

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Ali Kazimi, director and winner of the 2019 Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. Ali shares with Am how he got into filmmaking, his experiences of discrimination when arriving in Canada, and his path into the production of his various films, such as Continuous Journey, Narmada, Random Acts of Legacy, and his latest film, Beyond Extinction. In talking about his film, Shooting Indians, created in collaboration with Jeffrey Thomas, Ali describes the film’s dialogic approach, and how Jeffrey challenges the visual stereotypes of Indigenous people put forward by the American photographer, Edward Sherriff Curtis. Ali explains how he uses archives to unearth never before seen footage of the Komagata Maru, and how he embraces the imperfections of old archival materials. Finally, Am and Ali discuss the effort it takes to maintain autonomy as a filmmaker. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/222-ali-kazimi.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/222-ali-kazimi.html Resources: Ali Kazimi: https://alikazimi.ca/ Continuous Journey: https://alikazimi.ca/films/continuous-journey/ Narmada: A Valley Rises: https://alikazimi.ca/films/narmada/ Random Acts of Legacy: https://alikazimi.ca/films/random-acts-of-legacy/ Shooting Indians: https://alikazimi.ca/films/shooting-indians/ Beyond Extinction: A Sinixt Resurgence: https://alikazimi.ca/films/beyond-extinction/ Bio: Ali Kazimi is a filmmaker, author and media artist whose work deals with race, social justice migration, history and memory. He is the recipient of the 2019 Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. Ali is currently an associate professor at York University's School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design and was the former chair for the Department of Cinema & Media Arts. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Beyond Extinction — with Ali Kazimi.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, October 10, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/222-ali-kazimi.html.

On this episode of Below the Radar, Angela Aujla, visual artist and Professor of Sociology at Georgian College, sits down with Am Johal. Angela shares her career transition into the visual arts, while continuing to draw upon her academic background in Sociology and Anthropology to influence her mixed-media works. Angela also discusses the influences and inspiration of her art exhibition, My Grandmother’s Dress. The episode ends on a meaningful conversation about the complexities of diaspora identities and how different generations dealt with them. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/211-angela-aujla.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/211-angela-aujla.html Resources: Angela Aujla’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angela_aujla_art/?hl=en Angela Aujla - Exhibition: My Grandmother’s Dress: https://maclarenart.com/exhibition/my-grandmothers-dress/ Bio: Angela Aujla is a South Asian Canadian visual artist, influenced by her academic study of visual culture, anthropology, and feminist postcolonial theory. Her mixed-media, narrative artwork explores the complexity and interplay of history, memory, and identity with a focus on diasporic and material culture. Angela is also a Professor of Sociology in Georgian College’s Liberal Arts department. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Making Legible These Lives — with Angela Aujla.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, October 3, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/221-angela-aujla.html.

This week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Ryan Tacata, Assistant Professor of Performance at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Together, Am and Ryan discuss his performance residency at the Libby Leshgold Gallery, and methods of designing pedagogy for contemporary performance education. Ryan also shares how he started in live performance and some of the various artists who have inspired him. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/220-ryan-tacata.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/220-ryan-tacata.html Resources: Ryan Tacata: http://www.ryan-tacata.com/about/ School for the Contemporary Arts: https://www.sfu.ca/sca.html White Carpet: https://libby.ecuad.ca/exhibitions/2023/soft-launch.html La Mamelle: http://www.ryan-tacata.com/la-mamelle For You: http://www.foryou.productions/about The Welcoming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Z3XHtNdm0 Florentina Holzinger: https://floholzinger.wordpress.com/ Bio: Dr. Ryan Tacata is a performance maker, educator, and scholar living in Vancouver, BC. He is currently Assistant Professor of Performance at the School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University. He has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2007) and received his PhD in Performance Studies from Stanford University. His dissertation "La Mamelle: Bay Area Conceptual Performance Art and The Alternative Art Archive" undertakes the La Mamelle/Art Com archive and various histories of West Coast conceptualism. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Nasty Performances — with Ryan Tacata.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, September 26, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/220-ryan-tacata.html.

On this episode of Below the Radar, Charlotte Gill, author of the books Ladykiller and Eating Dirt, sits down with Am Johal to explore her latest book, Almost Brown, which shares her experience growing up as a mixed-race child in a multi-cultural/religious household. Charlotte describes the family dynamics that led her Punjabi father to marry her English mother and become estranged from his father, and in turn, the process that led Charlotte to becoming estranged from her own father. The episode ends on a meaningful conversation about how mixed identities narratives have changed across generations, and how the language to discuss those identities have evolved. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/219-charlotte-gill.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/219-charlotte-gill.html Resources: Charlotte Gill: https://charlottegill.com/about/ Almost Brown: https://charlottegill.com/almost-brown/ Ladykiller: Stories: https://charlottegill.com/ladykiller/ Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe: https://charlottegill.com/eating-dirt/ Bio: Charlotte Gill is the author of Eating Dirt, a national bestseller that won the B.C. National Award for Canadian Nonfiction. Her previous book, Ladykiller, was a Governor General’s Award nominee. Charlotte is the Rogers Communications Chair in Literary Journalism at the Banff Centre as well as faculty in the MFA program in creative nonfiction at the University of King’s College. Her latest book, Almost Brown, a mixed-race family memoir, is published by Penguin Random House. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Almost Brown — with Charlotte Gill.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, September 19, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/219-charlotte-gill.html.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University, joins Am Johal to discuss the pertinent topic of fascism and how political figures use and promote the image of “strongmen'' in their pursuit of power. Am and Ruth explore the modern political environment through Ruth’s book, Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, linking the style of Mussolini to politicians like Berlusconi, Orban, and Trump, and the process by which they become more corrupt, more reliant on power, and thereby more reliant on extremists. In conjunction with our previous episode with Alberto Toscano, these two episodes give a historical perspective to understanding the rise of fascism in the present. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/218-ruth-ben-ghiat.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/218-ruth-ben-ghiat.html Resources: Ruth Ben-Ghiat: https://ruthbenghiat.com/ Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present: https://wwnorton.com/books/strongmen Lucid: Substack Newsletter: https://lucid.substack.com/ Bio: Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. She writes about fascism, authoritarianism, propaganda, and democracy protection. Her latest book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, examines how illiberal leaders use corruption, violence, propaganda, and machismo to stay in power, and how resistance to them has unfolded over a century. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Fascist Strongmen — with Ruth Ben-Ghiat.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, September 12, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/218-ruth-ben-ghiat.html.

Critical theorist Alberto Toscano sits down with Am Johal to discuss the emergence of critical theory alongside fascism's rise in the 1920s and 30s. He speaks of Georges Sorel as a politically radical figure from the time period, highlights the role of political violence in the emergence of fascism, and delves into contemporary American currents of fascism – particularly focusing on the racialized form of state terror present in the United States. From there, Alberto discusses the concept of fascism and its continued relationship to settler colonial formations, its association with extreme neoliberalism, and the importance of figures like Aimé Césaire, W. E. B. Du Bois, Angela Davis, and George Jackson in emphasising manifestations of racial fascism. He acknowledges the complexity of using terms like American fascism, and mentions the need to understand the dynamics and political economy underlying the far-right movements in the U.S., which are the result of white homogeneity and privileged groups imagining their annihilation and victimisation. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/217-alberto-toscano.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/217-alberto-toscano.html Resources: Alberto Toscano: https://www.sfu.ca/communication/people/faculty/Alberto-Toscano.html Fanaticism: The Uses of an Idea: https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca/products/2134-fanaticism Cartographies of the Absolute: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/zer0-books/our-books/cartographies-of-the-absolute The Nightwatchman’s Bludgeon: https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/the-nightwatchmans-bludgeon Bio: Alberto Toscano is Reader in Critical Theory at the Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London, where he co-directs the Centre for Philosophy and Critical Thought. He is Visiting Faculty at the Digital Democracy Institute, School of Communication, SFU. Alberto’s current research is divided into three main strands: a theoretical inquiry into contemporary authoritarian trends and their dis/analogies with their historical predecessors, culminating in the forthcoming book Late Fascism (Verso, 2021); the study of tragedy as a framework through which to understand political action and its discontents, from decolonisation to environmentalism; and the development of ‘real abstraction’ as a heuristic for the analysis contemporary capitalism, notably in its nexus with processes of racialisation. As the series editor of The Italian List for Calcutta-based publisher Seagull books, Alberto’s research is also concerned with the translation and reception of Italian literature, literary criticism and critical theory. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Late-Facism — with Alberto Toscano.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, August 29, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/217-alberto-toscano.html.

Below the Radar is returning from our summer break, bringing you 15 new conversations from an eclectic range of guests. We have invited local and international academics and artists to speak on topics ranging from continuing and emergent forms of fascism, and expressions of diasporic narratives and experiences in literary, visual, and moving image arts, to citizen journalism in Africa and shifting dynamics of labour in an increasingly casualized economy here in BC. We’re also delighted to bring to you a new series created by 3 members of our team: Program Manager Julia Aoki, Program Assistant Samantha Walters, and Research Assistant/Editor Kathy Feng. Together, they feature the work of local arts collectives and organizations, highlighting conversations about creation, spacemaking, accessibility, and self-determination within the framework of Vancouver’s cityscape. The season kicks off on September 5, 2023, with new episodes every Tuesday. Thank you so much for tuning in to Below the Radar, and we’re excited to share these conversations (and more!) with you. Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/btr-trailer-fall-2023.html

A family journey that spans three generations. This week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Bill Sundhu, a human rights & criminal justice lawyer. Bill shares the remarkable story about his parents' arrival in Canada following the partition of India, and how an interview with his mother led to them reconnecting with her sister in Pakistan. Am and Bill also discuss growing up in Williams Lake, Punjabi diaspora, and the lasting legacy of the partition. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/216-bill-sundhu.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/216-bill-sundhu.html Resources: Bill Sundhu: https://bwilliamsundhu.com/ Gurdev Sundhu’s story in The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-youtube-connected-gurdev-sundhu-to-a-sister-she-lost-in-the-partition/ Gurdev Sundhu’s Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAf2U1Q3I7k Bill on CBC News: https://twitter.com/cbcnewsbc/status/1626424446587133952 Desi Infotainer Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN-diDTnjlY, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCohg59MqzM Bio: William (Bill) Sundhu is senior attorney and owner of the Law Office of B. William Sundhu independent law practice, specializing in criminal justice, human rights and civil liberties. From 1996 to 2007, Bill was a BC Provincial Court judge. He is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association. A respected speaker and commentator on human rights, justice, diversity, equality and international legal issues, Bill has extensive knowledge of the Canadian justice system and international human rights law. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medal in 2002. Bill holds a Masters degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor, and a Bachelor of Arts from UBC. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “A Partition Story — with Bill Sundhu.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, May 30, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/216-bill-sundhu.html.

This week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Jorge Amigo, the head of cultural programming at the Vancouver Public Library. Together they discuss the power of library public programs, some of Jorge’s past public projects, as well as how the urban design of Vancouver relates to social isolation, and potential paths towards cultivating more friendships. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/215-jorge-amigo.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/215-jorge-amigo.html Resources: Vancouver Public Library Program: https://www.vpl.ca/programs-events Be my Amigo: https://vancouversun.com/life/relationships/be-my-amigo-determined-to-make-vancovuer-a-friendlier-city On Civil Society: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/featured/on-civil-society.jsp Opera Adventures: https://www.vancouveropera.ca/press-release/vancouver-opera-and-vancouver-public-library-launch-opera-adventures/ Uplift Asian: https://www.vpl.ca/program/uplift-asian VLACC: https://vlacc.ca/ Bio: Jorge Amigo grew up in Mexico City and moved to Vancouver in 2007, where he studied an undergrad and masters in political science at the University of British Columbia. He started his career working in brand and digital strategy for non-profits and Canadian startups, including as Director of Engagement for Canada’s National Observer. In 2018, he moved to Toronto to produce cultural events for the Toronto Public Library, where he curated the popular #OnCivilSociety series, hosting conversations on the most pressing social and political issues of our time, as well as programming dozens of literary programs. Jorge is now the Head of Cultural Programming for the Vancouver Public Library, where he is responsible for arts and culture events, and spends his days excited about reimagining how we use library spaces. He speaks four languages, and would probably enjoy chatting with you in at least one of them. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Episode name.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, May 23, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/215-jorge-amigo.html.

Head of the departments of surgery at both the Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia, and Am Johal’s former brain surgeon, Dr. Gary Redekop, joins Am on this episode of Below the Radar. Dr. Redekop and Am discuss advancements in medical procedures, how patients and medical practitioners experience surgery differently, and the relationship between neuroplasticity and human resilience. This episode explores the importance of preventative care, and celebrates our amazing capacity for human resilience and recovery. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/214-gary-redekop.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/214-gary-redekop.html Resources: Dr. Gary Redekop: https://neurosurgery.med.ubc.ca/faculty-spotlight/gary-j-redekop-bsc-md-msc-frcsc/ UBC: Department of Surgery: https://surgery.med.ubc.ca/about/ Bio: Dr. Redekop received his MD from the University of Western Ontario (UWO) and completed neurosurgical residency and fellowship training in cerebrovascular surgery in the Division of Neurosurgery at UWO. He completed graduate studies in the molecular biology of growth factors and angiogenesis, and went on to join the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Redekop is head of the departments of surgery at both the Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Episode name.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, May 16, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/214-gary-redekop.html.

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Lama Mugabo, founding director of Building Bridges with Rwanda, a campaign manager with the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, and a member of the Hogan’s Alley Working Group. Together, they discuss local training and advocacy programs for people with lived experience of homelessness and other marginalizing barriers, Hogan’s Alley Society’s advocacy in Vancouver’s historically Black neighbourhood, and Lama’s capacity building and educational work in Rwanda. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/213-lama-mugabo.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/213-lama-mugabo.html Resources: Lama Mugabo https://www.lamamugabo.com/ BC Poverty Reduction Coalition: https://www.bcpovertyreduction.ca/ Building Bridges with Rwanda: https://www.bbrwanda.ca/ Hogan’s Alley Society: https://www.hogansalleysociety.org/ Bio: Lama Mugabo is the founding director of Building Bridges with Rwanda (BBR), a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable development projects in Rwanda. In Canada, BBR engages local audiences in understanding the Rwandan development model through dialogue and learning exchange workshops. In 2019, BBR joined hands with Vancouver’s Hogan’s Alley Society and SFU’s Institute for Diaspora Research and Engagement to launch the Remember Rwanda 25 Year Legacy Project, at SFU. The RR25 LP leads a reflection tour to Rwanda every summer and organizes a bi-annual conference on the Rwandan development model. Lama uses storytelling as a community planning tool to understand problems and work collectively to find lasting solutions. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Building Bridges, from Vancouver to Rwanda — with Lama Mugabo.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, May 9, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/213-lama-mugabo.html.

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal speaks with Michael Clague, a community developer who has spent decades connecting underserved people to much-needed supports and programming. They begin by discussing Michael’s early service work as a UBC student, and move into conversation about the BC labour movement, community arts programming, and Michael’s new book, titled So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?: At 82, A Life In Progress. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/212-michael-clague.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/212-michael-clague.html Resources: Michael’s book, So, How Have I Been Doing at Being Who I Am?: https://bcbooklook.com/a-life-in-progress/ Carnegie Community Centre: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/carnegie-community-centre.aspx Britannia Community Centre: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/britannia-community-services-centre.aspx Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC): ​​https://www.sparc.bc.ca/ The Solidarity Movement in BC: https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/solidarity-bc-protest_solidarite-protestation-cb/ VANDU: https://vandureplace.wordpress.com/ Bio: Michael Clague is a former director of the Carnegie Community Centre and Britannia Community Centre, and a former board member of the Fraser Basin Council. He has participated in multiple community and social planning committees, including the Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC) and the Downtown Eastside Local Area Planning Process Committee. He was awarded the Order of Canada for community service in 2008, and he is the author of So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?: At 82, A Life In Progress. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Reflecting on a Life in Community Development.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, May 2, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/212-michael-clague.html.

This week on Below The Radar, Am Johal is joined by author and associate professor at the Allard Law School at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Brenna Bhandar. She and Am discuss her research into property, property law, and their relationships to histories of colonialism and racial formations. Brenna offers insight into her book Colonial Lives of Property: Law, Land, and Racial Regimes of Ownership. Brenna also talks about gaining an interest concerning the issues of Indigenous dispossession in Canada through her PhD research which was a critique of legal and political forms of recognition, as well as her future projects on property and the doctrine of preemption. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/211-brenna-bhandar.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/211-brenna-bhandar.html Resources: Brenna Bhandar: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/our-people/brenna-bhandar Allard School of Law: https://allard.ubc.ca/ Colonial Lives of Property: https://www.dukeupress.edu/colonial-lives-of-property Revolutionary Feminisms: https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca/products/2532-revolutionary-feminisms Plastic Materialities: Politics, Legality, and Metamorphosis in the Work of Catherine Malabou: https://www.dukeupress.edu/plastic-materialities Acts and omissions: Framing settler colonialism in Palestine Studies: https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/32857 Bio: Dr. Brenna Bhandar is an Associate Professor at Allard Law Faculty, UBC. Dr. Bhandar holds a PhD from the Birkbeck School of Law, University of London. Prior to joining Allard Law, Brenna was a Reader in Law and Critical Theory at SOAS, University of London, and previously held faculty positions at the Queen Mary School of Law, Kent Law School and the University of Reading Law School. She is the author of Colonial Lives of Property: Law, Land and Racial Regimes of Ownership which examines how modern property law contributes to the formation of racial subjects in settler colonies and to the development of racial capitalism. She is a co-editor on the books; Plastic Materialities: Politics, Legality and Metamorphosis in the work of Catherine Malabou, and Revolutionary Feminisms: Conversations on Collective Action and Radical Thought. Dr. Brenna Bhandar is a well-known property scholar and legal theorist—as well as an Allard Law graduate. Dr. Bhandar’s transdisciplinary approach to scholarship spans the disciplines of property law, critical theory, colonial legal history and critical race feminism. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Colonial Lives of Property — with Brenna Bhandar.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, April 25, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/211-brenna-bhandar.html.

Dr. Kari Grain is a research associate at the Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERI) and writer of the book, Critical Hope: How to Grapple with Complexity, Lead with Purpose, and Cultivate Transformative Social Change. On this episode of Below the Radar, Kari joins our host Am Johal, to discuss how the seemingly conflicting frameworks of criticalness and hope are both vital to systemic change, as well as the importance of emotions such as anger and grief, and the influence of Gloria Anzaldúa’s Coyolxauhqui imperative. Throughout the episode, Kari shares impactful excerpts from her book, Critical Hope. Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/210-kari-grain.html Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/210-kari-grain.html Resources: Kari Grain: https://karigrain.wordpress.com/ Critical Hope: https://karigrain.wordpress.com/the-book/ Kari Grain’s Dissertation: https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0378228 Blog on Critical Hope: https://www.sfu.ca/ceri/blog/2022/Critical-Hope-By-Kari-Grain.html Coyolxauhqui imperative: http://www.revistascisan.unam.mx/Voices/pdfs/7423.pdf Bio: Dr. Kari Grain is the author of Critical Hope (2022) and teaches at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Education, where she leads the Master’s of Education program in Adult Learning and Global Change (ALGC). She is also a research associate at the Community Engaged Research Initiative (CERI) at Simon Fraser University. Her research in experiential learning, critical pedagogy, adult education, anti-racism, and global/local community engagement has been featured in peer reviewed journals, books, blogs, and podcasts. At the nucleus of Grain’s body of work is the belief that education has the potential to be a vibrant pathway toward systemic change and the honouring of multiple ways of knowing and being. Vital to that process of systemic transformation is an attunement to emotional, critical, and creative ways of knowing oneself and being in the world with others. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Critical Hope — with Kari Grain.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, April 18, 2023. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/210-kari-grain.html.