New project focuses on digital media, arts, heritage and culture

Cape Breton University (CBU) professor and Canada Research Chair in Communities and Cultures, Dr. Marcia Ostashewski, is part of an international research team that has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Connection Grant in the amount of $62,745. The funding will support Exhibiting Sound, a joint project between the University of Alberta and CBU, focused on digital media, arts, heritage and culture. Ostashewski leads the project together with University of Alberta ethnomusicologist Dr. Michael Frishkopf.

Exhibiting Sound is a multifaceted public outreach program hosted by UA in conjunction with CBU, with arts, heritage and cultural institutions. The project focuses on knowledge exchange and dialogue events, legacy print publications and digital educational resources. Exhibiting Sound involves two public events, one in Sydney, Nova Scotia and the other in Edmonton, Alberta.

“Cape Breton University and this Connections grant bring together individuals from around the globe and across sectors – artists, heritage and museum professionals, scholars and students. We are excited to learn from and with one another while enjoying the beauty of Cape Breton at its finest,” says Ostashewski.

The first public Exhibiting Sound event is Curating Ethnomusicology, a pre-conference workshop in digital humanities being held at CBU from June 15-16. This event brings together local, national and international heritage and media professionals and scholars, all of whom are involved in the creation of innovative multimedia that attends to music from around the world. The workshop includes a special focus on collaborative research with Indigenous communities. Events and exhibitions, all on the CBU campus and open to public, will include scholarly and industry presentations, practical/applied workshops, exhibitions, performance/lectures, film screenings and other interactive learning opportunities. Curating Ethnomusicology is a prelude to Exhibiting Music, the Canadian Society for Traditional Music conference, being hosted by Cape Breton University from June 17-19 (cstm2015.ca). Follow or join the conversation via Twitter using the hashtag #CuratingEthno for the pre-conference, and for the conference: #CSTM2015.

A second public event will take place at the University of Alberta and in Edmonton galleries, museums and cultural centres from October 29–November 1. Updates and further developments on the event, which will involve exhibitions and round table discussions, as well as keynote speakers including curator and sound art advocate Barbara London from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), will be available at exhibitingsound.ca.

SSHRC Connection Grants support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives. These events and activities represent opportunities to exchange knowledge and to engage on research issues of value to those participating.