In the summer and fall semesters of 2024, TATI collaborated with two groups of students from the Toronto Metropolitan University Master of Digital Media (TMU MDM) program for the students’ major research projects.

The results are a video series called Not Standard Procedures, interviews with practitioners and students in creative arts therapies about their learnings and different ways of knowing in how creativity and imaginations can change the world. These first episodes feature the work and knowledges of Indigenous, Black and racialized practitioners. We’re grateful to learn from Shae Seqaqkind Anthony (below left), Zena Lord (below centre), and cc Chau (below right).

screen captures of the images of the guests from the video series "Not Standard Procedures".

Much appreciation also for the episode hosts and TATI students Magdalin Livingston, Kate Moo King-Curtis and Monica McArthur! As well, there’s a bonus video about the TATI community featuring instructors and classmates from the Sept2023 cohort.

behind the scene pictures and screen captures of the videos described in this post.

Catch the conversations in our new Video Library! We hope to continue the creative work that the TMU students started for us and grow the video library as more accessible ways to share experiences, knowledges and ideas about the ways that the arts can heal and transform us.

The second group of TMU students explored the development of a secure digital collage tool for use in virtual art therapy sessions. The result is a prototype of this tool, MindMosaic (screen capture below).

screen capture of the prototype MindMosaic.

While the prototype will require further development before it can be put into use, it clarifies for us what is needed to implement the beloved and very useful collage method in virtual art therapy sessions when folks don’t often have old magazines at home to collect images from, and online design tools like Canva can feel overwhelming and may not take into the same considerations art therapists’ concerns for privacy and security.

The TMU students presented their projects at the MDM Industry Day (which features the graduating cohort’s projects), while also sharing their learnings about using the arts for healing and raising awareness about art therapy in the broader community.

Kwaku Poku-Dwanka, Sheharyar Hussain and Ahmed Elshorbagy presenting "Not Standard Procedures," a video series on conversations about art therapy.
Kwaku Poku-Dwanka, Sheharyar Hussain and Ahmed Elshorbagy presenting “Not Standard Procedures.” Photos by Nazifa Alam.
Xemina Duenas, Maha Toeima and Mariam Ben Cheikh presenting “MindMosaic.” Photos by Nazifa Alam.

Much gratitude for the learning we gain too from working with fellow arts workers about different ways to share information and bring people together creatively. We wish the TMU students much success in their future endeavours in the arts!💜