OCAD U co-hosts townhall on arts and culture

On April 16, OCAD University joins with the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) to co-host an electoral townhall on arts and culture in Canada.

The event, taking place from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 100 McCaul St., is bringing together representatives from Canada’s main political parties to examine issues related to the arts, culture and creative industries.

Candidates will have the opportunity to present their respective party commitments to ensuring a strong and inclusive future for the arts and culture sector. The townhall is being broadcast live on the OCAD University YouTube channel. 

The candidates participating in the townhall are:

• Karim Bardeesy, Liberal Party representative and candidate for Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park,
• Sandy Crawley, Green Party representative and candidate for Hamilton Centre, and
• Norm Di Pasquale, NDP representative and candidate for Spadina—Harbourfront.  

The discussion will focus on the theme of cultural sovereignty and explore four key areas:

• Public funding and the socio-economic conditions of artists,
• The Broadcasting Act and future of CBC/Radio-Canada,
• Copyright, and
• Impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on culture.

People can submit questions in advance to coalition@cdec-cdce.org. A selection of questions will be made based on the available time for the question-and-answer period.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Registration is required to attend in person.

EVENT DETAILS 
Date and time: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. 
Doors open at 11:30 a.m. 
Location: OCAD University, 100 McCaul St., Auditorium (room 190)
Broadcast: Live broadcast on the OCAD U YouTube channel (a recording will be available after the townhall).