Stage in the Park, September 30 at 6:30pm ET.
Stories have shaped Turtle Island for thousands of years. First Story Toronto’s tours, in person and virtual, bring to the fore the importance of sharing, listening and witnessing Indigenous oral histories and truthtelling. Join the First Story tour hosts Jill Carter, Jon Johnson and Audrey Rochette in conversation with TIFA Director Roland Gulliver as they engage with the Indigenous history of Toronto, and reflect on the history between its shorelines. They will introduce the places and themes of their tours, and explore the importance and relevance of storytelling in beginning to reconcile the past.
This is a free outdoor event.
Join leading children’s book illustrators Rosena Fung, David Namisato and Julie Flett, finalists for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Book Awards, for a discussion of their illustrative styles and techniques, moderated by Audrey Hudson, Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Picture books and graphic novels enable readers to develop visual literacy. These two literary forms also help children to understand their relationships with themselves, other people, and nature. This panel discussion explores how these creators use illustration, in picture books and graphic novels, to explore the concept of connection and to depict the ways in which we connect to ourselves, others, the land, and our country.
ASL interpretation will be provided for this event.
Ticket Info:
Date & Time: September 27 at 5pm ET
Where: Brigantine Room in Harbourfront Centre
Duration: 60 minutes
Ticket prices: $17 – Regular; $12 – Youth; or Get a TIFA Pass
*This event will be followed by a book signing
This event is presented in partnership with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, a national, not‐for‐profit organization dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers. For more information, visit bookcentre.ca.
TIFA Kids is generously supported by Gail and Mark Appel.
Outdoor Stage, June 4 at 2pm ET
TIFA’s most provocative conversation series returns exploring thrilling new themes for MOTIVE audiences. Each day of the Festival, authors and experts will come together to examine a new facet of the culture and politics that shape the world around us and the books we read.
At its best, crime fiction can reveal new perspectives on the harsh realities of crime and punishment. This conversation will invite crime fiction authors to talk about the choices they make in their own writing, as well as their ongoing work to better the criminal justice system. Author and criminal defence lawyer Robert Rotenberg will moderate a thought-provoking discussion with Marcie Rendon, author of the Cash Blackbear series, former Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin and PEN America Prison Writing Mentor Ryan Gattis. Panellists will explore the nuances and ethical implications of how crime, criminals and policing are represented in the genre.
Duration: 60 minutes
This event will be presented as part of the free, outdoor events at MOTIVE, taking place on the stage in the park and open to the general public.
This series is presented in partnership with the Provocation Ideas Festival.
TIFA’s most provocative conversation series returns, exploring thrilling new themes for MOTIVE audiences. Each day of the Festival, authors and industry experts will come together to examine a new facet of the culture and politics that shape the world around us and the books we read.
The role of policing has transformed considerably over time and history, reflecting – or perhaps failing – the changing needs of society. The culture and politics that shape the western world’s police forces is evident in the news we see, the lives we live, and the stories we read every day. In recent years, these stories and lived experiences have prompted a collective call-out for increased transparency and accountability from those who “serve and protect”. This critical conversation will explore the complexities of policing in today’s society, by asking: what role must a 21st century police force serve for individuals and communities? What kind of reform is necessary? Who is being hurt the most? And, how might defunding strategies and non-policing alternatives help establish more effective and equitable policing practices?
Panelists Julius Haag, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga; Mohamed Shuriye, Manager, Policing Reform, City of Toronto; and Norman Taylor, Program Director, Global Studies Program for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), will discuss, in moderated conversation guided by Alyshah Hasham (Courts Reporter, Toronto Star).
Ticket Info:
Date & Time: June 3 at 7pm ET
Where: Studio Theatre in Harbourfront Centre’s main building
Duration: 60 minutes
Ticket prices: $16.50 – Regular; $12.50 – Youth; or Get the All-Access Pass
This series is presented in partnership with the Provocation Ideas Festival.
TIFA’s most provocative conversation series returns, exploring thrilling new themes for MOTIVE audiences. Each day of the Festival, authors and experts will come together to examine a new facet of the culture and politics that shape the world around us and the books we read.
Crime scene investigation is one of the most fascinating aspects of crime storytelling, often sensationalized in books, television and film, yet also so often inaccurately portrayed. Learn how to filter the fact from the fiction, and discover how science and research play a vital role in many writers’ processes, in this insightful conversation about following evidence, and deciphering the true stories it tells.
Panelists Valerie Blackmore, Founder of Wyndham Forensic Group; Liam Hendrikse, registered expert in firearms and ballistics; and Nicole Novroski, Assistant Professor and Forensic Geneticist at the University of Toronto, will discuss the latest scientific advances in criminal investigations.
Host: Anthony Morgan
Ticket Info:
Date & Time: June 4 at 7:30pm ET
Where: Studio Theatre in Harbourfront Centre’s main building
Duration: 60 minutes
Ticket prices: $16.50 – Regular; $12.50 – Youth; or Get the All-Access Pass
This series is presented in partnership with the Provocation Ideas Festival.
TIFA’s most provocative conversation series returns, exploring thrilling new themes for MOTIVE audiences. Each day of the Festival, authors and experts will come together to examine a new facet of the culture and politics that shape the world around us and the books we read.
Enthralling stories of crime and injustice are devastating realities for many people in Canada experiencing incarceration. This is especially true for the many people from marginalized communities who disproportionately represent the prison population. The Canadian prison system offers a shocking reflection of the social and economic inequalities that underpin Canadian society, making us wonder how can we meaningfully address these inequalities, and develop approaches to administering true justice?
Miriam Henry, Assistant Crown Attorney, Toronto Northwest Justice Centre, a new and innovative court model that co-locates justice, social, health and education services for justice-involved youth; The Honourable Justice Mary L. Hogan; and Jonathan Rudin, Program Director, Aboriginal Legal Service will discuss this topic with Nahlah Ayed (CBC IDEAS).
Ticket Info:
Date & Time: June 5 at 7pm ET
Where: Studio Theatre in Harbourfront Centre’s main building
Duration: 60 minutes
Ticket prices: $16.50 – Regular; $12.50 – Youth; or Get the All-Access Pass
This series is presented in partnership with the Provocation Ideas Festival.
Join first-time authors Tziporah Cohen, Nadine Neema and Alisa Siegel, the 2021 finalists for the inaugural Jean Little First-Novel Award, as they explore the stories that inspired them to put pen to paper, and the highs and lows of publishing their first novels for children. This conversation will be moderated by Kit Pearson, beloved children’s author and one of the founding creators of the Jean Little First-Novel Award. This year’s Jean Little First-Novel Award winner is Tziporah Cohen‘s No Vacancy (Groundwood Books).
This event is presented in partnership with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, a national, not‐for‐profit organization dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers. For more information, visit bookcentre.ca.
English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar to turn it on.
TIFA Kids is generously supported by Gail and Mark Appel.
Authors and experts in candid, live conversation reflect on the topics that matter most during this unprecedented time. Humanity’s quest to reach the stars began with wondering about the universe and whether we are alone in it, but among the big questions that drive us to pursue space travel, we must ask ourselves about its environmental impact on planet Earth, and how we can advocate for a more ethical, equitable future in space. This illuminating, engaging panel discussion, with Charles S. Cockell, Divya Persaud, Michael Byers and moderated by Sara Mazrouei, examines how to build a sustainable future in the pursuit of broadening our horizons in space.
Tune in each day of the Festival to hear new speakers in critical conversation about the topics shaping today’s world.
English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar to turn it on.
Proudly supported by
Harriet Lewis and Eldon Bennett
Andrew and Valerie Pringle
Award-winning authors Julián Fuks and Mohamed Mbougar Sarr in conversation discuss various forms of occupation, and the toll of resistance and heroism on the human spirit. With impeccable prose, Fuks exposes the frailty of life, the risk of solitude and the brutality of not belonging, in his novel Occupation (translated to English by Daniel Hahn). Mbougar Sarr’s debut novel, Brotherhood (translated to English by Alexia Trigo), takes readers to the imaginary town of Kalep, where members of a tyrannical regime known as “The Brotherhood” publicly execute two people simply for having loved each other. A brilliant analysis of tyranny and brutality, Brotherhood gives voice to the moral ambiguities of survival under such harrowing conditions.
English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar to turn it on.
This event is generously supported by the French Embassy in Canada. Avec le soutien de l’Ambassade de France au Canada.
When the world gets too loud and chaotic, a young boy’s Mosom (grandfather) helps him listen with wonder, in Thunder and the Noise Storms by Jeffrey Ansloos and Shezza Ansloos, illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. Join all three to hear more about this tender picture book and to see how Joshua created the stunning illustrations. This is a story of intergenerational knowledge and mindfulness and integrates neurodiversity with Indigenous worldview offering coping strategies for any child dealing with sensory overload.
Recommended for ages 6 and up.
English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar to turn it on.
TIFA Kids is generously supported by Gail and Mark Appel.