Starling Centre is calling on everyone to explore the future of media research.
What began as a COVID-19 limited speaker series has turned into a permanent gathering of media researchers. Hosted at Western University, Starling Centre is inviting the public to join them in their two-day launch campaign.
Starling Centre’s origin can be traced back to Big Data at the Margins, an in-person speaker series set to discuss the effects of digital technologies on marginalized communities. When COVID struck, they adapted: what could have only reached a limited number of participants turned into a wide-ranging, international operation. Alissa Centivany, a Western professor and organizer of the series, says, “As soon as we were done [with the series], we got an invitation to think about continuing the work.”
Centivany, alongside co-directors and fellow faculty members Joanna Redden, Allison Hearn, and Luke Stark, came together to conceptualize what “continuing the work” entailed. They received funding from Western’s Strategic Priority Fund, monies put aside for research projects, and went to work. Redden explains the project’s mission: “[It will] bring together [individuals] researching the implications and impact of digital technologies, and work to mobilize that research for more just, equitable and humane societies.”
Starling Centre’s kick off took place at the Satellite Project Space downtown this afternoon. The Glass Room, an exhibition run by Tactical Tech, will occupy that space until Oct. 20, 2024. Tactical Tech is a non-profit that collaborates with international organizations to co-create various projects concerning media use and technology. The Glass Room is a mobile exhibit designed to engage visitors in media literacy through various audio, video and textual storytelling mediums.
Louise Hisayasu, senior project coordinator for Tactical Tech, speaks on the collaboration with Starling Centre, “The work Starling is doing is really aligned with ours. They have social justice ingrained in their DNA and they have such a strong community presence.”
Hisayasu also says that the exhibition isn’t just for those involved in academia, “The exhibition is meant to show how technology is related to culture, society, politics and our behaviours. It allows a lot of different ways to interact … [and] that’s something all of us can do.”
The day’s event wrapped up at the Museum of London, with Canadian journalist Desmond Cole as the keynote speaker. Museum London is a frequent collaborator with Western and has hosted events for them in the past. Desmond Cole has previously addressed other Canadian universities and teaches a journalism course at the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto.
Cole’s work largely focuses on the struggle against state violence, particularly in policing. His keynote speech focused on the police’s use of facial recognition and surveillance technologies. He opened his presentation with a clip from the cartoon G.I. Joe and ended it by discussing how Ontario police officers are adopting Tasers instead of guns. Cole’s presentation ran over time, but many visitors stayed to partake in a Q&A period with him afterwards.
Most of those in attendance have a connection to the co-directors and their faculty. But Centivany echoes Hisayasu’s earlier statement, “[Starling Centre] is not limited to students and faculty … the idea is to blur the boundaries between academia as a bubble and the rest of the world.”
Starling Centre’s launch will end tomorrow at the museum with a day full of panel discussions and speeches. More of their events, including a Canadian Repair Convention at the end of the month, will be coming soon.
Janessa Alexis 