Anti-Racism & Inclusion Training for Members.
As part of the Canadian Academy’s plan to address discrimination and help dismantle systemic racism we are offering anti-racism, unconcious bias and allyship training – free for all members.
We recognize that our members are all at different points on their respective equity journey, yet we also know that we all have a responsibility and an opportunity to contribute to change in the Canadian media.
Although the training is geared towards decision-makers in our industry all members are encouraged to participate.
Upcoming Sessions.
Members webinar: building your accessibility framework (Virtual Panel)
Supported by
Facilitated by the Disability Screen Office
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
2:00PM to 3:00 PM ET | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM PT
This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, join Ophira Calof, multi-award winning Disabled writer and performer, and Alethea Bakogeorge, Director of Programs & Development at the Disability Screen Office, for a workshop on improving accessibility in your professional practice. Through this session, you’ll learn how to better support your colleagues and partners with disabilities by developing a better understanding of your own relationship to access, learn how to advocate for your own needs, and learn how to create an environment where others feel safe to share their access needs.
Free for Academy Members
RSVP required to attend.
Speakers:
Alethea Bakogeorge | Director of Programs & Development, Disability Screen Office
Alethea Bakogeorge (she/her) is a physically disabled access professional, fundraiser, and actor with cerebral palsy. She is the Director of Programs & Development at the Disability Screen Office, and has worked across the country in fundraising and access at organizations including the National accessArts Centre and The Musical Stage Company. She is in-demand as an accessibility consultant and has taught and lectured across North America on disability representation in the performing arts, access and accommodations, and disability-inclusive organizational change. Alethea maintains an active acting career as a physically disabled voiceover and theatre actor. She lives in Toronto.
Ophira Calof | Facilitator/Filmmaker
Ophira Calof (she/her or they/them) is a multi-award-winning Disabled filmmaker, writer, performer and facilitator who works to “crip the script,” centering disability knowledge and experience throughout all phases of a project. They are currently co-leading the Disabled Producers Lab, presented by NSI, the DSO and Women in View and recently worked as the inaugural creative director for the Accessible Writers’ Lab, a national initiative experimenting with accessibility in TV writing rooms. Ophira has taught workshops and provided mentorship internationally on storytelling, creative process and disability narratives.
Past Sessions.
Using Inclusive Language:
Addressing Microaggressions and Implementing Solutions for Change
Supported by the Bell Fund
Speakers: Nancy Mitchell, Nowshin Chowdhury, Dryden Steeves, & Carlos Wright
Supported by the Bell Fund, this webinar is facilitated by the Ted Rogers School of Management’s Diversity Institute and will focus on bias, microaggressions, (including those we see and experience in the workplace, as well as in cinema and television), and ways we can use inclusive language in our daily interactions. The session will provide a space for participants to ask questions and explore strategies for change, and is part of the Academy’s ongoing commitment to addressing systemic racism and fostering inclusion in our own practices, while advocating for and building equity within the larger Canadian media ecosystem.
Session 1: Introduction to Unconscious Bias
Speakers: Spencer Gilbert and Tara Rezvan of Diversio, with Special Guests to be Announced
This session will provide an introduction to the concept of unconscious bias and how it presents itself in professional settings. You will learn about the impact of gendered, ableist and otherwise harmful language in day-to-day interactions. You will learn more about systemic barriers and biases that professionals from communities who have long been under-represented in the Canadian media system face on a regular basis. Leaders will come away from this session with tools they can use to better understand and help eliminate the presence of bias in their own organizations and workplaces.
Session 2: Introduction to Active Allyship
Supported by the Bell Fund
Speakers: Spencer Gilbert and Tara Rezvan of Diversio, with Special Guests to be Announced
This session, supported by the Bell Fund, will provide a baseline for understanding how taking an active stance is necessary to combat bias and discrimination. You will be introduced to the concept of allyship as a lifelong commitment to cultivating an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive and succeed. You will come away from this session understanding how to better recognize micro and other aggressions and with tools you can use to take action in the moment. This session is a first step to understanding how to be an authentic ally to colleagues who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community, a person with a disability, and other systematically marginalized groups.
Session 3: Anti-Racism Deep Dive
Speakers: Anya Klimbovskaia and Spencer Gilbert of Diversio, with Special Guests to be Announced
This interactive session will offer a look at the history behind systemic racism and use data to build an understanding of discrimination in the entertainment sector broadly. It will explain the pitfalls of intent vs. impact of actions. It will explore tactical suggestions for eliminating racism on sets and in other working locations.
