Student-run magazine celebrates the resilience of Canadian arts and culture amidst the pandemic

CanCulture Magazine (external link, opens in new window) ’s inaugural print edition, titled Art Amidst it All, was published this past spring, independently produced by a team of more than 20 students from across The Creative School. The magazine is a timely collection of stories celebrating the power, beauty and resilience of arts and culture in Canada amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and was created by a team of dedicated students to commemorate the ebbs and flows of their creative endeavours during the pandemic. 

CanCulture is the only on-campus publication dedicated to reporting on the world of Canadian arts and culture, which includes fashion, film, music books, and coverage of live events. The publication is taken from inception to execution entirely by students from The Creative School, and they are involved with all aspects of writing, editing, design and production.  

Most of the students who are part of CanCulture come from the Journalism program, where they learn skills such as writing, interviewing, editing, fact checking and storytelling. Annemarie Cutruzzola, the editor-in-chief for this year’s edition, explains that spearheading CanCulture was a way to put these learned skills into practice. 

She described the experience as a culmination of everything she learned in the journalism program, along with some new skills she learned along the way. 

“It isn’t often that you get to see a big idea you have actually come to life! Planning everything from scratch was definitely a big challenge, from deciding on a theme to pouring over story pitches to creating a budget to overseeing the editing and design processes — I was doing a little bit of everything as editor-in-chief,” she said. “Creating this magazine has honestly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

Behind the theme 

The theme of CanCulture’s first print magazine, Art Amidst it All, was carved out from the implications of COVID-19 on the arts industry. Cutruzzola explained that the team wanted to acknowledge the suffering and loss that artists and arts organizations faced throughout the pandemic, while simultaneously shining a light on all of the hopeful and inspiring stories of artists and communities that adapted and found ways to thrive. 

“There’s no doubt that COVID-19 dealt the arts sector a huge blow. But it’s also true that art, in one form or another, provided escape, connection or healing for most of us during the pandemic,” she said. “So we told stories of sisters reconnecting over a pandemic-born jewelry business, the huge resurgence of vinyl records, the artistic opportunities of face masks, how book lovers connected through a screen, and so much more.”

The pandemic has been cruel to the Canadian arts and live event sector, and in turn the publications that report on it, explains Cutruzzola. However, she hopes that Art Amidst It All can be a physical manifestation of hope, passion and resilience. 

“Not only are artists themselves finding ways to thrive in difficult times, but there are passionate journalists who are only at the beginning of their careers that aren’t going to accept things the way they are,” she said. “They are fighting for change, representation, for voices to be heard and important stories to be told.”

A digital version of Art Amidst it All is available to view here (external link)  and the CanCulture website can be accessed here (external link) . 

About The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University 

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty at Toronto Metropolitan University making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Comprised of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.