The Creative School students display innovative and transdisciplinary projects at annual showcase events
The Creative School's year-end shows are the culmination of months, and sometimes even years, of hard work, dedication, and creativity from students across the dynamic faculty. These shows are an opportunity for students to showcase their unique ideas, innovative thinking, and impressive skills to the broader community.
From fashion design to filmmaking, graphic design to photography, these shows are an ideal platform for emerging talent to demonstrate their potential and create a buzz in their prospective industries. With a focus on originality and quality, the shows provide a glimpse into the future of creativity, making them an essential event for students, faculty and employers interested in exploring the cutting-edge of design, art, and media. Read on to find out more about what each show has to offer.
2023 Year-End Shows
ProCom: Signify - April 3 to 5
Signify is an annual event organized by the graduating class of Professional Communication students, with the goal of highlighting a full year of student research and the expertise they have gained throughout their academic journey at The Creative School. This year, students presented their capstones in both an in-person and online format and brought their projects to life by conducting comprehensive, real-world investigations and presenting innovative solutions. Research topics ranged from technological surveillance in the digital world to influencer marketing to cosmetic sourcing practices.
RTA Media: TARA Awards - April 13
This year marked the 45th year of the RTA School of Media Television And Radio Art (TARA) Awards (external link) . Taking place at the Daniel Spectrum this year, students submissions across the school’s three programs, Media Production, New Media, and Sport Media, were honoured in multiple categories and media formats. The award show celebrated undergraduate student work and achievements throughout the year at the event. Alumni, faculty, and industry professionals were among the evening’s presenters and attendees.
The TARA Awards recognize student success in the three RTA Media programs
RTA New Media - April 14 to 16
The RTA New Media graduating class of 2023 came together to create their year-end showcase, titled Odyssey. Through Odyssey, students showcased their interactive art explorations and ways they can be used for cultural innovation. This involved exploring the unlimited possibilities of new, unconventional media such as interaction design, coding, digital fabrication, wearable computing, virtual reality, and augmented reality, among others. Attendees had the chance to view projects personalized to each creator and grounded in real-life experiences.
Fashion: Mass Exodus - April 14 & April 15
For their annual year-end showcase, Fashion Design and Communication students put their designs on display with two live fashion shows and a design exhibition. The longstanding Mass Exodus (external link) event is produced by students across The Creative School that participated in the FCD 817/827 Live Event Supercourse. This year, the team hosted two runway shows in the Mattamy Athletic Centre to accommodate the large number of attendees, as well as a live exhibit in the Rogers Communications Centre for the community to see the designs up close.
The longstanding Mass Exodus event is produced by students in The Creative School participating in the FCD 817/827 Live Event Supercourse
Image Arts Film: Image Arts Film Festival - April 28 & 29
Image Arts Film students showcased 14 thesis films at the annual Image Arts Film Festival (IMAFF). The 2023 Image Arts Film Festival (previously known as the Ryerson University Film Festival) took place at the Winter Garden Theatre, a double-decker theatre that has a rich history dating back a century. This year, IMAFF welcomed a record-breaking 1,259 people to the festival over two days, said Katie Murray, Executive Director of IMAFF 2023.
Interior Design: YES: POV - April 27 & 28
The School of Interior Design’s annual year-end show celebrated undergraduate student work in a gallery exhibit style at SPACE on King. Installations from students in all four years of the program challenged shifting perspectives of design, technology, sustainability, and the future of interior design. The gallery allowed students to showcase their talent to the public and network with industry professionals in a two-day event.
Attendees viewing fourth year projects at SPACE on King. Image courtesy of Spencer Wither
Image Arts Photography: Maximum Exposure
Taking place at the Image Arts building on campus, Photography students from all years put their photos on display for their annual year-end exhibition. Featuring a curated selection of photography, installation, moving image and digital arts, Maximum Exposure celebrates the future of image-making as envisioned by the next generation of lens-based artists and creative professionals.
Performance Acting: RISERx - April 12 to 22
In collaboration with Why Not, Acting students took the stage at The Theatre Centre to present original daily shows over 10 days to the TMU community and public at large. RISERx was developed to help address the challenges of producing independent theatre in Toronto and is dedicated to fostering the next generation of performance makers with a focus on developing emerging actors, mentoring emerging technicians and designers, and nurturing emerging directors.
Performance Production: CREATE Showcase - April 27 & 28
Production students took over the Catalyst for their two day event featuring prop and costume designs, set installations, excerpts from plays, research papers and a live drag clown performance. This year’s showcase, called CREATE, was back in a full in-person format, where audience members had the opportunity to meet a new generation of theatre creators and industry professionals alike.
Performance Dance: SPRINGWORKS - April 11 to 14
Performance Dance students produced SPRINGWORKS, a mixed program of new dance works created by two distinct and stimulating choreographers. The inspiringly accomplished 2023 graduating class performed Light Print, a thought-provoking dance piece by New York-based choreographer and Gibney Company Artistic Associate Jesse Obremski. His work was commissioned and produced in partnership with Fall for Dance North.
Journalism - April 25
Fourth-year Journalism students tackled long form feature writing in the annual capstone magazine course, called The Review. The masthead created a magazine anthology containing personal essays, detailed profiles and heavily researched features discussing issues pertaining to society. The magazine was celebrated with a launch at Lodge on Queen, where students, faculty and industry professionals came together to engage in meaningful conversation, celebrate student work, and view the print edition of The Review.
The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up 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.
