Performance Professor named Canada Research Chair, continuing efforts to preserve Black expressive culture

Earlier last year, Performance Professor Dr. Cheryl Thompson was appointed as Canada Research Chair in Black Expressive Culture and Creativity in the Diaspora (external link, opens in new window) . This prestigious SSHRC Tier 2 appointment underscores Thompson’s ongoing leadership in archiving and exploring how Black diasporic communities shape Canada’s artistic and cultural landscape

In the last decade, Dr. Thompson has contributed much of her time to researching, archiving and amplifying the stories and voices of Black communities across Canada. Her work extends beyond the theoretical, actively contributing to integrating Black cultural narratives into performance, media, and creative industries, supporting both academic inquiry and public engagement. And her appointment as CRC, rather than a start to something new, is a way to elevate her ongoing work and the communities she serves. 

“This CRC is an elevation of work that I have been consistently doing since I joined The Creative School,” says Dr. Thompson. “This appointment, then, isn't an introduction but rather an elevation of Black studies and the potential of Black studies to expand the scope of performance and creative industries.”

Connecting past, present, and future

A focal point of Dr. Thompson’s research seeks to examine how Black communities across the diaspora use art, performance, music, and storytelling to maintain connections to their heritage while also evolving and reshaping cultural narratives. Her work has played an integral role in fostering greater representation of Black creatives, scholars and visionaries, contributing to the visibility of diasporic stories in academic and artistic circles which have molded Canada into the country it is today.

“There is a historical lack of understanding about the role that Black people have played in the performing arts in Canada,” says Dr. Thompson. “People have been doing work across multiple sectors since at least the 1920s, but the record has scarcely counted these people as significant to history. My work, which is a continuation of work I have been doing for a decade, aims to account for these gaps by using the archive as not only a source to locate these histories, but as a vital part of the storytelling about Black cultural expression in Canada and the ways in which Black people have and continue to circumvent ongoing erasures and misrepresentations.”

Her Mapping Ontario’s Black Archives (external link)  (MOBA) project, which launched in the fall of 2023, serves as a digital platform to locate Black archival collections in Ontario. This open access resource provides a wealth of invaluable Black archival collections and educational resources to educators, students and the general public. Resources such as photos, books, letters, images and manuscripts that showcase the historically underrecognized contributions of Black Canadians, thereby enriching the cultural tapestry of the province.

Preserving diasporic perspectives

Dr. Thompson’s ongoing work aligns closely with TMU’s focus on migration, integration, and diasporic identity through initiatives such as the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) research program, “Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides” led by Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration.   

“We are thrilled by Dr. Thompson’s achievement and proud that The Creative School is home to such groundbreaking scholarship,” says Associate Dean, Scholarly, Research, and Creative Activities, Dr. Natalie Alvarez. “Dr. Thompson’s work has addressed profound gaps in the historical record by making visible the critical role Black creatives have played in shaping Canada’s cultural landscape. Enhancing the university’s strengths in immigration and settlement studies, Dr. Thompson’s five-year research program as Canada Research Chair will further deepen our understanding of Black creative genealogies and the critical role they play in forming diasporic spaces of transnational belonging.”

Dr. Thompson’s appointment as Canada Research Chair in Black Expressive Culture and Creativity stands as a powerful recognition of her dedication to preserving and amplifying Black voices in Canada. Her work not only sheds light on the rich cultural histories that have shaped the nation but also lays the groundwork for future generations of artists, scholars, and archivists to continue this vital storytelling. By redefining how Black expressive culture is documented and shared, Thompson’s leadership ensures that these narratives will inspire, educate, and empower for years to come, all while leaving an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of Canada.

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