NorthSur-NorteSouth

JULY 2014 - AUGUST 2015   |   BUENOS AIRES & TORONTO   |   OPEN IMPACT LAB

NorthSur-NorteSouth is an online photographic collaboration project where youth in Canada and Argentina work together through the Internet to co-create photos exploring connections between social realities blurring geographic and cultural borders. Among the legacies of this initiative are: an exhibit in Toronto and one in Buenos Aires, the continued collaboration between matched artists after the exhibits concluded; an online  platform that was developed for the exchange and will now be used for OCADU’s international arts collaboration projects.

Hang at Home

2015   |   | OCAD U, TORONTO   |   IMPACT EXCHANGE

Hang at Home is a Learning Lab developed in partnership with OCAD University’s Center for Emerging Artists and Designers. Essentially a dinner series, Hang at Home brings OCAD U students together with creative community leaders over meals served in private living spaces that double as either exhibition venues or studios. The Lab is meant promote the value of overlapping personal life and professional practice. The guest lists, intimate settings and models for inspired, integrated creative living combine to give participating students an enlightening experience. Campus community, studio and exhibition space, student housing and art school romance are all lacking at OCAD University, making Hang at Home critically novel. 

Photo credits: GalGalz

Design to Feed the World

JUNE 2015   |   MILAN   |   OPEN IMPACT LAB 

Students, researchers, faculty and internal student organisations participated in the "Design to Feed the World" exhibition, through an installation highlighting the work of various individuals and groups across disciplines across OCAD University working to increase awareness of the concept of food and its relationship to people. Through an interdisciplinary selection of works, three modular tower installations showcase projects that reflected the value of food, our cultural context, and understanding of its place in our lives.

Photo Credit: Juan Camacho

Digifest 2015 – The Best of the Best, Graduate Student Digifest 2015 – The Best of the Best, Graduate Student Showcase

MAY 2015   |   TORONTO   | OPEN IMPACT LAB 

Graduate students were invited to apply to Digifest’s Best of the Best Graduate Student Showcase, to exhibit their thesis work in digital media and innovation. A selected group of interdisciplinary, OCAD University graduates had the opportunity to participate in the exhibition bringing their projects beyond the university boundaries to industry partners, peers, colleagues, and the public at Toronto's premiere digital festival.

Photo Credit: Digifest, 2015

Design Abroad India – Social Innovation Projects

MAY 2015   |   GOA   |   IMPACT ECONOMY RESEARCH HUB 

The Design Abroad India course offers students a unique opportunity to work within a local community in an international setting to engage in developing solutions that can have a meaningful impact. Students integrate what they have learned through participatory design process to develop design solutions that are innovative, appropriate, and implementable. The 2015 cohort of the Design Abroad India course worked on projects related to the CleanCube Project which aims to address affordable access to clean water and provide economic empowerment for women.

Photo credits: 2015 Sarah Tranum, Design Abroad India 

Latin American Speaker Series: Jota Castro /Minerva Cuevas/ Alejandro Cartagena

APRIL 2 - JUNE 30 2051   |   TORONTO   | OPEN IMPACT LAB 

The speakers were chosen for being inspiring “artivists” from around the world. Castro works for the United Nations and the European Community, Cuevas and Cartagena act locally in rural Mexico. The lecture and exhibits took place at OCADU and in our partner organization LACAP (Latin American Canadian Artists Projects). The goal of this series of talks was to show students how artists can use their art to advocate for causes they believe in and raise awareness triggering change. We partnered with LACAP to bring a global viewpoint and in particular a Latin American perspective.

Activate Enterprise!

APRIL - MAY 2015   |   HARARE   |   IMPACT ECONOMY RESEARCH HUB 

Pilot project to investigate youth entrepreneurship in the post-crisis economy of Zimbabwe. Collaborating with Mu’unze Social Enterprise, the research aimed to understand how entrepreneurship can be activated and developed in low resource communities. The research is important in an international context because it promotes the development of creative enterprise in post-crisis economies, and contributes to economic regeneration.

Photo credits: 2015 Alia Weston 

The Grind

FEBRUARY 2015 - ONGOING   |   OCAD UNIVERSITY CAMPUS   |   OPEN IMPACT LAB 

OCADU's first student-run undergraduate incubator for creative entrepreneurs and businesses, empowers students with accessible practical knowledge and resources by building an open door community. The Open Impact Lab has provided ongoing support to The Grind by contributing mentorship, collaboration space, training avenues, and social networking opportunities to further creative, passion-driven, undergraduate student entrepreneurs.

Photo Credit: The Grind

grOCAD 

FEBRUARY 2015 - ONGOING   | OCAD UNIVERSITY CAMPUS   | OPEN IMPACT LAB 

grOCAD’s aim is to increase healthy food accessibility, encourage discourse about how plants improve quality of life and heighten awareness of urban agricultural practices. grOCAD is supported by the Open Impact Lab through the establishment of meeting space, mentorship, and international opportunities for exhibition to showcase the team’s work of integrating plant life and “greening” OCAD University’s campus through diverse and innovative methods.

Photo Credit: grOCAD

Student-Alumni Steering Group (SASG)

FEBRUARY 2015 - ONGOING   |   OCAD UNIVERSITY   | OPEN IMPACT LAB

The Student-Alumni Steering Group lives within the Impact Collective and was envisioned to be a “by students, for all students" governance model to ensure that all programs and services under the Open Impact Lab are student-focused. Much of the activity both on-campus and off-campus, is developed based on the outcomes of SASG consultations and workshops and is focused on the building of social innovation initiatives for students of the OCAD University community.

Photo Credit: Asma Khanani Caporaletti.

Atelier II Collaboration – Student Run Enterprises 

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2015   |   TORONTO   |   IMPACT ECONOMY RESEARCH HUB 

DigitalFutures students in the Atellier II Collaboration course developed and ran businesses to understand economic practices in the Maker Economy. Students wereable to enhance their employability through combining interests in business, gaming and wearable technology.

Photocredits: 2015 Bondage Boy Student Business Project

StudentMoveTO

LAUNCH JANUARY 2015   |   TORONTO   | OPEN IMPACT LAB 

This initiative is being jointly spearheaded by OCAD U, Univ of Toronto, Ryerson Univ. and York Univ, for students and by students. The initiative observes how students travel in Toronto and GTA to get to their  universities, the project addresses transportation challenges and evaluates possible solutions.

Sprout Guerilla 

LAUNCH DECEMBER 2014   |   TORONTO   |   IMPACT ECONOMY RESEARCH HUB

In collaboration with Sprout Guerilla and SSHRC, the Sprout Guerilla research project was initiated to understand the impact that bioremediation art/design projects have on environmental sustainability. The project is ongoing until 2016 and will culminate in a knowledge exchange event which will generate awareness of creative forms of environmental sustainability.

Photocredits: 2015 Sprout Guerilla 

Cleancube Project

LAUNCH DECEMBER 2014   |   INDIA, NORTH AMERICA   |   IMPACT ECONOMY RESEARCH HUB

The goal of the CleanCube Project is to design a socially innovative, affordable product which will provide clean water in areas that need it most. CleanCube is designed to be used in any shape and sized water bottle to remove pathogens that cause illness and preventable death.  Following product development, the aim is to develop economic opportunities which will promote women’s empowerment, and leverage sales from North America. The project is an ongoing collaboration with Grand challenges Canada and TrickleUp Design Inc.

Photo credits: CleanCube Project, TrickleUp Design Inc. 

Entrepreneurship– Student Run Social Enterprises 

NOVEMBER 2014   |   TORONTO   |   IMPACT ECONOMY RESEARCH HUB 

Students in the Entrepreneurship course developed a range of social enterprises and hosted activities at various locations around Toronto. Businesses activities included art exhibitions, workshops and product design which aimed to create social impact by addressing challenges in the local community. The Entrepreneurship course enables student to gain first-hand experience of running a starting and running business.

Photo credits: Headphone Helpers Student Business Project

Mixed Steps Dance Club

OCTOBER 2014 - ONGOING   |   OCAD UNIVERSITY CAMPUS   |   OPEN IMPACT LAB 

OCAD University’s first dance "club" brings all students, faculty and staff together to collaboratively learn a new skill and have fun doing it! The Open Impact Lab provides ongoing support to OCAD University’s Mixed Steps Dance Club through dedicated, on-campus, daily programming space, equipment funding and mentorship in an effort to encourage strong, social student-life infrastructure. 

Photo Credit: Mixed Steps Dance Club