ARTS & CULTURE
Feminism’s forgotten love revolution
How the quest for true love inspired a generation of feminists When I was younger, an obsessive reverence rooted in fear of the power of romantic love led to substantial time spent reading (and allegedly publishing) fiction in online communities such as AO3, fanfiction.net, Ww*ttpad, and even… Quotev. As I ...
AceO3
Engaging with erotica through an asexual lens Erotica—media portraying sex or its elements—has two uses. Its surface-level purpose is to sexually arouse the viewer. Its second function is to allow the audience to explore artistry, aesthetics, and psychology through a more nuanced lens than what is otherwise found or permitted ...
Finding community through history on stage
An interview with writer/director Mashreka Mahmood about her new play 71 The Strand: As you are both the writer and director, could you walk through the process of developing the show? How long did it take and what was that process like? Mashreka Mahmood: I wrote my last show over ...
Aesthetics, fascism and Gen Z
Is our generation as progressive as we thought? Donald Trump is set to begin his second term on January 20, 2025, this time having secured both the Electoral College and the popular vote. While we are quick to assume his reelection is a sign of a greater fall into a ...
Risky art and artful risks
How taking the creative plunge can result in the most meaningful cultural impacts Well-behaved artists have seldom made history. Creating art in a world that often favours mass appeal over individual creativity is in itself an act of nonconformity. When looking at artists whose work transcends the confines of history ...
Leap of faith
A conversation surrounding Yann Martel Content warning: allusions to self-harm and suicide The family I was born into are fixtures among the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, colloquially known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their peculiar faith which they call “the truth,” includes anti-2SLGBTQ+ views, the primacy of church doctrine, and ...
The House and The Home: a GLAM exhibition
Victoria GLAM wants to make you feel at home Victoria University’s own Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) pre- professional students organisation is hosting an exhibition in March 2025 centring on the theme of home. All students from across the University of Toronto are invited to donate any pieces which ...
The politics of belonging
When culture becomes a competition They say that university is where we find our people. We tend to gravitate towards the people who remind us of home and our families as we associate them with the feeling of belonging. But what happens when these places become a ground for competition? ...
A Reflection On My Journey Across Nations in the Wake of the US Presidential Election Results
A perspective on how life across borders reveals the stakes of political decisions and the value of civic engagement As an immigrant to Canada, having also lived in the US, the results of the US presidential election were deeply felt. I found myself at a loss: digging into poetry, reaching ...
Review: VCDS and TCDS’ Next to Normal
Who is normal? Many musicals deal with themes of mental illness, but none do it as tastefully as Next to Normal. The VCDS (Victoria College Drama Society) and TCDS (Trinity College Drama Society) production of Next to Normal, masterfully directed by Paul Meyer, brought this show to life in a ...