Come join us this January for Toronto’s first Story Collider show of 2019! Prepare to lose control over five true, personal stories about science.
Hosted by Misha Gajewski and Jesse Hildebrand. Doors at 7:00pm. Show starts at 7:30pm.
Ele Willoughby is a modern Renaissance woman, both artist and scientist. A marine geophysicist by training, she holds a doctorate in physics from the University of Toronto. She has worked as a research scientist in academia and government, focused on instrument development for imaging below the seafloor, and assessing gas hydrate deposits. Her artwork reflects her background in science and she views it as a means to communicate science to a wider audience. Using traditional relief printmaking, she creates works about the history of science and natural history. Multimedia works incorporate electronics, electrically conductive ink and colour changing inks. She was also an astronaut candidate during the Canadian Space Agency’s last job search.
Misha Gajewski is a jack of all trades. She is freelance journalist, a producer and co-host of The Story Collider Toronto show, and a lecturer at Seneca College. Her work has been featured on Vice, BBC, CTV News and more. She also writes a real estate column for BlogTO and watches more DIY home renovation videos than anyone who doesn’t own a home to renovate should. When she’s not writing in her pyjamas she can be found travelling the world, playing with her cat named Satan or building furniture. Misha holds degrees from Western University and City University London. Follow her @mishagajewski
Chris Graham is the founder and principal of TellPeople, a vehicle for teaching storytelling and communication to professionals. He produces the Roar Festival, a music festival fundraiser for Camp Ooch (a camp for kids with cancer), and AMAZING NEW STUFF (a monthly showcase of Toronto’s best writing and music). He’s an investor in Artery.is (think AirBNB for house concerts), and a popular storyteller on stages around Toronto. Chris’s writing has appeared in publications in Canada and the USA and he formerly edited part of Canada’s leading legal encyclopedia. He can tell you what it’s like to ride a toboggan down a volcano, how cold it gets at night in the Syrian desert, and what it smells like in Britain’s oldest library. He’s a mentor to students at Massey College, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and Ryerson University. Chris holds degrees from the University of Oxford (history), University of Toronto (law), and Acadia University (business).
Julia Barnes is the award-winning filmmaker behind Sea of Life. For as long as she can remember Julia has been passionate about the natural world, but it wasn't until she was 16 that she realized the world she loved was in serious jeopardy. After watching Rob Stewart's documentary Revolution and learning that the world's coral reefs, rainforests and fish are expected to be wiped out by the middle of the century she was compelled to take action. Film was the most powerful weapon she could imagine so she picked up a video camera and set out to make a documentary to raise awareness about the biggest threats facing the ocean.
Eugenia Duodu is the Toronto-based CEO of Visions of Science, which inspires kids from low-income and marginalized communities to pursue careers in STEM. As a youth born and raised in a low-income community, she strives to maintain a strong connection to her local and global community by being a mentor and advocate. Her goal is to help make a long-lasting positive impact in communities through STEM engagement and in-turn allow youth to unlock their potential. Eugenia holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto.