Oughtism Multimodal Seminar, Day 1

Day 1 of Oughtism: Friday, February 6, 2026

Oughtism

A multimodal seminar series on neurodivergent ways of living in the world

Hosted by Christine Shaw and Steven Eastwood
Presented by the Blackwood Gallery
Supported by the UTM/JHI Annual Seminar

Oughtism is a seminar series which expands the Blackwood Gallery’s 2025­–26 exploration of neurodivergent doing, feeling and being, and sets out to conjure linguistic and embodied possibilities for being that resist neurotypical logic.

Free and open to the public. Lunch and light refreshements provided.
Visit our website for full program descriptions and contributor biographies.

Click here for a detailed campus map and here for directions to UTM.

Schedule at a Glance

Meet and Greet with Tour of STIM CINEMA
Snack and hot beverages provided
Blackwood Gallery, Kaneff Centre room 140
10am

How Like a Camera
Talk by Janet Harbord
Kaneff Centre, room L1220
11-12pm

Lunch Break
Food and beverages provided
Kaneff Centre, room L1220
12–1pm

Poopseveration
Talk by M. Remi Yergeau
Kaneff Centre, room L1220
1:15–2:15pm

Spreads from the Multiverse
Out loud reading tour of the Blackwood’s lightboxes with Chris Martin
4 outdoor campus lightboxes beginning at Kaneff Centre, room L1220
2:15–3pm

Afternoon Break
Snack and hot beverages provided
Circuit Break Area, CCIT Building, ground floor
3pm

Co-creation as Stimming
Workshop by Neurocultures Collective members Georgia Bradburn & Sam Chown Ahern, and Steven Eastwood
e|gallery and Circuit Break Area, CCIT Building, ground floor
3:30–5pm

Accessibility

Kaneff Centre / Innovation Complex

The Blackwood Gallery and Room L1220 are located in the Kaneff Centre on the ground floor and lower level, respectively. The building is on the south side of campus near Inner Circle Road, adjacent to the campus’ main public transit stop and Student Centre. It features open spaces, round sloped corners, and windows to facilitate visual communication and navigation. Accessible multiuser gendered washrooms are located on the ground and lower levels. The building is AODA-compliant, with wide doorways and powered doors. The Kaneff Centre’s white and teal postmodern architecture is distinguished by a minimal grid façade and connects to the modern architectural style of the Innovation Complex with its sleek lines and big windows. The Blackwood Gallery is a large, square-shaped space with high-ceilings, and is dimly lit for the exhibition. Room L1220 is a large room with fixed, raked seating, like an amphitheatre; the stepped seating integrates tables for note-taking.

Communication, Culture, & Technology (CCT) Building

The e|gallery and the Circuit Break are located on the ground floor of the CCT Building at the University of Toronto Mississauga. The building is in the centre of the campus along Middle Road path and is connected to the campus library and an underground parking garage. The building features open spaces and windows to facilitate visual communication and navigation. Accessible multi-user gendered washrooms are located at ground level. All-gender washrooms are located on the third floor. The building is AODA-compliant, with wide doorways and powered doors. The CCT Building is a humming centre where students collectively study, find space to relax, and organize pop-up market stalls. The e|gallery is encased by lime green cladding with frosted glass from floor to ceiling. The gallery space is long and narrow with high-ceilings and bright lighting. For STIM CINEMA, a series of modular tables stretch across the full length of the gallery and are outfitted with warm task lamps, weighted blankets, earmuffs, and stim toys. The Circuit Break is the area that surrounds the entrance to the gallery and is an open space with tables and cushioned seating.

Lightbox and Out Load Reading Tour

This out loud reading tour will begin with a short presentation in Room L1220 in the Kaneff Centre. Room L1220 is a large room with fixed, raked seating, like an amphitheatre; the stepped seating integrates tables for note-taking. Accessible multiuser gendered washrooms are located on the ground and lower levels. The building is AODA-compliant, with wide doorways and powered doors.

Participants will then be guided to four outdoor lightboxes, stopping at each for a short reading of the featured poem. Some movement throughout the campus will be required—ramps and curb cuts are in place. The 6-foot by 9-foot lightboxes are located on the exteriors of the Kaneff Centre, Davis Building, and in the CCT Courtyard along the bustling central paved pathways of the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.

Shuttle Bus

A free shuttle bus will run from Toronto to Mississauga on Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7, following the schedule below.

9am: Departure from Hotel Ocho (195 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2C3)
10am: Arrival at the University of Toronto Mississauga (3359 Mississauga Road
Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6)
5:30pm: Departure from University of Toronto Mississauga
6:30pm: Arrival at Hotel Ocho

Sign up for the shuttle bus on your registration order form.

Accessibility notes: While all stops are AODA-compliant and free of physical barriers, we regret that the shuttle bus is not accessible.