Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Black Expressive Culture & Creativity
Credit: Calla Evans
Black expressive culture, a term coined in the 1970s, captures the artistic works and practices of Black people and reflects the complexities of Black experiences. But in Canada, the contributions of Black Canadians to arts and culture have been historically marginalized and underrecognized, leading to gaps in archival records and limited access to these rich cultural histories.
As a Canada Research Chair in Black Expressive Culture and Creativity, Dr. Cheryl Thompson is working to address these gaps. She and her research team are mapping shifts in Black identity and representation and articulating how diaspora manifests through Black performative cultures. They are also collaborating with Black scholars, archivists and cultural producers to develop a new archival method. Their aim is to ensure that Black creative histories are accessible and searchable, and to empower future researchers, archivists and historians to better document and preserve Black cultural contributions in Canada.
Dr. Cheryl is also an Associate Professor in Performance at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University. She is author of Uncle: Race, Nostalgia, and the Politics of Loyalty (2021) and Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture (2019). Her highly anticipated next book, Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict, and Freedom, 1812 - 1897, will be published by Wilfrid Laurier Press in April 2025.
In 2023-24, Dr. Thompson was the recipient of a prestigious SSHRC Insight Grant ($263,779), and SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant ($29,817). For more on Dr. Thompson’s external funding record, see link below to her CV page. In 2023-24, Dr. Thompson secured over $1.1 million in internal & external grants/awards.
Services
Dr. Cheryl gives talks, workshops, Q&A discussions, and lectures on a wide range of topics and issues. She brings critical and complex discussions to diverse audiences.
Research
Dr. Cheryl engages in the intersectional study of race, media culture, visual culture, performance, and celebrity as they intertwine with archives and historical records.
Creativity
Dr. Cheryl has authored multiple books, curated events, performed as part of Nuit Blanche 2018, and is executive producer on a forthcoming feature length documentary film.
Creative Practice
Dr. Cheryl is Director and Creative Lead of Black Creative Lab. We produce video content that educates, celebrates, and informs audiences about the depth, breadth, and expressive history of Black people across sites of Diaspora.
Community Practice
As MOBA’s Director, Research and Creative strategy, Dr. Cheryl is transforming archival practice in Canada. MOBA, a digital mapping and digital infrastructure project, is creating wider access to Black collections in Ontario. The project stands as a model that can be replicated in any setting where there are archival records.
As a speaker, Dr. Thompson brought a mix of authenticity, honesty, strength and vulnerability that was compelling to listen to. She did a great job of making a diverse audience feel comfortable around a discussion of difficult subject matter. I’d happily listen to another one of her presentations if given the opportunity!”
— Director of Educational Content, Social Sciences