Creative Economy is the fastest growing driver of economies world-wide yet Generative AI has uncertain impacts of jobs and income equality. The Eco-Economics of GenAI in Arts and Culture Symposium brings together international artists, curators, researchers, entrepreneurs and other experts to explore the tensions between generative AI's potential and the pressing need for digital sobriety. As generative AI transforms artistic creation, it also raises critical questions about its environmental impact and cultural economy.
The programming aims to provoke a constructive collision between old and new ways of creating art of all disciplines, and between outdated and revolutionary means of protecting artists and the value of true art in society. From emerging tech platforms pioneering fair remuneration models, to AI start-ups pushing for energy-efficient AI systems, our speakers will lead a critical discussion balancing socio-techno-cultural innovation and sustainability.
“If you assume there is no hope, you guarantee there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, that there are opportunities to change things, then there is an opportunity to help make the world a better place.”
Noam Chomsky.
You’re invited to take an active part in these conversation.
Join us online, january 23rd from 9:10 to 4 p.m. Easter Time.
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CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DETAILED PROGRAM INCLUDING THE SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Speakers’ Biographies
Valentine Goddard, lawyer and artist, is a member of the Canada AI Advisory Council and a United Nations expert on AI policy and governance. She is the founder and executive director of AI Impact Alliance, an interdisciplinary organisation that integrates art-based approaches to the study of the social implications of AI. Ms. Goddard participates in the analysis of emerging AI and data laws and the co-development of sustainable value creation models for digital economies. She designs and leads transdisciplinary programs that link civic engagement, knowledge mobilisation, and policy and regulatory innovation and advocates for the role of arts and civil society in AI and digital governance. She initiates and chairs international expert groups on gender equality and AI, with policy recommendations addressing critical issues for culture, democracy and the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. In 2023, she received the Mozilla Creative Media Award for the Algorithmic Frontiers online exhibit. She currently leads the AI, Art, Law & Society Resource Cluster.
Marc Ouellette, with more than 30 years of experience in the music industry, is a passionate and visionary leader dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights and interests of music creators and publishers. As Chair of the SOCAN board, the largest music rights organization in Canada, he oversees the strategic direction and governance of the organization while representing its members in national and international forums. Marc is a certified director with a keen interest in the ethical and social implications of AI for the music industry, actively exploring how emerging technologies can impact the future of creativity and rights management. In addition to his leadership role at SOCAN, Marc is a successful composer and music producer who has created original music for film, television, and multimedia projects for over two and a half decades. His contributions to film music have been widely recognized, and he has shared his expertise as a lecturer at Université du Québec à Montréal, where he taught a seminar on the film music industry for nine years. Marc is also an advocate for the integration of ethical AI in music production and rights management, bringing together his extensive experience in music production, publishing, and technology. His dedication to fostering innovation and creativity while safeguarding the integrity of artistic expression makes him a respected leader and voice in the industry.
Dr. Hamidreza Sheshjavani is a renowned Iranian policy analyst and cultural economist, widely recognized for pioneering the academic discipline of the economics of culture and art in Iranian universities. With a distinguished career teaching at leading Iranian institutions, his research and publications primarily explore the art market, artists' labour market, and copyright economics. Dr. Sheshjavani is also the founder of CACIMA, a premier research center for cultural and creative industries that has conducted over 50 national studies in this field. Now based in Canada, he is focusing on completing his forthcoming book on economic policies in the cultural sector. Beyond academia, he has extensive experience managing private art galleries and has served as a consultant on cultural economics and copyright policy for the Iranian Ministry of Culture. Notably, he was instrumental in incorporating resale rights and collective rights management into a landmark legislative bill for the protection of literary and artistic property rights.
Tonia Samsonova is a serial entrepreneur, innovator, and founder of Exactly.ai, an AI-platform empowering artists to train personalized AI models while maintaining ownership of their creations. Born in Russia, Tonia began her career as a prominent broadcast journalist, TV anchor, and online editor, gaining recognition for her insightful reporting and media expertise. In 2013, she moved to London as a foreign correspondent for Echo of Moscow, further establishing her international journalism credentials. In 2014, at the age of 28, she leveraged her media experience to found The Question, a news and opinion platform that provided users with credible, expert-driven answers. Under her leadership, The Question became a respected resource, culminating in its acquisition by Yandex, often referred to as "the Russian version of Google," in 2019. Tonia’s entrepreneurial journey took a creative turn with her lifelong passion for art. In 2022, she launched Exactly.ai, a groundbreaking platform designed to support illustrators and designers by enabling them to scale their work through personalized AI tools while safeguarding ownership of both their creations and the underlying models. This innovation aligns her technological vision with her commitment to empowering creatives in the digital age. Tonia has also been a sought-after speaker at international conferences on technology, creativity, and media, sharing her unique perspective as a journalist-turned-entrepreneur. She lives in London with her four children, balancing a successful career with a rich family life.
Jesse McKee is the Head of Digital Strategy at 221A, a nonprofit organization in Vancouver, where he leads the development of the Node Library, a pathfinding initiative establishing infrastructure for cultural data sovereignty in the AI era. The Node Library operates decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) and provides essential tools and resources for artists, designers, and public sector stakeholders to maintain agency over their digital cultural assets and data. From 2019-2023, McKee was the lead investigator on 221A's Blockchains & Cultural Padlocks Digital Strategy, which guided the organization in developing digitally cooperative cultural infrastructure. His essay "From Polycrisis to the Smart Commons" (2022, Zora Zine) summarizes these strategies. McKee has held curatorial positions at The Banff Centre, Western Front, and the Barbican Centre. He has developed exhibitions and projects with institutions such as Palais de Tokyo, The Independent Studio & Curatorial Program, and Tranzit.org. In 2017, he co-curated the inaugural Vancouver Special triennial at the Vancouver Art Gallery. McKee serves on the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association's Policy Advisory Council and has been a juror for the Sobeys Art Award.
Bob D’Eith, KC, is a multifaceted professional with over 30 years of experience as a lawyer, musician, and advocate for the arts. Born in Hong Kong and raised in British Columbia, Bob has dedicated his career to serving his community and championing the creative industries. As a lawyer, Bob specialized in entertainment law, working closely with artists, musicians, and creators to navigate the complexities of intellectual property, contracts, and copyright. His expertise has made him a trusted figure in the Canadian creative sector. In addition to his legal career, Bob is a talented musician and author. He was a founding member of JUNO Award nominated, radio chart topping Rymes with Orange. He went on to co-found the award-winning (including a JUNO Award nomination) musical duo ‘Mythos’, which achieved international acclaim and Billboard chart-topping albums. His passion for music extends to advocacy, where he served as the Executive Director of Music BC for 14 years, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the province's music industry. From 2017 to 2024, Bob represented Maple Ridge-Mission as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in British Columbia. During his tenure, he championed the arts, culture, and creative industries, working to secure funding and policy support for the sector as Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film. He served as Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Service and sat on the Treasury Board and the Legislative Review Committee (cabinet committees). Bob continues to inspire through his commitment to the arts and public service, blending his creative talents and legal expertise to make a lasting impact on British Columbia’s cultural and political landscape.
Caroline Running Wolf has over 15 years of experience as a business consultant and a project manager leading multinational teams in various business sectors, such as hospitality, logistics, retail, education, and nonprofit. She is an enrolled member of the Apsáalooke Nation (Crow) in Montana, with a Swabian mother and also Pikuni, Oglala, and Winnebago heritage. Cultural acclimation artist raised in USA, Canada, and Germany. Taught myself eleven languages and travelled extensively. She founded a nonprofit together with her husband to revitalize endangered Indigenous languages. Her dream is to put her unique mix of life and professional skills to use in support of Indigenous peoples, to assist Indigenous communities in sustaining and strengthening their cultural legacies as well as culturally appropriate economic development.
Michael Running Wolf (Northern Cheyenne and Lakota) was raised in a rural prairie village in Montana with intermittent water and electricity; naturally he has a Master’s of Science in Computer Science. Michael was an engineer at Amazon’s Alexa, former faculty at Northeastern University, and is a researcher at Mila. Michael is researching Indigenous language reclamation using immersive technologies and artificial intelligence. His work has been awarded a MIT Solve Fellowship, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Centri Tech Social Justice Innovation Award, and the Patrick McGovern AI for Humanity Prize. Through the ethical application of AI and advanced technology respecting traditional ways of knowing he is contributing to the ecology of thought represented by the Indigenous.
Art Proctor is an Afro-Indigenous neurodiverse creative media artist, activist and emerging leader in the field of technology and innovation. He is dedicated to empowering Indigenous and diverse communities through technology and innovation. As an artist and community builder, Proctor has been involved in showcasing Indigenous talent in Alberta's tech sector.
Diane Drubay is an accomplished curator, artist, and cultural strategist whose work lies at the intersection of art, technology, and sustainability. With over 15 years of experience in the cultural sector, Diane has dedicated her career to fostering creative innovation and inspiring collective reflection on pressing global issues such as climate change and digital transformation. As the founder of We Are Museums, a global community and platform that connects cultural institutions with forward-thinking practices, Diane has been a driving force in reimagining the role of museums and galleries in society. Through We Are Museums, she has organized numerous international events, workshops, and collaborations that bridge the gap between art, technology, and activism. Diane’s curatorial work is rooted in her belief in art as a catalyst for social and environmental change, which expands through her project Blueshift. She has collaborated with leading institutions, organizations, and artists to create thought-provoking exhibitions and programs that explore topics such as digital culture, ecological balance, and the future of creative industries. Her projects have been showcased globally, reflecting her commitment to nurturing a diverse and inclusive cultural landscape. In addition to her curatorial practice, Diane is a recognized advocate for digital innovation in the arts, frequently speaking at international conferences and advising cultural organizations on sustainable digital strategies. Her artistic practice further explores themes of nature, transformation, and collective memory, often incorporating digital and multimedia elements. Currently based in Berlin, Diane continues to lead initiatives that challenge traditional narratives, inspire action, and connect communities through the power of art and innovation.
Sasha Stiles is a first-generation Kalmyk-American poet, language artist, and AI researcher exploring the nexus of text and technology. Widely recognized as a pioneer of generative literature and next-gen poetics, her work has been featured by MoMA, Art Forum, the Washington Post, Christie's, Art Basel, Gucci, Poets & Writers, the Prix Ars Electronica, the Lumen Prize, the Sigg Art Prize, and the Future Art Awards. Stiles is a frequent speaker at international events in arts, culture and innovation, and regularly publishes and exhibits around the globe, on and off the blockchain. A co-founder of theVERSEverse and a graduate of Harvard and Oxford, she has served as Poetry Mentor to the AI humanoid BINA48 since 2018, and lives near New York City with her husband and studio partner, Kris Bones.
Art-Laws Grantees & Fellows as possible intervenants.
Quelemia Sparrow is an Indigenous actor, writer, director, performer/storyteller, host and dramaturge from the Musqueam Nation. Quelemia’s writing centres Indigenous perspective, specifically her Musqueam knowledge and culture. Over the past 20 years she has been disseminating sχʷəy̓em̓(Musqueam history), knowledge, teachings and stories that her grandfather and grandmother taught her and has been a tireless advocate bringing decolonizing practices to the Canadian Theatre ecology and art sector. She has continuously shared her knowledge on indigenizing creative processes and protocols in various sectors. Furthermore, she has created her own way of approaching devised and land-based creations based on her Musqueam Culture and protocols. With her own Musqueam-based creation methodology she has written and created: A narrative podcast: ‘Almost Real’ Necessary Tomorrows/Al Jazeera, ‘Salmon Girl’ Raven Spirit Dance, Co-writer ‘The Pipeline Project’ Itsazoo and Savage Society, A podplay ‘Ashes on the Water’ Neworld Theatre/Raven Spirit Dance, co-writer for ‘Lysistrata’ Bard on the Beach, ‘Skyborn: A Land Reclamation Odyssey’ Savage Society.She has worked across Canada for various theatre companies including: The Arts Club, Bard on the Beach, Globe Theatre, WCT and The Stratford Festival. Some of her acting film and t.v credits include: Uncommon Ground, Until Branches Bend, Motherland, Tribal, Clouds of Autumn, Blackstone, Cable Beach, Da Vinci’s City Hall and Da Vinci’s Inquest which she won a Leo Award for Best Female Guest Appearance. Quelemia has been the Protocol Keeper for the Transform Festival at the CULTCH for the past 3 years and co-hosted the opening bashes with Lisa Fa’alafi from Hot Brown Honey. She will be co-hosting with none other than the fabulous Venus winner of Canada’s Drag Race season 4. Quelemia has been passionate about speculative fiction from a young age and has been finding so much joy in playing in the realm of Indigenous Futurism. She is working on a commission with Neworld theatre in this genre called ‘Tumulx’ in which she completed a fellowship at U.B.C earlier this year. Almost Real is a narrative podcast about the first Indigenous AI. You can listen to an interview on CBC ‘Unreserved’ about ‘Almost Real’ and her discussion with Rosanna Deerchild about Indigenous Data Sovereignty. Currently she is adapting ‘Almost Real’ into a limited T.V series.
Natacha Clitandre completed a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from UQAM in 2000 and a Master’s in Theory and Practice of Contemporary Art and New Media from Université Paris 8 and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs (ENSAD) in 2007. As part of her studies, she undertook a residency at Brown University and RISD in Providence, Rhode Island. Her creative process involves exploring urban environments to document shifts in focal points of attraction and collect data and narratives that shed light on factors influencing the sense of belonging. Through the use of ubiquitous technological devices, she establishes mechanisms that highlight the relationships between the artist, the audience, and shared spaces. By encouraging alternative perspectives, her work seeks to foster social connections, break down barriers in living spaces, and reveal layers of history embedded in urban settings and content of interest to diverse communities. Clitandre’s works have been showcased across Europe (Nantes, Paris, Brussels) and North America (Montreal, Laval, Quebec, Gaspésie, Pittsburgh, New York, Baltimore). A cultural worker as well, she contributed significantly to the feminist artist-run center Ada X, where she served as the Programming and HTMlles Festival Coordinator from 2017 to 2022, developing the center’s Slow Tech approach. Based in Montreal/Tio’tia:ke, her practice focuses on uncovering the various layers and scales of history present in shared spaces and knowledge—whether in urban environments or artifacts of heritage significance. Aware of the intersectional identity from which she approaches a space or corpus, Clitandre carefully observes the social dynamics at play. Grounded in the concept of "situated knowledge" (Donna Haraway), her work strives to construct a nuanced and clear understanding of the territories she explores.
Eija Loponen-Stephenson is an intradisciplinary artist, educator, and performance studies researcher from rural British Columbia. She recently completed her MA in the department of Art Education at Concordia University in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montreal. In 2019 she received a BFA in Sculpture and Installation with distinction from the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U). Eija is the recipient of the Ada Slaight Scholarship (2015) for academic merit, the Hadyn Davies Memorial Award (2019), and the Joseph Armand Bombardier CGS Masters SSHRC Scholarship (2021). Her work has been shown in Montreal, Toronto, and British Columbia. Her Master’s thesis entitled Urban Choreographics examines how adult human cognition and epistemic formation are affected by bodily movement through contemporary urban architectural spaces. Her artistic practice is similarly concerned with kinetic building/body relationships, urban development, and the city’s material decay. She explores these topics through assemblage sculpture, performance, and wearable art. For nearly a decade I have interrogated the intricate relationship between human movement and urban architectural spaces. Through practice-based artistic inquiry and experimental pedagogy, I explore how bodily interactions can reveal the power structures embedded within the everyday fabric of our built environments. My Master’s research-creation thesis, titled Urban Choreographics, delves into how adult cognition and epistemic formation are influenced by movement through contemporary urban architecture, highlighting the kinetic relationships between bodies and buildings. My artistic practice encompasses assemblage sculpture, performance, and wearable art, all of which reflect my deep engagement with urban development and the material decay of cities. I possess specialized knowledge in choreographic notation and have a longstanding fascination with the interplay between mark-making and choreography, drawing inspiration from abstract expressionist painting.