Kesava Kumar’s Major Research Project (MRP): “Between the Yards”
This feature-length script follows 15-year-old Ravi, a cricket prodigy growing up in Scarborough. The MRP captures the highs and lows of his adolescence as he grieves the loss of his father. Caught between the pressures placed on him by his family and his desire to forge his own path, Ravi navigates questions of identity and belonging.
Kumar’s work examines the role of family and community in shaping identity, while also exploring how sport can serve as both a haven and a burden.
#thecreativeschool #tmugraduate #creativeisnow
The Winter term has officially wrapped up, and we celebrated in style at our End-Of-Term Rendezvous! The Catalyst was buzzing with incredible in-progress MPR presentations, delicious food, and the best vibes to close out the semester. A huge congratulations to our raffle winners, especially those who walked away with TMU merch and the grand prize funding awards!
Thank you to our presenters for sharing their innovative research projects!
Nia Campbell - Researching how working with leftover and discarded materials functions as a culturally specific material logic.
Lee Embridge - Exploring how artificial intelligence can be ethically used as an accelerant to help transform scholarly knowledge into more accessible and engaging practitioner-facing formats
Nika Sinay - Examining how audiovisual professionals create narrative arcs in live events through ethnographic observation of a corporate conference in Toronto.
Web Shen - Untapped Potential: Exploring the Role of Ontario-Produced Wool in Sustainable Textile Practices. Investigating why locally produced wool in Ontario is widely undervalued and often discarded despite its strong material qualities.
Shawna Smith - Presented a trailer for her project, ESCAPE FROM MARS, for audience feedback, to help her create a 10-minute Proof of Concept Short Film
Jaylin Evans - Amourly, a digital wedding planning, AI-powered app designed to simplify and personalize the wedding planning experience.
Have a fantastic summer ahead — we will see you at the next Rendezvous!
#creativegrad #tmugraduate #thecreativeschool
🎓 Apply to Fall 2026 Graduate Programs @ The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University 🎓
Are you interested in pursuing your creative passion at a higher level?
The Creative School Graduate Studies programs at Toronto Metropolitan University is home to several different creative pathways. Featuring 13 programs covering a diverse range of fields, Graduate Studies at The Creative School opens the door to unparalleled opportunities.
With State-of-the-Art facilities, students are encouraged to immerse themselves in spaces that foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration.
Providing students with resources and direct connections to culture, entrepreneurship, and industry, @tmugraduate gives students the chance to establish themselves in professional spaces.
Domestic Admissions are open for Fall 2026!
Join the @creative_grad community; embrace this opportunity to elevate your creative skills and begin your next chapter today.
@TheCreativeSchl
For more information, please visit the link in bio.
📸 Images: 1) Azizah Alawusa, Fashion MA ’25. 2) Deanna Armenti, Fashion MA ’23 / Media & Design Innovation PhD student. 3) Mina Keykhaei, Fashion MA ’24. 4) Camille Horrocks Denis, Documentary Media ’23.
#TheCreativeIsNow #TMUGraduate #CreativeGrad
From the School of Image Arts to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 🎬
Huge congratulations to Adrian Morphy ('17 Film and '24 MFA Scriptwriting and Story Design) for being named a finalist in the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting! 🏆
His script, The 300 Year Old Man, is a deeply personal story inspired by his own diagnosis with Crohn’s disease in high school. By blending historical re-enactments with the reality of living with a chronic illness, Adrian has created a story that is already catching the attention of major agents and producers in L.A.
"The people that don’t get discouraged early and just keep at it — that’s how you create work that lasts."
Read the full story on Adrian’s journey and his advice for emerging writers here: https://bit.ly/AdrianMorphyTMU
#TMU #TheCreativeSchool #ImageArts #NichollFellowship #Screenwriting #FilmSchool #AcademyAwards #AlumniSuccess
Good conversations, great connections, and endless opportunities. ✨
Swipe through for a recap of the Graduate Media and Communications Mixer! ➡️
The MDM program, along with MPC and MDI, gathered for an incredible evening dedicated to networking round tables and deep-dive industry insights. It was so inspiring to see everyone making new connections and exploring career opportunities together.
A huge thank you to all the employers and industry partners who came to share their experiences with our students and alumni! Your insights are invaluable.
Drop a 🤝 in the comments if you made a new connection!
#MDM #MPC #MDI #NetworkingEvent #TheCreativeIsNow
Mariam Kourabi, a final-year MJ student, worked the Olympic and Paralympic Milano Cortina Winter Games as an associate producer at CBC.
She also contributed stories about the Paralympic Games for The Globe and Mail. Her work touched on inspiring athletes, highlighting barriers and amplifying the goals of the Paralympic movement.
Read her full profile and about all the J-school alumni and students who covered the Olympics via the link in bio! 🔗
#TheCreativeSchool #TheCreativeIsNow #Olympics #Journalism #TMU
TMU Master of Journalism student Mariela Torroba Hennigen has won a Gracie Award for her episode “Maybe I Can’t Do This?” from the We Met U When... podcast — exploring the realities women face in journalism.
Created as part of her coursework, the piece reflects on the challenges, honesty, and lived experiences of women in the industry — and what it means to step into that world as an emerging journalist.
Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition 🤩
Photo credits
Slide 1: Andrea Nicole Carandang
Slide 2 & 4: elisejacob.com
Slide 3: Steph Colbourn
#TMU #TheCreativeSchool #GracieAwards #Journalism #WomenInMedia
Toronto’s @takethettc Bay Station is now home to confluence, a vibrant new installation by Media and Design Innovation @torontomet PhD candidate, Francisco-Fernando Granados.
Inspired by the meeting of different forces—like water forming a bay—the artwork reflects the city’s diversity, intensity, and sense of home.
It transforms a busy transit space into a place of connection and pause.
Learn more about confluence by visiting the News link in bio!
#TheCreativeSchool #TMU #TTC
Congratulations to Master of Journalism student Addie Tiller on being a recipient of the CBC News Summer Scholarship! Tiller was one of 14 students chosen by CBC and one of three students representing Journalism @thecreativeschl .
With an interest in reporting on food, politics, society, and the human condition, Tiller’s pursuit of journalism is driven by a passion for hearing people’s stories, the things they love, hope for, or want to see changed.
As part of the CBC News Summer Scholarship, Addie Tiller’s regional placement will be in Vancouver, where she will be expanding her videojournalism skills.
#thecreativeschool #tmugraduate #thecreativeisnow #MasterOfJournalism
What happens when “waste” wool is given a second chance?
Master of Arts in Fashion student Wen Shen presented her research at the ITS symposium 2026, exploring how discarded skirted fleece can be transformed into a functional textile design. Through hands-on felting experiments, she demonstrates that agricultural waste can become a firm yet organic, expressive material, culminating in a handmade project bag.
Her work also explores alternative processing methods that may reduce water use in small-scale wool production, offering new possibilities for sustainable textile practice.
#thecreativeschool #tmugraduate #thecreativeisnow #FashionMA
Sedra Shaikh Alard’s Major Research Project (MRP): “The Effects of Emojis on Teenager’s Communication of Emotions on IRL Interactions”
Sedra’s MRP examined the effects of teenagers using emojis when texting and engaging with others online. The study sought to answer an important question: When teenagers rely on using emojis, does it affect how they express their emotions during in-person interactions?
To answer this, the MRP explores how teenagers use emojis to communicate feelings in today’s digital world, and whether that reliance influences how they express emotions in real-life conversations. Through interviews with teens (14-19 years old), the study examines how symbols like 😊, 😭, or 💀 function as tools for comfort, clarity, and connection, while also considering whether they may limit deeper face-to-face communication.
By comparing online and IRL interactions, the research sheds light on how digital communication impacts emotional awareness, social skills, and relationships. Ultimately, the study invites us to rethink what emotional expression looks like for a generation growing up between screens and real-world conversations.
#thecreativeschool #thecreativeisnow #TMU #ProfessionalCommunication
Ready to level up your creativity?
Join us on March 5, 2026 at The Catalyst (2–4PM) for The Creative School’s Graduate Studies In-Person Information Session! Meet the Graduate Studies team, explore your program options, get insider tips on the application process, and have all your questions answered.
Spots fill fast — register online and take the first step toward your next big creative move.
Photos:
- Cami Leonelli Calzado
- Dina Badawi
#thecreativeschool #tmugraduate #thecreativeisnow #torontomet #creativegrad
