Building Possibilities for Labour Arts and Heritage in Canada
The new book The Art of Solidarity delves into the rich tapestry of labour arts and heritage in Canada—from protest music and union banners, to murals, community theatre, and oral histories, to workers’ history museums and arts festivals—showcasing how these expressions of working people’s culture have been essential to challenging inequality and fostering solidarity.
This inspiring collection highlights the resilience and creativity of labour arts and heritage practitioners who, despite financial and organizational challenges, continue to amplify the voices and experiences of working-class communities. In an economy characterized by growing polarization, inequality, precarity, and uncertainty about the future and meaning of work, labour arts and heritage has a central role to play in providing answers that challenge the prevailing narratives about whose work matters and whose efforts are central to our communities’ wellbeing.
Join The Art of Solidarity editors Rob Kristofferson and Stephanie Ross to learn why this work is more important than ever before.
Rob Kristofferson is professor of history and social justice at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he has also served for five years as president of the faculty union. He is currently president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). He has worked extensively in workers’ public history and labour arts since the mid-1990s, having produced several exhibits, tours, and other programming, including the graphic history SHOWDOWN! Making Modern Unions (Between the Lines 2016) which he coauthored with Simon Orpana. He has done much of this work in association with the Workers’ Arts and Heritage Centre, where he currently serves on the board of directors.
Stephanie Ross is an associate professor in the School of Labour Studies at McMaster University. Her teaching and research focus on the politics and dynamics of labour movements, especially how unions deal with key questions of structure, democracy, bargaining priorities, political vision, political strategy, and collective identity. She has long been interested in the role of culture in working-class communities and in labour movement renewal and is a past board member of the Workers’ Arts and Heritage Centre. She is co-author of Building A Better World: An Introduction to the Labour Movement in Canada.
This event is presented in partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University’s Department of History and Ancient Studies.