The Futures of Creativity and Compassion

Event Public Staff Undergraduate Student

From Aug. 15 to 17, OCAD U joins with the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) to co-host the conference, The Futures of Creativity and Compassion at the Waterfront campus. The gathering is bringing together foresight practitioners, designers, artists, and changemakers committed to doing things differently.

30 Queens Quay E Tower, Floor 4R, Toronto, ON M5A 0P6
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30 Queens Quay E Tower, Floor 4R, Toronto, ON M5A 0P6
Research
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Abstract colours and wiggly lines

The Futures of Creativity and Compassion: A Convivial Approach


The Futures of Creativity and Compassion conference, co-hosted by OCAD U and the Association of Professional Futurists (APF), will take place from August 15 to 17 at OCAD U's Waterfront campus. This is the first APF event to take place in Toronto since 2010.


The program features interactive social technologies that foster collaboration and engagement; experiential futures installations and performances; unconference sessions for emergent conversations; spaces for rumination and reflection; and a speaker’s corner. This is not a typical conference. It is a convivial space for experimentation, connection, and transformation—where futures are not only imagined but felt, shared, and lived.


The conference aims to navigate towards a more desirable future by emphasizing the importance of compassion and collective understanding. By fostering deep connections and collaborative efforts, the conference seeks to address current societal challenges and inspire participants to envision and work towards a more harmonious and inclusive world. Unlike typical conferences, it does not have keynotes and is designed for participation rather than one-way communication. For those who wish to vent or gather a listening audience, there is an ongoing open mic speakers' corner set up just for that.
This conference stands out by focusing on interactive social technologies that foster collaboration and engagement. Participants are encouraged to explore other ways of knowing through discussion and embodied practices of experiencing. The event includes immersive installations designed to provoke thought and inspire creativity. Additionally, it provides an ongoing area for participants to ruminate and process emotions, as highlighted by the Space for Grief initiative.

The event information and registration is on the APF website:  https://www.apf.org/event-hub/apf-ocad-nexus-event-2025.


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