3 - 5 p.m. | Opening remarks and guest panel discussion
Hybrid event | Harriet Irving Library | Milham Room 100 | 1st floor

Register to attend

The conference will open with a panel discussion featuring students, staff, faculty and community members. The panel discussion will focus on our theme "Learning through community: collaborative approaches to creating and knowing".

Connor Blanchard, UNB Faculty of Arts student

Connor Blanchard: Creatively engaged and remindful of his roots, Connor Blanchard is a proud French-Acadian to the core. With a lengthy background in daytime radio, talk-show spaces, and in committing to any trivia-related competition, he carries a host’s essence in various ways.

Through his community experience in Shediac with Radio Beauséjour/CJSE and now in Fredericton with C-médias, he seeks to bring levity on the air waves.

Currently in his 2nd year at UNB, he has his sights on a double major in Film and French in the Faculty of Arts. Hailing from far from his native city of Moncton, New Brunswick, once again, Connor Blanchard.

Matthew Gwathmey, UNB Department of English

Matthew Gwathmey lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on Wolastoqey Territory. He has published three poetry collections: Our Latest in Folktales (Brick Books, 2019); Tumbling for Amateurs (Coach House Books, 2023); and Family Band (The Porcupine’s Quill, 2024).

He is a professor at both the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.

Nish Kutty, UNB Faculty of Arts student

Nish Kutty is an international student from India pursuing an Honours in Media Arts and Cultures with a minor in Business at the University of New Brunswick.

Passionate about advocacy, she is actively involved in community initiatives and diversity efforts, working to create empowering spaces. With experience in resource building, project management, outreach, engagement and support work, she strives to make meaningful, real-world impacts through her work.

Outside of work, she is a multidisciplinary artist who uses their craft — whether through writing, music, design, or media — to express herself freely and connect with others. Rooted in her values and lived experience, she aims to combine her creative and strategic abilities to make the world a more vibrant and inclusive place for everyone.

Emily Paul, UNB Faculty of Arts student

Emily Paul (she/her) is a fourth-year student doing a Joint Honours in Law and Society with Criminology. Born and raised in Oromocto, Emily has always called the University of New Brunswick her home.

Emily's academic interests include critical sociolegal studies and reconciling our nation at the individual and institutional levels, which she plans to bring into her post-graduate journey pursuing a Juris Doctor at the University of Ottawa. She believes strongly in the power of education and hopes to always represent her community with pride.

Select achievements Emily has chosen to highlight are being named a Dean's Scholar, receiving the Barbara Pepperdene Prize for Substantive Inquiry and Ted Rogers scholarship, speaking as a panellist on the Governor General of Canada's Building a Safe and Respective Digital World initiative, working as a Peer Assisted Learning mentor, and advocating on local news networks for Indigenous rights.

Outside of her education, Emily is an avid lover of baked goods and cats, and she is beyond grateful for the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Arts Matters Annual Conference.

Yusuf Mohamed Shire, President of the New Brunswick African Association Inc.

Yusuf Mohamed Shire is a passionate and dedicated individual originally hailing from Somalia, with over 16 years of residence in Fredericton. As a firm believer in the power of Pan-Africanism unity, he has committed himself to working tirelessly as a racial justice advocate and community organizer for all people of African descent.

Currently serving as the esteemed President of the New Brunswick African Association Inc, Yusuf plays a pivotal role in leading this volunteer-driven organization. Through their collective efforts, they offer unwavering support to African immigrant communities in New Brunswick, striving to uplift, empower, and foster a sense of belonging for those seeking a new life in the region.

Furthermore, Yusuf's visionary spirit led him to establish the African Fusion Catering Group, a venture that not only tantalises taste buds with delectable cuisine but also celebrates the richness and diversity of African culinary traditions. This venture serves as a testament to his entrepreneurial acumen and commitment to showcasing the vibrant cultural tapestry of the African diaspora.

Throughout his journey, Yusuf Shire continues to be an inspiring force for positive change, bridging gaps, and fostering understanding between diverse communities. His work exemplifies the embodiment of shared liberation and progress for people of African descent, leaving an indelible mark on the path towards a more inclusive and equitable society

noon - 1 p.m. | Games for Change Showcase | In person event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 318 | Refreshments provided

About the showcase

In this exhibit, final projects from Dr. Scott Preston’s game design class will be on display, with many of the student designers present to discuss their work.

In the class, students studied the history and theory of “games for change” (games used for education, training and activism), then conceived, developed, and produced their own tabletop game for change on the topic of “cities”.

Break

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. | Panel 1A | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 318

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. | Panel 1B | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Active Learning Lab | 3rd floor, room 303

Break

2:45 - 3:45 p.m. | Panel 2A | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 318

2:45 - 3:45 p.m. | Panel 2B | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Active Learning Lab | 3rd floor, room 303

Break

4 - 5 p.m. | Panel 3A | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 318

4 - 5 p.m. | Panel 3B | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Active Learning Lab | 3rd floor, room 303

5 - 6 p.m. | The 203 Mural Launch | In person event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Active Learning Lab | 3rd floor

About the launch

Join The 203 Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity for the launch of a special mural project, currently on display at the Harriet Irving Library. The 203 mural is a collaborative, community-based art project created at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. It began as a way to bring together and build queer and trans communities during isolation. It also served as a way to create a sense of agency and ownership over the physical space we call The 203 when community members couldn't be in it, and as something to look forward to once it was safe(r) to gather. Light refreshments will be served.

Break

7:30 p.m. | Aristophanes’ Frogs! | Memorial Hall Auditorium | Free Admission

About the play

First performed over 2,000 years ago, Aristophanes' Frogs is a wild mythological romp in which the wine-god Dionysus dresses up as Hercules and descends to the underworld to bring back his favourite playwright. Hilarity ensues as Dionysus and his much smarter slave tangle with friends, foes, and frogs, and then face the decision of their afterlives. Written as warfare and political unrest convulsed ancient Greece, Aristophanes' Frogs sets out to save the world with comedy. Come join the fun. This play is presented by the Faculty of Arts and the Shaw Trust. Doors open at 7pm.

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10:30 - 11:15 a.m. | Panel 4A | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 318

10:30 - 11:15 a.m. | Panel 4B | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Active Learning Lab | 3rd floor, room 303

Break

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Panel 5A | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 318

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Panel 5B | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 303

12:30 - 1:30 p.m. | LUNCH BREAK (provided for in person attendees)
Research Commons | Innovation Hub | Rom 316

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. | Panel 6 | Hybrid event
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 303

Break

2:45 - 4:45 p.m. | In person mural workshop
Harriet Irving Library | Research Commons Event Space | 3rd floor, room 318

This mural workshop is a collaboration between Arts Matters and UNB's Art Centre. Get ready to be creative in partnership with others. Participants will work together to paint small canvases that will contribute to a larger mural design. All materials will be provided. The workshop will be led by members of the Arts Matters organizing team and UNB Art Centre staff member Emma Monteith.

Emma is a Gallery & Collection Assistant at the UNB Art Centre. Originally from Woodstock, NB, I've spent the past four years traveling, living, studying, and working in places like Toronto, Oahu, Hawaii and Bali, Indonesia.

After returning to Fredericton, I wanted to bring my passion for art, community, and culture into my professional life, which led me to the UNB Art Centre and to assist with the Arts Matters conference. I'm excited about the opportunity to connect with people in my home province.

7:30 - 11 p.m. | Arts Matters 10th Anniversary Gala
In person | Beaverbrook Art Gallery

Register to attend       Buy gala tickets