Public Speaking
Sylvia Grace Borda draws from her experiences as a research-scholar to offer informative stories about media histories, social innovation, and design practice across the arts.
Sylvia is always pleased to illustrate, teach and/or to create independent lectures +/ projects for larger social engagement. To learn more about her public speaking interests - see http://www.sylviagborda.com/request-a-lecture.html
Key public lectures to date:
2024
Speaker, Malus Fusca – Histories and Speculative Futures – Indigenous apple trees to AI driven orchards, University of British Columbia, Botanic Gardens, Vancouver, Canada, March 6 ,2024
Guest speaker, New New Town, BBC 4 Radio. Interviewed by Davie Scott, Glasgow, Scotland. Broadcast: Jan 9 (11am), Jan 15 (9pm), 2024 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001v3g0
Keynote speaker, Tulevaisuuden tekijät yhteistä maaseutua etsimässä (Future makers creating a quest for a shared rurality panel), Finnish Rural Parliament, Nurmes, Finland September 27, 2024.
2023
Understanding Scottish Modernist Vernacular Architectures, National Galleries, Edinburgh, Scotland Oct 12, 2023
Climate Change, Arts and Media, RE:SOURCE: 10th International Conference on the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy September 13, 2023
Chair: Francesca Franco
City of Vancouver Heritage Program, Hollywood Theatre, Vancouver, BC, May 15,2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc_mm3yM7xk (Award speech, 43:07 – 45:22)
2022
Presenter & Chair: ‘Picturing Climate Change: Trees for Life project launch’ with speakers and collaborators: Kenton Fisher (NASA), Dr Mugo (SERVIR-Kenya, NASA), Hussein Watta (Rural Assoc. for AgroPastoralists), John Gray (Dundee City), Sylvia Borda, Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow, March 21, 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sttJuXmJmPA
Presenter: The benefits of using the visual arts to support climate adaptation and awareness, Integrating disciplines and knowledge sectors with new thinking and innovation Panel, Ecocities World Forum, Rotterdam, Netherlands,
February 22, 2022
Speaker, Observation and Acts of Language and Art (Sylvia Grace Borda, Jemal Wako, Khaled Ramadan)
Okanagan College, November 17, 2023 Chair: Amy Mohal
https://www.okanagan.bc.ca/event/9949-panel-talk-observation-and-acts-of-language-and-art
2021
Interview, Close-Up: Photography, Ecologies, Sylvia Grace Borda, Street Level Photoworks. Glasgow
Moderated by Christian Monarchi, Photomonitor UK, March 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvbdsJxDefo
Workshop Presenter, Climate Communication and Design Thinking in the Arts, Women4Climate,
European Chapter (March 12)
Presenter, Understanding fruit tree histories, Vancouver Fruit Tree Project (May 24)
Keynote, Art, Apples and Celebrations of Farming, Apple Festival, UBC Botanic Gardens (October 13)
2020
Challenging Climate change through the Arts, Adaptation Canada 2020 conference, Vancouver, BC (Feb 20)
Avant La Lettre - Photography and Botany, Webinar Speaker, Friends of the Botanic Gardens, University of British Columbia (May 6)
Cultura, Inaugural webinar speaker, Garden Club of Vancouver (May 21)
Objects and Events: Histories of Art and Science explained through past observational tools and processes, Invited Webinar Speaker, Brock House, Vancouver (June 23)
Conversations on Agri-Arts, Shifting perspectives e-book launch, Webinar Panel, Surrey Art Gallery (Oct 3)
Where did the apples go? Heritage Apple Festival, Derby Park, Guest webinar speaker, Langley, BC (Oct 7)
2019
Climate change and the arts, Speaker, Friends of the Botanic Gardens, University of British Columbia
(October 14)
Arts, Science and Nature: In Conversation, Science World Speaker with support from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC (January 29)
2018
The Kissing Challenge, Visual Arts Speaker Series, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC (October 26)
Re-imagining Place-making, Ecology and Campus Life, Speakers: Sylvia Borda, Lee Beavington, and J. Keith Donnelly, Interactive Workshop, Teaching and Learning Symposium Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC (May 3)
2017
Artist presentation: What has happened to the camera?, photographies Conference, University of Westminster, London, UK (May 17, 2017) Chaired by Liz Wells and David Bate
Jim Adams: The Irretrievable Moment, Exhibition round table, Surrey Art Gallery (April 23, 2017)
The Kiss in Art from Intimate to Political, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson, BC (February 18, 2017)
2016
Digital Art in the Public Sphere panel, Hackney House, London, UK (September 29, 2016)
'Examining the Visual Arts as part of public debate and wider conservation: Farm Tableaux' International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Congress Forum, Hawaii, USA (September 3, 2016)
'To like? Digital era image making' Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, Canada (April 26, 2016)
Artist presentation, Art after Dark: the Urban Screen ~ Surrey Art Gallery, BC Parks and Recreation Annual Conference, Whistler, Canada (April 27, 2016)
Helsinki Photomedia Week, March 30, 2015
Keynote: Food and Art, Canadian Culinary Imaginations Symposium, Melville Centre for Dialogue, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond, BC (February 20, 2016)
2015
Food and art – it’s all good for you, University of Helsinki, September 2015
Artist reflection on works presented at Mantta Summer Exhibition: a new present || uusi nykyisyys, Exhibition video catalog, Mantta Arts, Finland
Cultural Heritage as Resource conference presentation, Serde Arts Centre in Aizpute, Latvia (September 2015)
Why EK Modernism matters? Presented as part of Absorbing Modernity Panel, Architecture and Design Scotland for Venice Biennale celebrations of Architecture Scotland Pavilion (March 17, 2015) Lighthouse, Glasgow, Scotland
Learning about Food through Art History, presentation for Finn Foods, Oulu Art Museum (January 27, 2015)
Scientific pictures of plants – a history of photography and art, Oulu Art Museum (January 24, 2015)
2014
Absorbing Modernity, Panelist, British Council for Venice Biennale for Architecture, Northern Ireland (October 25, 2014)
The roots of nature and art: Exploring the National Galleries of Canada Flora & Fauna exhibition, Surrey Art Gallery, BC (October 4, 2014)
An artist’s interpretation from Vancouver to Finland, Center for Sustainable Studies, Green Speaker Series Autumn Launch, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC (Sept 25,2014)
Green Lab Art Alliance, Swedish Exhibition Agency (May 22-13, 2014) Speakers: Sylvia Borda, Bigert & Bergström, and T.J.Demos 'Ecology and the Arts'
Helsinki International Arts Program Peer to Peer: Sylvia Grace Borda and Laura McLean, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland, April 3, 2014
2013
Artist roundtable and discussion with Christiane Monarchi about CAMERA HISTORIES, Street Level Photoworks, Scotland (November 23, 2013)
'On Camera Histories' Artist TV Interview: Summerhall TV, Edinburgh, Scotland (November 10, 2013)
'Facing the camera’ Artist Presentation: Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland (Oct 22, 2013)
‘This one’s for the Farmer’ Artist Presentation: held in tandem with BC Young Farmer’s Association, the Surrey Urban Screen and Surrey Art Gallery, BC (October 10, 2013)
Artist Roundtable: Northern Ireland 30 Years of Photography, Belfast Exposed and the MAC
Artist Talk: Agency of Light: Street Level Photo works Gallery, Glasgow, UK
'Using the Exquisite Corpse to create Fashion Folios' Artist Talk & Workshop: Fashion Merchandise and Photography Students, University of Salford-Manchester
2012
'Camera Art' Artist Talk: Public Talk in dialogue with Graduate MA Photo students, University of Iasi, Romania (Dec)
'Interrogations of a Camera' Public Artist Talk: Daniel Blau Gallery, London, UK (October 25, 2012)
'Modernist Architecture and the Arts' Artist Talk, Belfast Exposed Gallery, Northern Ireland (February 10, 2013)
2011
Chair, Photography and the Artist’s Book Symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University
Artist roundtable participant, Scottish Sculpture Workshop + Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media (GradCam), Ireland “Public Cultures and the Commons 2011”
Visual Arts Chair & Panelist, Contemporary Arts in Northern Ireland, European Irish Studies Conference, Manchester, UK
2010
'Data visualisation and communities: creating audiences' Artist presentation, Electronic Visual Arts conference, London, UK
'Social Engagement and Contemporary Art Practice in Europe' Keynote, Visual Arts Ireland (Belfast and Dublin) conference
'Breaking barriers and subjects' Artist presentation, Graduate Studies, Media School, University of Ulster
2009
'Learning from re-COLLECT-ing' Artist Presentation, University of Aberdeen, Scotland
'Semiotics, Poetry and the Arts' Artist presentation, Image and Text, Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry, Belfast
2008
'Mapping Modernist Architecture against the UN's Millennial Goals for Habitation' Artist Presentation, Architecture Foundation, London, England: Respondent and Panelist with Sir Peter Hall and Derek Walker
2007
Robert Gray’s School of Art in conjunction with Scottish Arts Council at Scottish Parliament: Public Art Policy - Panelist
EK Modernism – Writer’s Reception and Book Launch, Emily Carr Institute
2006
Re:Mote exhibition, ISEA 2006, San Jose, USA, Curator Adam Hyde: Guest Artist talk
Architecture Week (Glasgow) at the LightHouse Gallery, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture:
CRUMB: Newcastle Art Forum (June 3, 2006) with Charlie Gere, Jon Ippolito and Honor Hager
College Arts Association, New Media Caucus, Boston: Keynote panelist
2005
Refresh Conference, Banff New Media Institute and Humboldt University Berlin: Panelist
Electronic Media Group (Stanford) AIC, Minneapolis, USA): Guest Lecturer
Department of Art History, Carleton University, Ottawa: Guest Lecturer
2004
Electronic Social Culture Exhibition, A Space, Toronto: Curator’s talk and discussion
MUTATIONS < > CONNECTIONS Cultural (Ex)Changes in Asian Diasporas International Symposium and exhibition Centre A (June2-5, 2005): Chair and guest speaker
2003
Banff New Media Institute (BNMI) Skinning Our Tools: Keynote comments and speaker panelist
HG Cox: Athens on the Fraser exhibition, Presentation House Gallery: Guest panelist
2002
Banff New Media Institute (BNMI) BRIDGES Consortium Two Theme: Cross-Disciplinary
4th International Cuban Digital Art Symposium Art Perceptions, Havana,Cuba: Guest panelist
02.02. Digital Dystopias, University of California Los Angeles, Dept of Art History: Guest Speaker
2001
Pacific Conservation Group: Guest Speaker, Museum of Anthropology, UBC, Presenter: “New Media in Conservation Reporting”
Museums and the Web 2001, Seattle, Washington, Panelist
1998
Museum Computer Network Conference '98, Virtual Exhibitions : The Ultimate Community Experience, Guest panelist
1997
The Association for Historical and Fine Art Photography, Guest Speaker (London, England)
Sylvia Grace Borda draws from her experiences as a research-scholar to offer informative stories about media histories, social innovation, and design practice across the arts.
Sylvia is always pleased to illustrate, teach and/or to create independent lectures +/ projects for larger social engagement. To learn more about her public speaking interests - see http://www.sylviagborda.com/request-a-lecture.html
Key public lectures to date:
2024
Speaker, Malus Fusca – Histories and Speculative Futures – Indigenous apple trees to AI driven orchards, University of British Columbia, Botanic Gardens, Vancouver, Canada, March 6 ,2024
Guest speaker, New New Town, BBC 4 Radio. Interviewed by Davie Scott, Glasgow, Scotland. Broadcast: Jan 9 (11am), Jan 15 (9pm), 2024 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001v3g0
Keynote speaker, Tulevaisuuden tekijät yhteistä maaseutua etsimässä (Future makers creating a quest for a shared rurality panel), Finnish Rural Parliament, Nurmes, Finland September 27, 2024.
2023
Understanding Scottish Modernist Vernacular Architectures, National Galleries, Edinburgh, Scotland Oct 12, 2023
Climate Change, Arts and Media, RE:SOURCE: 10th International Conference on the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy September 13, 2023
Chair: Francesca Franco
City of Vancouver Heritage Program, Hollywood Theatre, Vancouver, BC, May 15,2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc_mm3yM7xk (Award speech, 43:07 – 45:22)
2022
Presenter & Chair: ‘Picturing Climate Change: Trees for Life project launch’ with speakers and collaborators: Kenton Fisher (NASA), Dr Mugo (SERVIR-Kenya, NASA), Hussein Watta (Rural Assoc. for AgroPastoralists), John Gray (Dundee City), Sylvia Borda, Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow, March 21, 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sttJuXmJmPA
Presenter: The benefits of using the visual arts to support climate adaptation and awareness, Integrating disciplines and knowledge sectors with new thinking and innovation Panel, Ecocities World Forum, Rotterdam, Netherlands,
February 22, 2022
Speaker, Observation and Acts of Language and Art (Sylvia Grace Borda, Jemal Wako, Khaled Ramadan)
Okanagan College, November 17, 2023 Chair: Amy Mohal
https://www.okanagan.bc.ca/event/9949-panel-talk-observation-and-acts-of-language-and-art
2021
Interview, Close-Up: Photography, Ecologies, Sylvia Grace Borda, Street Level Photoworks. Glasgow
Moderated by Christian Monarchi, Photomonitor UK, March 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvbdsJxDefo
Workshop Presenter, Climate Communication and Design Thinking in the Arts, Women4Climate,
European Chapter (March 12)
Presenter, Understanding fruit tree histories, Vancouver Fruit Tree Project (May 24)
Keynote, Art, Apples and Celebrations of Farming, Apple Festival, UBC Botanic Gardens (October 13)
2020
Challenging Climate change through the Arts, Adaptation Canada 2020 conference, Vancouver, BC (Feb 20)
Avant La Lettre - Photography and Botany, Webinar Speaker, Friends of the Botanic Gardens, University of British Columbia (May 6)
Cultura, Inaugural webinar speaker, Garden Club of Vancouver (May 21)
Objects and Events: Histories of Art and Science explained through past observational tools and processes, Invited Webinar Speaker, Brock House, Vancouver (June 23)
Conversations on Agri-Arts, Shifting perspectives e-book launch, Webinar Panel, Surrey Art Gallery (Oct 3)
Where did the apples go? Heritage Apple Festival, Derby Park, Guest webinar speaker, Langley, BC (Oct 7)
2019
Climate change and the arts, Speaker, Friends of the Botanic Gardens, University of British Columbia
(October 14)
Arts, Science and Nature: In Conversation, Science World Speaker with support from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC (January 29)
2018
The Kissing Challenge, Visual Arts Speaker Series, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC (October 26)
Re-imagining Place-making, Ecology and Campus Life, Speakers: Sylvia Borda, Lee Beavington, and J. Keith Donnelly, Interactive Workshop, Teaching and Learning Symposium Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC (May 3)
2017
Artist presentation: What has happened to the camera?, photographies Conference, University of Westminster, London, UK (May 17, 2017) Chaired by Liz Wells and David Bate
Jim Adams: The Irretrievable Moment, Exhibition round table, Surrey Art Gallery (April 23, 2017)
The Kiss in Art from Intimate to Political, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson, BC (February 18, 2017)
2016
Digital Art in the Public Sphere panel, Hackney House, London, UK (September 29, 2016)
'Examining the Visual Arts as part of public debate and wider conservation: Farm Tableaux' International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Congress Forum, Hawaii, USA (September 3, 2016)
'To like? Digital era image making' Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, Canada (April 26, 2016)
Artist presentation, Art after Dark: the Urban Screen ~ Surrey Art Gallery, BC Parks and Recreation Annual Conference, Whistler, Canada (April 27, 2016)
Helsinki Photomedia Week, March 30, 2015
Keynote: Food and Art, Canadian Culinary Imaginations Symposium, Melville Centre for Dialogue, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond, BC (February 20, 2016)
2015
Food and art – it’s all good for you, University of Helsinki, September 2015
Artist reflection on works presented at Mantta Summer Exhibition: a new present || uusi nykyisyys, Exhibition video catalog, Mantta Arts, Finland
Cultural Heritage as Resource conference presentation, Serde Arts Centre in Aizpute, Latvia (September 2015)
Why EK Modernism matters? Presented as part of Absorbing Modernity Panel, Architecture and Design Scotland for Venice Biennale celebrations of Architecture Scotland Pavilion (March 17, 2015) Lighthouse, Glasgow, Scotland
Learning about Food through Art History, presentation for Finn Foods, Oulu Art Museum (January 27, 2015)
Scientific pictures of plants – a history of photography and art, Oulu Art Museum (January 24, 2015)
2014
Absorbing Modernity, Panelist, British Council for Venice Biennale for Architecture, Northern Ireland (October 25, 2014)
The roots of nature and art: Exploring the National Galleries of Canada Flora & Fauna exhibition, Surrey Art Gallery, BC (October 4, 2014)
An artist’s interpretation from Vancouver to Finland, Center for Sustainable Studies, Green Speaker Series Autumn Launch, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC (Sept 25,2014)
Green Lab Art Alliance, Swedish Exhibition Agency (May 22-13, 2014) Speakers: Sylvia Borda, Bigert & Bergström, and T.J.Demos 'Ecology and the Arts'
Helsinki International Arts Program Peer to Peer: Sylvia Grace Borda and Laura McLean, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland, April 3, 2014
2013
Artist roundtable and discussion with Christiane Monarchi about CAMERA HISTORIES, Street Level Photoworks, Scotland (November 23, 2013)
'On Camera Histories' Artist TV Interview: Summerhall TV, Edinburgh, Scotland (November 10, 2013)
'Facing the camera’ Artist Presentation: Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland (Oct 22, 2013)
‘This one’s for the Farmer’ Artist Presentation: held in tandem with BC Young Farmer’s Association, the Surrey Urban Screen and Surrey Art Gallery, BC (October 10, 2013)
Artist Roundtable: Northern Ireland 30 Years of Photography, Belfast Exposed and the MAC
Artist Talk: Agency of Light: Street Level Photo works Gallery, Glasgow, UK
'Using the Exquisite Corpse to create Fashion Folios' Artist Talk & Workshop: Fashion Merchandise and Photography Students, University of Salford-Manchester
2012
'Camera Art' Artist Talk: Public Talk in dialogue with Graduate MA Photo students, University of Iasi, Romania (Dec)
'Interrogations of a Camera' Public Artist Talk: Daniel Blau Gallery, London, UK (October 25, 2012)
'Modernist Architecture and the Arts' Artist Talk, Belfast Exposed Gallery, Northern Ireland (February 10, 2013)
2011
Chair, Photography and the Artist’s Book Symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University
Artist roundtable participant, Scottish Sculpture Workshop + Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media (GradCam), Ireland “Public Cultures and the Commons 2011”
Visual Arts Chair & Panelist, Contemporary Arts in Northern Ireland, European Irish Studies Conference, Manchester, UK
2010
'Data visualisation and communities: creating audiences' Artist presentation, Electronic Visual Arts conference, London, UK
'Social Engagement and Contemporary Art Practice in Europe' Keynote, Visual Arts Ireland (Belfast and Dublin) conference
'Breaking barriers and subjects' Artist presentation, Graduate Studies, Media School, University of Ulster
2009
'Learning from re-COLLECT-ing' Artist Presentation, University of Aberdeen, Scotland
'Semiotics, Poetry and the Arts' Artist presentation, Image and Text, Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry, Belfast
2008
'Mapping Modernist Architecture against the UN's Millennial Goals for Habitation' Artist Presentation, Architecture Foundation, London, England: Respondent and Panelist with Sir Peter Hall and Derek Walker
2007
Robert Gray’s School of Art in conjunction with Scottish Arts Council at Scottish Parliament: Public Art Policy - Panelist
EK Modernism – Writer’s Reception and Book Launch, Emily Carr Institute
2006
Re:Mote exhibition, ISEA 2006, San Jose, USA, Curator Adam Hyde: Guest Artist talk
Architecture Week (Glasgow) at the LightHouse Gallery, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture:
CRUMB: Newcastle Art Forum (June 3, 2006) with Charlie Gere, Jon Ippolito and Honor Hager
College Arts Association, New Media Caucus, Boston: Keynote panelist
2005
Refresh Conference, Banff New Media Institute and Humboldt University Berlin: Panelist
Electronic Media Group (Stanford) AIC, Minneapolis, USA): Guest Lecturer
Department of Art History, Carleton University, Ottawa: Guest Lecturer
2004
Electronic Social Culture Exhibition, A Space, Toronto: Curator’s talk and discussion
MUTATIONS < > CONNECTIONS Cultural (Ex)Changes in Asian Diasporas International Symposium and exhibition Centre A (June2-5, 2005): Chair and guest speaker
2003
Banff New Media Institute (BNMI) Skinning Our Tools: Keynote comments and speaker panelist
HG Cox: Athens on the Fraser exhibition, Presentation House Gallery: Guest panelist
2002
Banff New Media Institute (BNMI) BRIDGES Consortium Two Theme: Cross-Disciplinary
4th International Cuban Digital Art Symposium Art Perceptions, Havana,Cuba: Guest panelist
02.02. Digital Dystopias, University of California Los Angeles, Dept of Art History: Guest Speaker
2001
Pacific Conservation Group: Guest Speaker, Museum of Anthropology, UBC, Presenter: “New Media in Conservation Reporting”
Museums and the Web 2001, Seattle, Washington, Panelist
1998
Museum Computer Network Conference '98, Virtual Exhibitions : The Ultimate Community Experience, Guest panelist
1997
The Association for Historical and Fine Art Photography, Guest Speaker (London, England)