AWOL 2023: A Week Of Liberation
A Week of Liberation (AWOL) is APIRG’s annual back to school event series held at the beginning of the school year to build community, knowledge and power for social change!
This year we’ve partnered with the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre, the Fyrefly Institute, Weight Inclusive Alberta, Palestine Solidarity Network, and many more fantastic organizations on campus and across the city to to bring you a week packed full of workshops and events to suit every schedule and every appetite for change!
Mask-Friendly Spaces
AWOL events are mask-friendly. We welcome wearing a mask while attending events in-person. Masks will be available at each in-person event. It is also recommended that attendees are vaccinated and boosted if attending in-person events.
Check out the calendar of events here and scroll on to learn about the fantastic events we have in store and RSVP to save your spot!
Monday, September 18th
Gender Affirming Care at UAlberta
10:30am – 11:30am
Marigold Room in SUB basement
As part of APIRG’s A Week of Liberation, join folks from The Landing, The University Health Centre, and The Gender Program for snacks, coffee, and a Q&A session about gender-affirming care for students. Get to know the care team, what services they can offer, ask questions about transitioning, and meet other queer folks!
APIRG Coffee Hour
11:00am – 1:30pm
APIRG Office
Drop-in
Drop by the APIRG Office at 9111 HUB Mall between 11:00am – 1:30pm to make your own APIRG Button, enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack, and learn about what we’ve got in store during our jam-packed Week of Liberation!
UASAC Building a Culture of Consent Workshop
2:00pm – 4:00pm
SUB 4-02
The U of A Sexual Assault Centre (UASAC) provides drop-in crisis intervention support, long-term psychotherapy, and comprehensive anti-sexual violence education to the campus community.
In this participatory workshop, you’ll explore the ways in which our culture creates the context for sexual violence to occur, discuss what would look different in a culture of consent, and brainstorm actions we can take to start shifting the values of our own communities.
The workshop is highly interactive, including ample discussion and activities, to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the topic and how it relates to their own lives.
Observational Drawing Fundamentals
6:00pm – 8:30pm
ECHA 1-490
Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA)
11405 87 Ave NW
Curious to learn about illustration and observational drawing? Join Alexa Bender of Penance Art and Maddie Hook for an Observational Drawing Fundamentals crash course! In this workshop you will learn about drawing materials and techniques used in observational drawing, followed by time to apply and practice these techniques through drawing a still life composition.
Drawing materials and art supplies will be provided!
Tuesday, September 19th
APIRG Trans & Gender 101 Workshop
12:30pm-1:30pm
Online (via Zoom)
The Alberta Public Interest Group (APIRG) is a student-run, student-funded organization based at the University of Alberta. We provide students and members of the public with funding, services, and educational workshops to support students in being active citizens in their communities.
Trans & Gender 101 is APIRG’s newest workshop offering. It is an introductory workshop exploring gender-related topics including non-binary and transfer identities, gender history, transgender activists, pronouns, and allyship.
Coffee and Solidarity: a Roundtable Discussion on Labour Organizing and Students
3:00pm – 5:00pm
APIRG Office
9111 HUB Mall
Join us for coffee, cookies, and an open discussion on the workers movement. We will be learning and speaking on why the working class struggle matters for students, what we as students can contribute to the fight, and how we can get involved in shaping the workers movement today and in the future.
UASAC Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence Workshop
5:30pm-7:30pm
Online (via Zoom)
The U of A Sexual Assault Centre (UASAC) provides drop-in crisis intervention support, long-term psychotherapy, and comprehensive anti-sexual violence education to the campus community.
In this participatory workshop, you’ll learn about the impacts of sexual violence, discuss the building blocks of a supportive conversation, and practice tapping into your empathetic self.
The workshop is highly interactive, including ample discussion and activities, to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the topic and how it relates to their own lives.
Gaywire presents: School Survival Sharing
Tuesday, September 19th
6:00pm – 8:30pm
APIRG Office
9111 HUB Mall
Join APIRG Working Group, Gaywire, for School Survival Sharing! Your one stop shop for all things back to school survival!
Wednesday, September 20th
Queer Music History: A Concert!
12:00pm-1:00pm
ECHA 2-490
Do you like music, gay stuff, and history? Then this is your show! Think of it as a concert, that is also a geeky presentation. Wanna enrich your knowledge of queer historical figures? Then check out this cabaret. Then come learn about influential figures such as Lesley Gore, Big Mama Thornton, Tchaikovsky, Wendy Carlos, and more! (suggested attire: glitter, wigs, or whatever brings you gender euphoria!)
Edmontunes presents: Detroit Techno City
Detroit Techno City will explore how the black musicians of Detroit gave birth to techno. The event will consist of a documentary screening (~60mins) followed by a DJ set from TAF aka Derek Lee (~60mins)
Notes:
- seating will be very limited, if you wish to sit during the documentary please bring your own portable chairs or mats to sit on
- this event will take place in a public space, please try to minimize disruption to passerby and follow event facilitators instructions
- dress to rave
- any questions or comments please email edmontunes@gmail.com
Disability Justice: Clean Air and Pandemic Mitigation Tools
6:00pm-8:30pm
ECHA 1-490
Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA)
11405 87 Ave NW
Join Shafir Walji & Wen Chan from the Clean Air Community Action Group, an APIRG Working Group, for a discussion on aerosols and indoor air quality and a roundtable conversation on the politics of public health and disability during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a hands-on workshop to learn how to build a portable cori-rosenthal box (a do-it-yourself air purifier)!
Thursday, September 21st
APIRG Funding 101
11:00am-12:30pm (drop-ins welcome)
APIRG Office (9111 HUB Mall)
The Alberta Public Interest Research Group (APIRG) offers grants up to $2000 to support student-led projects, events, and initiatives in the public interest. Come by our office at 9111 HUB Mall and learn more about our Event/Project Research Funding Stream and Working Group Funding Streams, how to apply, and access grant writing support from APIRG Staff & Board members.
UASAC Learning Good Consent Workshop
2:00pm-4:00pm
SUB
The U of A Sexual Assault Centre (UASAC) provides drop-in crisis intervention support, long-term psychotherapy, and comprehensive anti-sexual violence education to the campus community.
In this participatory workshop, you’ll explore how we know what we do or don’t want, discuss situations where cultural factors might complicate consent, and unpack how a fear of rejection shapes how we practice consent.
The workshop is highly interactive, including ample discussion and activities, to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the topic and how it relates to their own lives.
Quality education for refugees — what can I do?
4:00pm-5:00pm
ECHA 2-140
Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA)
11405 87 Ave NW
APIRG Working Group, Palestine Solidarity Network is pleased to be hosting a trio of citizens whose recent volunteer experiences demonstrate how local individuals can make a significant contribution to refugee students’ education abroad. Zaid Meqdadi is a 4th-year student in Edmonton, who spent his summer teaching middle schoolers at Rashidieh camp in south Lebanon. Nathan Deisman is a board member of Edmonton’s HumanServe International. HSI’s local fundraising supports a tutoring project and kindergarten program for refugees / displaced children at displaced persons’ gatherings in Lebanon. John Doyle, a former UofA programs director, will describe how CEPAL (Canadian Palestinian Education Exchange)’s online tutoring initiative matches volunteer conversation partners in Edmonton with refugee university students abroad.
Where Does Anti-Fat Bias Show Up And How Can We Push Back?
5:00pm-6:30pm
ECHA 2-190
Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA)
11405 87 Ave NW
Weight Inclusive Alberta (WIA) is a directory that connects Albertans with weight inclusive healthcare and wellness providers in the province. WIA aims to support Albertans with (the often tough work) of finding respectful providers in the province! They strive to create a network of professionals and physicians dedicated to serving Albertans with structurally competent care, without the weight stigma.
Join Haley of Weight Inclusive Alberta for an interactive workshop exploring what anti fat bias is and building tools and strategies on how we can push back against it.
This workshop is based on schools of thought developed by Black and fat liberation activists.
Friday, September 22nd
POSTPONED: SFCC presents: Building Movements that Sustain Us
Virtual (via Zoom)
Join Students For Consent Culture Canada in understanding the important role care for advocates has in organising and building different futures. We’ll discuss common pitfalls that replicate harm, have a chance to consider what care looks like for you, and knowledge share about how we can plan for it. We’ll also provide practical, mitigating strategies for burnout, boundary building, and mutual aid.
Students for Consent Culture Canada (SFCC) is an organization dedicated to supporting intersectional and grassroots anti-sexual violence advocacy and activism on campuses across Canada by serving as a hub of resources, tools, and institutional memory for students to engage with. To find out more about our organization and work please visit sfcccanada.org
Consent, sexual and gendered violence will be briefly mentioned as a foundation of our organization’s background. No graphic descriptions of violence will be included.
Transcriptions and captions will be available during the event.
Poli(see) the Change Forum: How to Amplify Your Voice on Climate Policy
3:00pm-5:00pm
ECHA 1-420
Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA)
11405 87 Ave NW
Join Navneet Chand from the Youth Policy Initiative for an interactive climate policy forum!
Learn about what public climate policy looks like in Canada today through a panel discussion from speakers in the fields of climate policy, communication, and youth political mobilization.
After the panel discussion, you will collaboratively tackle a climate policy case study. Through the case study you will work as a team to discuss and write out what sort of considerations should be amended into the Impact Assessment Act to make it more effective, and brainstorm effective strategies for how youth can politically mobilize on this public policy issue.
The Cool Down: AWOL Wrap-Up Party
7:00pm-10:00pm
Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre
8426 Gateway Blvd NW
This summer we experienced record breaking temperatures, dismal air quality, skyrocketing grocery store prices, and more. All of this in the wake of the continued COVID-19 pandemic and the University of Alberta choosing to continue to increase tuition costs for students.
Where does it end? When do we cool down?
We don’t know the answer to the first question yet, but we have something to offer to answer the second – on Friday, September 22nd, join us at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre for The Cool Down – an evening packed full of performances from local artists, music to dance to (we’ll teach you the electric slide), and interactive activities to talk about what the HECK went down this summer!
Admission is free for students and by donation for members of the community. We will be collecting donations on site at the event.