Curious Campus

Harboring History: Discussing the Preservation of Heritage Sites with Aziza Chaouni

In this episode, Professor Aziza Chaouni joins us in discussing her book, "Modern Heritage Under Pressure: Perspectives from the Global South,” elaborating on her work on preserving heritage sites; notably, that of the Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex in Fez, Morocco, while also touching on local sites in Toronto, Canada. Through this discussion, Aziza emphasizes the importance of preserving these historical locations as vital connections to our collective memories.
 
Aziza is an Associate Professor at the Daniels School of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto, where she leads the Designing Ecological Tourism Lab. She is also the principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects, with offices in both Fez and Toronto. Her work has earned several prestigious awards, including the Holcim Gold Award for Sustainable Construction in 2009. Notably, she is responsible for the Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex CMP, a key project discussed in her book.

AI Takes the Stage: Exploring Theatre with Douglas Eacho

In this episode, Professor Douglas Eacho joins us in discussing his article, "Performativity without theatricality, experiments at the limit of staging AI,” and how his work as Assistant Director of the BMO Lab in Creative Research explores the fascinating intersection of AI and theatre. We discuss the inspiration behind his research and the future implications of merging artificial intelligence with performance.Eacho is an assistant professor at the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto. He also serves as Assistant Director, Academic of the BMO Lab, where his work focuses on how the performing arts have historically responded to the rise of computational media and what this convergence means for the future of theatre and performance.