7 Hart House Cir,
Toronto, ON M5S 3H3
International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.
The Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and Hart House present the short film "She Carries On", centering women in sport and physical activity. Hosted by KPE Professor Caroline Fusco and Hart House Senior Director Michelle Brownrigg, the screening will be followed by a discussion with a panel of academic and organizational leaders.
About the Film
The documentary short "She Carries On" focuses on Indigenous women's engagement with and reclaiming of a traditional sporting activity within the community. Among the Cherokee people in North Carolina, the cultural tradition of stickball exemplifies “more than a game”. Cherokee women played the game at the turn of the 21st century for several years and reflect on their time playing and what the game means to the past, present, and future of Cherokee people.
Timeline of the Day
- 11:50 a.m. Registration opens – Guests welcomed
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch available
- 12:15 p.m. Welcome remarks – Dave Kim
- 12:20 p.m. Introduction to Film – Caroline Fusco
- 12:25 p.m. Film – "She Carries On"
- 12:45 p.m. Panel Introduction – Michelle Brownrigg
- 1:15 p.m. Audience Q & A
Panelists
Caroline Fusco is an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education whose research engages eco-feminist, anti-colonial, cultural geography, and critical animal studies perspectives. Caroline’s research was instrumental in The Change Room Project, which raised awareness about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in locker rooms. Her current research is entitled ‘sports should not cost the earth’. Drawing on principles of feminist social and ecological justice and interspecies equity-based sustainability, she is interrogating the relationships between sport spaces, consumption, and ‘more-than-human’ ecologies.
Michelle Brownrigg is a Senior Director and Chief Program Officer for Hart House at the University of Toronto. Hart House is a cultural and wellness centre at the University of Toronto: a place that welcomes both campus and community to explore a wide array of learning, cultural and recreational activities and events. Michelle works with an interdisciplinary team who oversee initiatives that foster civic and community engagement, various forms of arts expression, and support overall health and wellness. This work involves a broad scope of programming engaging with many partners, and with a focus on considering who has historically been under represented and underserved at Hart House and the University of Toronto.
Dr. Tricia McGuire-Adams is an Anishinaabekwe from Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek in the Robinson Superior Treaty territory and an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. She conducts community-driven research in Indigenous health and wellbeing and is passionate about fostering decolonization through physical activity. To date, she has secured 2.7 million dollars in funding as Principal Investigator in support of her program of research, which uses Indigenous research methodologies to study Indigenous health, wellbeing, and physical activity from an Indigenous decolonization and resurgence frameworks.
Sabrina Razack is the Canada Project Lead for the project "Promoting the Rights of Children in the 2026 FIFA World Cup". The role involves working collaboratively with host cities to develop and implement opportunities for active child citizenship. The intention of the project is to increase capacity and affect change through awareness of child rights and safeguarding in sports. She is also an assistant professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, and has previously worked with Canadian Women & Sport and the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. Her PhD thesis involved a case study of the Black Girl Hockey Club and examined the intersections of physical activity, sport, social movements, media, race, gender, class and culture.
Vanessa Treasure is the Director of Fitness, Wellness and Recreation at Hart House. Her passion for physical activity blossomed from a 15-year athletic career in competitive swimming. She completed a degree in kinesiology at the University of Toronto while also being a member of the Varsity Blues swim team. The most profound thing she took away from her university career was the incredible impact that physical activity can have on every aspect of life. She has experienced the life changing benefits of physical activity from the lens of an athlete, coach, entrepreneur, manager and director at U of T. She stands firm in her belief that her true role is to use physical activity to change lives.