Creative Expression and Society
The program in Creative Expression and Society features two components: workshop-style courses allow students to develop skills in creative expression and communication, particularly creative writing, while other courses encourage students to analyze the relationship between creative arts and society.
Students choose from among courses focused on fiction, non-fiction, poetry and/or creative expression through music and visual media. Students in this program will also select from courses that explore topics including social innovation; ethics and accountability; the arts and public opinion; reception and interpretation; and censorship and criticism. Students in the Creative Expression and Society Minor will develop their creative skills while studying the interaction between social conditions and creative expression.
Note Regarding Changes to Completion Requirements and Program Name for the Creative Expression and Society Minor
Effective for students enrolling in the program after the Fall/Winter 2023-2024 session, the renamed Creativity and Society Minor (ASMIN2750) will replace the Creative Expression and Society Minor (ASMIN2741).
Students interested in applying to the Creativity and Society Minor (ASMIN2750) after the Fall/Winter 2023-24 session are advised to review the enrolment and completion requirements of the modified Creativity and Society Minor program as published in the 2023-24 Arts & Science Academic Calendar in planning their studies.
Students who enrolled in the Creative Expression and Society Minor (ASMIN2741) by September 20, 2023 will be able to complete the requirements as published in the 2022-23 Arts & Science Academic Calendar. Reach out to the CES Program Coordinator for more information.
Humber Writers Workshop Scholarship
The Humber Writers Workshop has offered a rich, intense workshop experience for aspiring writers since 1992. Students work in small groups led by esteemed faculty, and attend plenary craft talks by Canada’s top writers and publishing professionals.
After a successful partnership last year, the Workshop will again take place on the campus of Victoria College, making it much more accessible for our students. The Workshop will be held from July 9-14, with an impressive list of workshop instructors, including Sheila Heti, Antonio Michael Downing, and Kyo Maclear. The full roster of faculty and other information can be found here.
Victoria College is delighted to offer a number of scholarships for students to attend the Workshop. The scholarships will be open to Victoria College students and students enrolled in the Creative Expression & Society Minor. To apply for a scholarship, you’ll need to write a brief statement of interest, and include an unofficial transcript, and an order of preference for your choice of workshop leader. The link to the application portal is bit.ly/HWW2023.
DEADLINE EXTENDED. Applications for scholarships to the Humber Writers Workshop this summer have been extended until April 10.
For further information, contact Prof. Adam Sol at a.sol@utoronto.ca.
Featured Course | Creative Citizenship, The Here and How
VIC459H1S
Special Topics Seminar
Professor Liz Howard
M 10-12
Creative Citizenship, The Here and How
This course invites you to engage in a multi-generic reading and writing practice guided by texts of considerable social awareness. In the context of literary citizenship, you will explore elements of creative writing broadly understood as story construction, character development, voice and perspective, figurative language, imagery, theme, structure, drafting, and revision. You will examine the social contexts involved in the creation of compelling and original work for an audience. Course work will also consist of informal learning activities, the drafting and revising of short pieces toward a 15-page chapbook, constructive peer feedback and discussion, and an experiential component involving any of the following: community organizations, literary magazines, readings series, or literary festivals.
Applications Link: https://courseapps.vicu.utoronto.ca/secure/StudentHome
Application Deadline: August 15, 2022
Prerequisite: Completion of 15.0 credits
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Science, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)
Program Contacts
Professor Adam Sol
Program Coordinator
a.sol@utoronto.ca
Wanda Thorne
Upper-Year Programs Liaison Officer
vic.academics@utoronto.ca
Program Requirements
To acquire a Minor in the Creative Expression and Society Program, you'll need to complete a total of 4.0 credits, including at least 1.0 credit at the 300+ level.
Please note:
- Only 1.0 credit (at most) from the 100 level will be counted towards your total
- Up to 1.0 credit may be chosen from approved courses offered by other departments (see list of Cognate Courses below)
Creative Expression Courses
You must complete at least 1.0 credit from the following courses:
VIC191Y1 - Artistic Creation and Public Issues
CRE210H1 - Holography for 3D Visualization
CRE273H1 - The Body: An Exercise
CRE275H1 - Creative Writing: Short Fiction
CRE276H1 - Writing for the Stage and Screen
CRE279H1 - Creative Non-Fiction
CRE280H1 - Creative Writing: Poetry
CRE282H1 - Emerging Genres in Creative Writing
CRE350Y1 - Creative Writing
CRE370H1 - Music and the Imagination
CRE470H1 - Soundscapes
CRE479H1,CRE479Y1 - Fiction: A Master Class
CRE480H1 - Poetry: A Master Class
Social Contexts and Interpretation Courses
You must complete at least 1.0 credit from the following courses:
VIC164H1 - Ideas and Their Consequences: Literary and Artistic Realms of the Imagination
VIC165H1 - Ideas and Their Consequences: Isolation and Communion in Modern Culture
VIC190Y1 - The Arts and Society
CRE209H1 - How Stories Work
CRE235H1 - Innovation in Society
CRE247H1 - Creativity in the Sciences
CRE270H1 - Listening: A Critical History
CRE271H1 - Reading the Wild
CRE281H1 - Popular Music, Technology, and the Human
CRE335H1 - Creativity and Collaboration in Social Enterprise
CRE371H1 - Documenting Reality
CRE372H1 - Reviewing, Reception, and Reading Communities
CRE374H1 - Cultural Encounters: Identity and Transformation in the Arts
MCS223H1 / VIC223Y1 - Signs, Meanings, and Culture
MCS320H1 / VIC320H1/VIC320Y1 - Semiotics of Visual Art
MCS373H1 - Materialities of Music
Cognate Courses
You may use (up to a maximum of) 1.0 credit from the following courses towards the 4.0 credits needed for your Creative Expression and Society Minor:
Book and Media Studies
BMS319H1 - Media Ethics
Centre for Indigenous Studies
INS300Y1 - Worldviews, Indigenous Knowledges, and Oral Tradition
Cinema Studies
CIN201Y1 - Film Cultures 1: Art and Industry
Drama
DRM428H1 - Advanced Playwriting
East Asian Studies
EAS349H1 - Soundscapes and Modern China
English
ENG287H1 - The Digital Text
ENG289H1 - Introduction to Creative Writing
ENG388H1 - Creative Writing
ENG389H1 - Creative Writing
Fine Art History
FAH352H1 - 19th Century Photography
FAH382H1 - Art Writing
Music
MUS211H1 - The World of Popular Music
St. Michael's College
SMC219Y1 - Mass Media in Culture and Society
SMC229H1 - Readers and Readerships
SMC317H1 - Books, Media and Music
Writing and Rhetoric
WRR211H1 - Introduction to Creative Writing
WRR311Y1 - Seminar in Creative Writing
WRR414H1 - Writing for Social Change
Please note:
In the event of discrepancies in program requirements between this website and the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar, the Calendar shall take precedence.