Archive/Counter-Archive held its inaugural Kick-Off Meeting on Friday, December 7, 2018 at The Commons in 401 Richmond, Toronto. The meeting brought together over 60 project participants from across Canada: artists, archivists, researchers, and team members from academic institutions, artist-run centres, and memory institutions. 

The day began with an overview of the A/CA project and its aims, followed by introductions to the Case Studies, Working Groups, and Community Partner Organizations. The afternoon consisted of “Speed-Dating” sessions, in which members of Case Study teams circulated to meet each Working Group and explore research possibilities. Closing presentations were made by Regent Park Film Festival’s nationwide archival project, Home Made Visible, as well as Queen’s University’s Vulnerable Media Lab.

Recurring questions and concerns emerged from the meeting – what does it mean to be an archive or a counter-archive? Who is the archive meant to serve? How can we organize knowledge and make policies that are relevant to the different needs of different communities? 

A/CA aims to explore these questions (and more!) through research-creation, remediation, and the cultivation of relationships with the community. We look forward to sharing our activities over the next five years!