Dearest A/CA Network Members,

A/CA is saying goodbye to our Project Manager Sara Macdonald who is moving to a leadership position in her research area in the urban and environmental studies sector -- her new role will align with her PhD research. We wish her all the best in this new and important endeavor.

A/CA is delighted to welcome Antoine Damiens to the position of Project Manager. Antoine received a PhD in Film and Moving Image Studies from Concordia University. His research historicizes the work of queer festival organizers, activists, and scholars engaged in research-creation. He is the author of LGBTQ Film Festivals: Curating Queerness (Amsterdam University Press, 2020) and the co-editor of Rethinking Film Festivals in the Pandemic Era and After (with Marijke de Valck, forthcoming with Palgrave Macmillan in 2022). During his time as a MITACs Postdoctoral Fellow at York University and Public Journal, Antoine worked to develop new publication opportunities for A/CA members, and is editing, with  A/CA member Stacy Allison-Cassin, Counter-Archives: Communities (under consideration with Concordia University Press as part of the A/CA book series). He looks forward to continuing this work in his new position.

During this transition -- as we set up new emails and bring on a new KMB officer/ Mitacs Postdoc -- please email me (jmarches@yorku.ca) or Mike Zryd (zryd@yorku.ca) with any queries or concerns. Thank-you for your patience.

Best wishes,
 

Janine Marchessault and Mike Zryd  (Project Directors) 

A message from Sara

Dear Archive/Counter-Archive Network, 

It has been a pleasure to work with everyone on this project for the past year, first as the Financial Administrator and then as the Project Manager. 

I want to sincerely thank Janine Marchessault and Michael Zryd for giving me the opportunity to manage and guide this project. I am grateful for all your support, patience and for being such generous leaders. I also want to thank Antoine Damiens, Emily Collins and Jean-Pierre Marchant for all your hard work with organizing A/CA events and other activities. To Aimée Mitchell, thank you for sharing your insights and helping me troubleshoot complex issues. To the members of the network, I have enjoyed meeting and working with you and have learned a lot from our conversations. 

I wish you all the best for the final few years of the project. I am excited to see the many planned activities come to fruition and will follow A/CA’s achievements with interest. 

Best wishes, Sara

A message from Antoine

Dear Archive/Counter-Archive Network,

I am beyond honoured to step in as the new Project Manager. I am particularly looking forward to meeting everyone and to continuing the work started by Aimée Mitchell and Sara Macdonald. I want to thank Janine Marchessault and Mike Zryd for this opportunity, and to congratulate Sara Macdonald for her new position: it has been a pleasure working with and learning from Sara. Sara's work on the project was truly exemplary. 

Please feel free to contact me (adamiens@yorku.ca) if you have any questions. I look forward to working with all of you very soon!

Antoine