The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the unevenness of our public institutions in how they serve communities, and the vulnerability of our media systems that support marginalized communities in times of great challenge. The pandemic and protests have also exposed the need for media makers, scholars, and educators to articulate with radical clarity the process of impact that they undertake in their pursuit of social justice, equity, and care.

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The 2021 SJ+M Symposium will bring into focus the contributions that media artists, teachers, practitioners, and scholars must make toward building more just and sustainable communities and societies. The focus will be on how we understand and articulate impact: in pedagogy and practice. We will consider ideas that respond to questions including: 

• How do we strengthen social justice from our positions as media makers, scholars, and educators? 
• How do we articulate, design, and document impact in our pedagogy and practice? 
• What do impactful media processes and practices look and feel like? 
• What resources do we need to do impactful work?

In this symposium, we will welcome workshops, and dialogs from students and faculty to explore how practice and pedagogy understand and articulate impact in their work. Students will share ongoing projects, faculty will share pedagogy and practice, and where appropriate, research. 

A plenary keynote will launch the symposium, followed by a series of concurrent seminars/workshops, a closing screening, and a reflection on the life and work of Moses Shumow.