Anton O. Iorga
aka Professor X (Jr.)
Lumière Creative Incubation Space
(Mutant Akademy Edmonton)
(11034 124th St NW, Edmonton, AB)
(819) 574-7332
Education
PhD Program- University of Alberta
- Currently enrolled in my 3rd year of the Translation Studies doctoral program of the Modern Languages & Cultural Studies Department, & writing an interdisciplinary thesis under the supervision of Dr. Anne Malena, Dr. Sourayan Mookerjai & Dr. Michael Frieshkopf on Collapsing Colonialism: activist diasporic poetry as the rebirth of storytelling
Masters Program- University of Sherbrooke, 2015
- M.A. degree in Comparative Canadian Literature, with specialization in Translation,
with a thesis written under the supervision of Dr. Roxanne Rimstead & Dr. Patricia Godbout on Translating Thomas King: idiolect, irony & the Trickster as instruments of anticolonial resistance
Bachelor of Arts- University of Regina, 2008
- BA with major in Social Anthropology, and minor in Translation, with a final dissertation written on The Destiny of the Gypsies: theetymological & anthropological links between Roma tribes & lore and Hindu myths & avataras
High School Diploma- Campbell Collegiate, Regina, 2001
- Superior IB diploma in French
Distinctions, Bursaries & Awards
-Golden Key international society member for academic excellence
-Laureate of the Henry Kreisel Scholarship Award for Comparative Canadian Literature (Fall 2015)
- Winner of the Hip-Hop, on Rappenational French hip-hop contest on Musique Plus/Much Music (Summer 2000)
- Winner of the Dictée des Amériques international dictation contest (B category, 18 and under)
(Spring 2000)
- Winner of the Concours d'Art Oratoire Fransaskois (provincial oratory contest) (Spring 1999)
Conferences, Lectures, Workshops, Activism
-Multilingual poem publication (English/French/Spanish) in the Polyglot poetry magazine's first issue as well as a performance of it at the magazine launch,“Shadow of the Western Shinobi” (February 17th 2017)
-Poem lecture at the art exhibit “Bad Weather” by Elena Siemens at the Intermedia Research Studio at U of Alberta (February 2nd 2017)
-Various guest lectures & poetry performances to 9 different grade 7-9 classes at Rossalyn High School in Edmonton on “The Numerology of Consciousness & Senses” & “Factual Conspiracies & Terrorist Democracies: How to Collapse & Rebuild a White Supremacist System into Utopian Socialism” (January 12th-16th 2017)
-Spoken word headliner/anticolonial performance for the Nelson Slam Poetry Team fundraiser to help fight the Peace River megadam on Treaty 7 land & beyond, preceded by a 2 hour workshop I hosted on the “Numerology of Consciousness”. (December 11th, 2016, Nelson, B.C.)
-Main organizing committee/performer/host for Imagination Miscellany #7 “From Darkness to Light”, a local multifaceted artist collective showcase hosted at Lumiere Creative Incubation Space/Mutant Akademy (December 5th 2016, Edmonton, AB)
-Conscious Hip-Hop album “Peacewalker” (released in 2014) listed in Top 10 Spiritual Hip-Hop Albums alongside Nas, Damian Marley, Wu-Tang Clan's Killah Priest & many more on mythicist.me (conscious living/spiritual awareness website). (December 2016)
-Live graffiti poem + spoken word performance, discussion & questions with worldwide youth & activist artists for my 3rd “Resistance Art” event hosted by Terry Godwaldt with the Center for Global Education (November 30th, 2016, Queen Elizabeth High School, Edmonton, AB.)
-Guest lecture + spoken word performance on “Toxic Fashion, Logic Lacking” in Elena Siemens' MLCS 299/ENGL 395 class (Fashion in Text, Film & Photography) November 22nd, 2016, U of Alberta.
-Member of Cipher5/Temple of Hip-Hop Edmonton's spoken word collective with Dre Pharaoh, creation of a live spoken word performance video of “Chemically Imbalanced Mutants” poem for the John Humphrey Centre for Peace & Human Rights (November 2016-present)
-Article/translation published on “Anticolonial Poetry & Anti-imperial Translation in a “Postcolonial” Age” in TransculturAl journal “Stirred Memories” (Journal issue launch November 16th 2016, U of A)
-Guest lecture + spoken word performance on “Anticolonial Hip-Hop in the Technological Age” in Elena Siemens' MLCS 210 class (Intro to Cultural Studies), October 26th, 2016, U of Alberta.
-Re-opening and expansion of the Edmonton branch of the worldwide artistic safespace collective for gifted/troubled youth I created, Mutant Akademy, in Lumière Creative Incubation Space, a 15 000 sq ft. yoga ashram/holistic community which I am now also co-managing on 124th St in the heart of the art district of Edmonton.(October 31st, 2016).
-Conference on “Indigo Children: a Bridge Between Worlds” at the U of A's Ethnomusicology Department's conference on “Music for Global Development”, University of Alberta, AB. (October 14th, 2016)
-Ambassador for Modern Gravity, Float YXEFloat House, alternative healing/meditation centres for sensory deprivation floating in Edmonton/Saskatoon/Vancouver. (October 2016-ongoing)
-Lecture of a self-translated poem titled “Poetry's Ocean” at the 14th Annual St. Jerome's Day Conference on “Translation & Performance” at Grant McEwan University (October 1st, 2016)
-Performance of 2 spoken word poems at Edmonton's Festival of Faiths 2016, “God is God(dess)” & “What's Your Religion? (Have Faith), Edmonton, AB. (September 25th 2016)
-International Student Services graduate mentor, helping with the orientation and integration of various overseas students (August 2016-ongoing).
-Two creative workshops on spoken word poetry, multiculturalism and graffiti art at Nyarkenyi Development Foundation summer camp with children ages 5-16 in Edmonton, AB. (August 2016)
-Joined part of the Canada-wide tour, “The Art of Resistance vol. 2” with the Beehive Collective & activist hip-hop group Test Their Logik on anticolonial art and poetry (July-August 2016).
-Creative publication on self-translation (as well as 2 self-translated poems) in TransCultural magazine Vol. 8 (No. 1), Translation and Memory, titled “Anticolonial Poetry and Anti-imperial Translation in a Postcolonial Age” (July 2016)
-Co-manager, as well as one of the main organizers/co-creators/performers atLumière Creative Incubation Spaceholistic community Spoken Word/Yoga/Holistic Health weekly events and gatherings (July 2016-ongoing)
-YEG Youth Mental Health panel discussion/roundtable at City Hall with the mayor and many city officials as well as other mental health activists and experts trying to find solutions to Edmonton Youth Mental Health issues, City Hall, Edmonton (May 31st 2016).
-Spoken word performance for the SpeakOut! Spoken Word poetry youth collective event at the Sultan's Palace (May 2016)
-Graffiti artist/spoken word performer for the Lotus Art Gallery (art & poetry workshops), Edmonton (March 2016-ongoing).
-Performance at the Edmonton Poetry Festival of two multilingual poems, “Nunca Me Olvide” (I will never forget), and “Forgotten”. Edmonton, (March 2016).
-Student Accessibility Services high school orientation/guided tour of the U of Alberta as well as a short talk and poetic performance on overcoming obstacles and manifesting dreams. U of Alberta, (March 2016)
-Guest lecture, performance and short poetry workshop on “Futurism & Self-Fulfilling Prophecies in Poetry” in Tsugumi Okabe's Comparative Literature class, U of Alberta (March 2016)
-Conference/Performance on “The Pharmaceutical Age: the Corporate Takeover of Modern Medicine” at the Sociology Department's Toxic Media Ecologies conference U of Alberta (March 2016).
-Creation of a giant graffiti poem mural inside Kingsway Mall titled “Forgotten”, as well as a live recorded performance of it, for the PopUpYEGiHuman Anti-Poverty Project, Edmonton (March 2016).
-Conscious Hip-Hop performance at Imagine That: A Conscious Electronic Dance Experience event, Edmonton (March 2016).
-Interview on CTV News about my art and activism promoting Unpacking Boxes (anti-racism art collective), Mutant Akademy and various other activist causes I am involved with. Edmonton, (March 2016).
-Interview on Global News about my art and activism promoting Imagination Miscellany and other collaborative poetry/art/activist projects. Edmonton, (March 2016).
-Part of the organizing committee/performer for the Edmonton art collective Unpacking Boxes, which is a semi-annual anti-racism event (March 2016-ongoing).
-Presenter/Performer/Participant in the “Decolonize” forum/roundtable hosted by the Department of Sociology of the U of Alberta (February-March 2016).
-Poetic audio-visual presentation/performance, “From Hope to Love: a Mythopoetic Odyssey Through Visual Soundscapes” at the MLCS Creative ConnectionsConference, U of Alberta (February 2016).
-2 Poetic performances/talks at SUB International Week on ecological activism and cultural diversity U of Alberta, (February 2015-16)
-Official album launch & performance with local LGBTQIA2S activist poet Jules Nyx about Indigeneity and oppression titled “Red Moon” at Rouge Lounge, Edmonton (December 2015).
-Conference on Neocolonial Depictions of Indigeneity & Neoresidential Miseducation: Addressing the Root Causes of Settler States' Problem with Natives at the AMIAAQ Indigenous Masculinities symposium, U of Alberta (December 2015).
-Official opening, inauguration and management of the Edmonton Mutant Akademy in Griesbach Village, a 24 hour artistic youth/young adult LGBTQIA2S-friendly safespace in collaboration with U of A's Amnesty International chapter, CEASE (Center to End All Sexual Exploitation), John Humphrey Center for Peace & Human Rights, ADLC's Going Global youth project, Young Diverse & Proud/Youth Development Project, & many more sponsors across Canada. This safespace is for anyone who suffers or has suffered from any form of abuse, addiction, mental health problem, or simply does not feel like they belong where they are. Rather than promoting a “you are ill/a powerless victim who needs help” mentality, we encourage those who come to think of themselves as mutants and artistically gifted beings who are misunderstood and under-appreciated for their talents: their energies simply need to be harnessed in a more creative and artistic sense. We currently have 3 active Akademies in Western Canada and a 4th one has been officially registered and is in the process of being built in Australia, with many more to come in the USA, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Eastern Canada. Edmonton, (November 2015-ongoing).
-Various activist poetic performances & displayed art pieces/graffiti poems at all 6InterMedia Research Studio exhibitions/roundtables on Translating Art, Eduardo Galeano & The Cultural Politics of Memory & History, Stirred Memories, Fashion, & more to come.U of Alberta (October 2015-ongoing)
-Active member of the Breath in Poetry collective in Edmonton, an activist spoken word poet collective which is the official representative for Slam Poetry for the city of Edmonton. We meet, slam and perform each Tuesday night at Rouge Lounge. Winner of the semi-final round for the slam poetry team in 2016 as well as for the solo poet category, but withdrew from finals for professional/academic reasons. Edmonton, (October 2015-ongoing).
-13 two hour roundtables/art workshops (ongoing) at iHuman Edmonton headquarters involving at-risk urban & First Nations youth as a part of the Youth Against Poverty (Youth Action Project) initiative in collaboration with Edmonton mayor Don Iveson, city councillors & the John Humphrey Centre for Peace & Human Rights to end poverty in Edmonton, including a roundtable at city hall with the mayor and city counsellors where we presented 4 new legislative recommendations to decriminalize homelessness and mental illness as well as eradicate sexual exploitation, youth abuse and racism issues with Edmonton Police Services with the official introduction of the new Uncensored mandatory program, collaborative art pieces & a musical fusion poetry album on poverty, mental illness & human rights. I am no longer an active member of this as I am now beyond the age limit. Edmonton, AB. (September 2015-May 2016)
-Various live art presentations and videoconferences with worldwide youth, reporters and activists as the leader of the Going Global initiative with Terry Godwalt (Centre for Global Education & ADLC) about activism, anticolonialism & various global issues, including a videoconference with Indigenous activist Miss Universe (September 2015-ongoing).
-Part of the organizing committee/performer for the Edmonton art collective Imagination Miscellany, I created their original theme song as well as performed at three events organized so far, co-organizing one of them, from “Spirituality and Faith”, “Crossing Borders & Migration” to “From Darkness to Light”. Edmonton, (September 2015-ongoing).
-3x three hour mentorships with at-risk First Nations youth with U of Alberta's U School program, including a workshop on photography & Nature, as well as creating a spoken word poetry collection for U School with a poem for each class/school I worked with, U of Alberta (September 2015-December 2015).
-Guest lecture & performance on Anticolonial Resistance through Poetry & Art featuring an analysis of visual art by the Beehive Collective in Elena Siemens' MLCS 210 class (Intro to Cultural Studies), U of Alberta (October 2015).
-Three 30 minute readings & guest lectures in French on Activism, Racism & Anticolonialism at McKernan Elementary School (grades 4-6), Edmonton (October 2015).
-Performance of my “Expression, Repression” tribute anticolonial slam poem on Métis artist Bob Boyer & its self-translation at the 15th Annual St-Jerome's Day Conference, U of Alberta (September 2015)
-Volunteer/presenter in Jay Friesen's Humanities 101 & 202 classes on art and social activism (September 2015-ongoing)
-Roundtable presentation on “MilanKundera, Memory & Translation” at the 15th Annual St-Jerome's Day Conference, U of Alberta (September 2015)
-11 non-profit spoken word poetry/hip-hop albums created & released on Revolt Motion Records, the proceeds of which all benefit various charities, the main being Plan Canada.
(September 2015-June 2016)
-Guest lecture & 3 hour poetry workshop in Jay Friesen's Humanities 101 Exploring Art & Identity class on Spirituality in Spoken Word Poetry: reconciling Western religion & Eastern philosophies, U of Alberta, (May 2015)
-Conference at the U of Sherbrooke's Comparative Canadian Literature Graduate Student Conference on The Secrets of the Golden Flower: a hip-hop artist'stranslation of traditional Taoism into post-modern, post-apocalyptic enlightenment U of Alberta, (April 2015)
-Guest lecture in Dr. Sathya Rao's MLCS 400 History of Translation class on Unorthodox Translation: how hip-hop is translated 1001 ways in different contexts (April 2015).
-French guest lecture (& performance) in Dr. Louise Ladouceur's FREN 228 Lire le Texte Littéraire class on The Conscious Origins of Hip-Hop in France & the Great Divide Between Commercial Gangster Rap & Socio-Political, Activist Hip-Hop («Les origines conscientes du hip-hop en France et le fossé infranchissable qui sépare le gangster rap commercial du hip-hop socio-politiquement engagé») (April 2015)
-Conference onInherent Divinity:the unspoken translation and recontextualization of sacred scriptures within spiritual hip-hop at the Musicology Department's Ncounters: Engaging Music, Engaging Minds conference, U of Alberta (March 2015)
-Guest lecture (& performance) in Dr. Ann de Leon's MLCS 210 Languages of Culture class on The Different Variations of Afrocentrism in Mainstream Rap Versus Afrofuturistic Underground Hip-Hop. U of Alberta,(March 2015)
-Lecture on “The Deconstruction of Colonial Elements in Thomas King's One Good Story, That OneTranslated” during the University of Alberta's MLCS department lectures, (February 2015).
-Permanent guest lecturer in Andriy Nahachewsky's MLCS 299 Graffiti class. U of Alberta, (Winter-Spring 2015, & again in Fall-Winter 2015):
1. Guest lecture (& performance) on The Unorthodox Poetic & Artistic Journey of Antony of Egypt”
2. 90 minute class on The 9 Elements of Hip-Hop as pioneered by KRS-ONE.
3. 90 minute class on The Intrinsic Links Between Graffiti & Hip-Hop: How Graffiti Became a Hip-Hop Element
4. 90 minute presentation/workshop on Sacred Geometry in Street Art & Graffiti featuring guest graffiti/street artist/gallery owner Linsday Marie
5. 90 minute class graffiti workshop where students all created their own socially & politically reflective graffiti project & displayed it as a semi-permanent exhibit in the classroom
-Performance of «Stranger» anticolonial slam poem & graffiti art banner display at the «Translating Street Art» exhibit by Elena Siemens, U of Alberta (October 2015).
-Lecture of my translation of Dionne Brand's What We All Long For at the 14th Annual St. Jerome's Day Conference, U of Alberta, (September 2014)
-Slam poetry/Hip-Hop/B-Boy workshop & performance in English/Spanish at the Casa Cultural during the Symposio de Hip-Hop Cubano 2010 in Havana, Cuba (August 2010)
- Lecture on “The Second Coming in Hip-Hop” at Selam's, hosted by U of Regina's Interdisciplinary Studies (June 2009)
-1 Hour French CBC Television (Radio-Canada) special on my spoken word poetry, my life and activism including 3 music video clips created with CBC's video team in various locations in Regina (February 2009).
-French slam poetry/Hip-Hop workshop (& performance) at the U of Alberta's Faculté Saint-Jean under Dr. Donia Mounsef (October 2008)
- Conference on “Hip-Hop's Hidden History” at the Graduate Student Conference of U of Regina (April 2008)
Translations & Editing
U of Regina (Dr. Sylvain Rheault et al, eds) - Regina, SK, to be published in 2017.
Translated & edited (from French to English)
'A History of Science-Fiction in French Literature', by Rheault, Sylvain et al, eds. University of Regina Press, 174 p.
Wilfrid Laurier University Press- Waterloo, ON, to be published in 2017.
Translated (from French to English)
'Great Sexpectations: Performing Sex Roles in Contemporary Quebec and Franco-Canadian Fiction', by Côté, Nicole. Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Waterloo, ON. 156 p.
TranscUlturAl magazine-
Authored & translated (from English to French)
«Anticolonial Poetry and Anti-imperial Translation in a Postcolonial Age», TranscUlturAl, vol. 8.1 (2016), 74-82, 2 self-translated poems published with an introduction.
U of Sherbrooke (Dr. Roxanne Rimstead, Dr. David Leahy, eds) - Sherbrooke, QC, 2015
Translated edited (From English to French)
'University of Sherbrooke Graduate Student Handbook', University of Sherbrooke Press, Sherbrooke, QC, 56 p.
U of Sherbrooke (Dr. Roxanne Rimstead, Dr. Simon Harel & Dr. Domenic Beneventi, eds)- Sherbrooke, QC, 2014
Edited
-'Espaces contestés II: contre-récits et la culture d'en bas', a 368 page academic work consisting in 20 articles from various worldwide scholars.
Dr. Amy Twigge- Sherbrooke, QC, 2013
Translated (from French to English) & edited
-20 pagePhD thesis summary in Social Anthropology: “Expériences de déplacement de résidents dans un quartier qui subit simultanément un embourgeoisement et des développements de méga-projets”
RSSI magazine- Sherbrooke, QC, 2012
Translated (from French to English)
- An introductory article for the bilingual periodical RSSI(Recherches Sémiotiques/Semiotic Inquiry)
Sarah Abbott- Regina, SK, 2011
Translated (from English to French)
- The short film Out in the Cold by Sarah Abbott («Dehors dans le Froid»), about the murder of Neil Stonechild by Regina Police officers.
Festival Rafales- Ponteix, SK, 2010
Translated (from English to French)
-Two poems by Ken Wilson for the French festival Rafales.
Canada Council for the Arts- 2011
Co-Translated (from English to French) with Dr. Nicole Côté
Canadian Bestseller What We All Long For by Governor General Award winner Dionne Brand
-Published at Les Éditions L’Instant-Même under the title «Les Désirs de la Ville»