Ideas, Perspective, History and Science: ROMSpeaks Feeds the Curious Mind

Fall 2017 Royal Ontario Museum lectures

TORONTO, September 5, 2017 – The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) announced today the fall season of ROMSpeaks, the Museum’s signature program series that explores a range of timely and engaging topics with thinkers and leaders from around the world. From thought-provoking discussions on the present-day threat of modern tyranny to the role of Indigenous voices in art and culture; from the myths and legends of warrior Vikings to exploring the anatomy of a Christian Dior gown, these inspired conversations create a vibrant cultural forum for the exchange of ideas and engaging audiences in the important issues of our time.

ROMSpeaks Fall Lineup

Canucks: Nice and Funny
Featuring: Graham Yost in conversation with Dan Levy
Tuesday, September 12, 7:00 pm    
Join global entertainment icon Graham Yost in conversation with Dan Levy as they explore the past, present, and future of Canadians on screen. This stimulating discussion will celebrate the pioneering roles Canadians have played in shaping the world of television and film comedy.

Spreading the Gospel of Native Literature: A First Nation Writer's tale of traveling from the Rez to the World
Featuring: Author Drew Hayden Taylor
Tuesday, September 19, 7:00 pm    
Sharing stories from his own personal journey, celebrated Canadian author Drew Hayden Taylor explores the role of Indigenous voices in Canadian art and culture. Taylor is an award-winning playwright, scriptwriter, journalist and author of nearly thirty books. He was born and raised on the Curve Lake First Nation in Central Ontario and now lives in Toronto.

ROM’s Edward S. Rogers Annual Lecture   

The Next Fire Fight: Transitioning out of Uniform - Battlefield Proven, Boardroom Approved
Featuring: Lt. Col David Quick (retired)
Tuesday, September 26, 7:00 pm
Decorated Lt. Colonel David Quick tells the inspiring story of his remarkable life and career as a Regular Force Infantry Officer in the Royal Canadian Regiment. Deployed on peace support and combat missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti an Afghanistan, Quick was injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2007 while commanding in combat. He is one of only 20 people to have ever been awarded the Star of Military valour, Canada’s highest decoration for Valour, second only to the Victoria Cross. Today, he is a vocal advocate for post-service veterans and their transition to corporate careers. Lt. Col Quick sheds light on the challenges facing the men and women of Canada's military as they step out of uniform and into a business suit.

Part of ROM’s Voices of Canada Lecture series
Program Partner: Invictus Games Toronto 2017

The Griffin Warrior of Pylos
Featuring: Dr. Jack L. David, Professor of Greek Archaeology
Tuesday, October 3, 7:00 pm
Discover the spectacular finds unearthed from the undisturbed burial site of the so-called Griffin Warrior, Prince of Pylos. Dr. Jack L. Davis, Professor of Greek Archaeology at the University of Cincinnati, describes the excavation of this remarkable grave, which included the discovery of four exquisite gold rings. Located a few hundred meters from the Palace of Nestor, this unanticipated finding has afforded an unparalleled opportunity to examine funerary ritual, gender, and gender distinctions in burial practices.

ROM’s Annual Greek Lecture
Program Partner: The Hellenic Republic

Ways of Knowing: Archaeology for the 21st Century
Featuring: Archaeologist Susan Pfeiffer
Tuesday, October 17, 7:00 pm
In celebration of International Archaeology Day, archaeologist Susan Pfeiffer examines methods of working collaboratively with Indigenous communities to enhance our collective understanding of the past. This pioneering work provides a foundation for Canada to move towards policies that encourage dialogue between institutions, researchers, and local communities.   
ROM’s International Archaeology Day Lecture

Art & Identity
Featuring: Artist Kent Monkman and Wanda Nanibush, Assistant Curator AGO
Tuesday, October 24, 7:00 pm
Iconic visual and performance artist Kent Monkman explores how his own incredible body of works have recast the Canadian historical narrative. Using his colourful and dynamic career as a model, Monkman examines the intersection of "Indigenous" and "Canadian" identity in 21st century arts and culture.
This event is presented in conversation with Wanda Nanibush, Assistant Curator of Canadian and Indigenous Art, of the AGO.

Vikings: A New World Discovered
Featuring Archaeologist and Anthropologist William Fitzhugh    
Tuesday, November 7, 7:00 pm
During the Viking Age, from the late 8th century to the mid-11th century, Vikings voyaged beyond their homelands. Their ships, nautical skills, military tactics, and political abilities created a Viking Age that reached from Western Asia to North America. Advancing across the North Atlantic to Iceland, Greenland, and America as farmers, they pioneered new lands and established Viking societies that gradually replaced Viking identity with Christian values. Only in Greenland and North America did their settlements fail, facing adverse climate change and Native American resistance. Discover their story - told in sagas, history, and archaeology - one of history's most memorable moments, and an inspiration for future human endeavors.

2017 Eva Holtby Lecture on Contemporary Culture: The Fall of Democracy? The Rise of Modern Tyranny
Featuring: Author Timothy Snyder and CBC The National’s Susan Ormiston
Tuesday, November 21, 7:00 pm
They say history repeats itself, and today, the price of ignoring history has been to invite authoritarianism back into the mainstream. For this year’s Eva Holtby Lecture on Contemporary Culture, Yale University Professor Timothy Snyder, author of the bestseller On Tyranny explores how individual citizens can turn history into action to better defend democratic freedoms and institutions against the threat of tyranny. Following the lecture, Timothy Snyder will join Susan Ormiston of CBC's The National for an engaging conversation on the topic.

Supported by the Holtby and Schury Families

For more information on ROMSpeaks events, please visit: www.rom.on.ca/whats-on.

-30-