In 2018, the POP Symposium brought festivalgoers a full 5-day program of panel discussions, creative workshops, artist talks and networking events, free and open to all! This year’s edition tackled the big questions around music, communities, and the forces that shape our cultural engagement, encouraging new connections between artists, industry and fans. Featuring the participation of 66 Canadian and international artists and industry professionals, the POP Symposium drew over 1000 attendees in 2018!

2017 HIGHLIGHTS

• Royal Trux in conversation with Malcom Fraser
• Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite) in conversation with Michael Venus, co-presented by Never Apart
• William Basinski in conversation with Erin Gee
•Juana Molina in conversation with Vic Galloway
• Artist talk with Moor Mother
• Beat-making master class with Lunice
• Panel discussion “Celebrating and Supporting Indigenous Resurgence, Past and Future”
• Panel discussion “Accountability, Industry and Community: Improving Music Scenes from the Inside Out”
• Panel discussion “Gentrification, the Venue Crisis and Sustainability of Music Communities”

In 2017, POP Symposium also launched a new quarterly workshop series called Lil’ Biz: affordable, full-day sessions hosted at Espace POP on a year-round basis. Each workshop consists of 4-5 presentations by community experts speaking on a variety of practical topics related to career development for emerging and independent artists. Topics have included PR, grants, taxes, SEO, publishing/copyright, touring.

Past Highlights

2016
• John Cale
• Wally Badarou
• Rough Trade Records
• Susan Rogers
• Hennesy Youngman
• Producing Change with Foxtrott, Meryem Saci and APigeon
• Groundbreakers LIVE with Joe Namy and Sundus Abdul Hadi at the CCA
• DAIS creates with Sol Guy and Gavin Sheppard
• Combat Jack Show LIVE at Artgang
• Cookin’ Beats with High Klassified

2015
• “We Are the Medium” conversation between B+ and Coleman of the collective Mochilla
• A conversation with Jean Grae
• The first edition of POP Arcade presented by Miscellaneum Studios, Heroes Never Lose and Multijoueur
• A conversation with Andy Kim

2014
• Recording workshop with Steve Albini
• Talk on quality of music recording with Jonathan Sterne and George Massenburg
• Artist talk with Phil Collins and Damon & Naomi
• A conversation with Danny Goldberg
Special events: • A cooking workshop with Steve Albini

2013
• Artist’s Talk with Dan Graham
• A conversation between Glen O’Brien and Andrew “Noz” Nosnitsky, in collaboration with the SBC Gallery.
• A conversation with Tony Visconti
• A conversation with King Yellowman discussing How to Write a Love Letta

2012
• A conversation between David Byrne and Win Butler
• Artists’ talk with Cory Arcangel, Howie Chen and Alan Licht
• A conversation between Venus X and Bear Witness
• A conversation between Jeannette Lee and Vivien Goldman
• A panel discussion with Vincent Morisset, Damian Taylor, Melissa Weigel (Moment Factory) and Navid Navab

2011
• A conversation with Seymour Stein
• A conversation with The Raincoats
• A conversation between Tim Hecker and Grimes
• Art Spiegelman’s What the %&! Happened toComics?, in collaboration with the SBC Gallery.