ACT members organize panel at ECREA

On November 15, 2014, ACT Director Kim Sawchuk, co-applicants Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol, Line Grenier, Loredana Ivan and Eugène Loos, Collaborator Eric Craven and Associate Director Constance Carrier-Lafontaine organized a panel titled “New Media and Older People: Age, Narratives and Normativities”  at the 5th annual European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) conference held in Lisbon, Portugal. Sawchuk and Carrier-Lafontaine presented a paper titled “Ageing in App-Land: Interrogating Access, Creating InterACTion” about the work being done with ACT local community partner Groupe Harmonie. Grenier and Craven presented “‘Fresh Ears on Past Perspectives’: Using Digital Tools, Disrupting Assumptions About Music Making” about a series of sound workshops conducted with local community partner the Atwater Library and Computer Centre. Fernández-Ardèvol presented on behalf of her joint project with Ivan on “Older People and Computer Anxiety: Going Beyond Assumptions” and Loos spoke about gaming and ageing in his talk titled “Homo Ludens Playing Digital Games: The Representation of Older Players in Market Studies and Game Design.” As part of the same conference, ACT affiliated student Daniel Blanche presented on his research with Fernández-Ardèvol on “The Iaioflautas Movement in Catalonia: A Seniors’ Networked Social Movement”. Co-Applicant Shannon Hebblethwaite was also present at the conference.