Overview
For more than 50 years, Sheridan has led the way in media, art, and design education, building programming that responds to creative, business and technological challenges. We built the first computer animation program in Canada, the first four-year bachelor’s degree in game design, and the first bachelor’s degree in interaction design.
Now, we’re looking at what’s coming next. New technologies and disruptive business models are shifting the way creative content is produced and experienced, raising questions about its very future.
We believe the way forward is through new approaches to collaboration across the creative industries. It’s time to experiment with new, cross-disciplinary ways to bring knowledge together to see how creative content – from the narrative, to the digital, to the material – can be designed, produced and shared.
The Nova model
Nova will leverage:
Exceptional student talent
Sheridan’s innovative, hands-on learning allows our students to develop solutions, and receive real-time feedback to explore new ideas, refine approaches, and, ultimately, embed knowledge back into the curriculum.
Bold experimentation
Teams will examine new ideas in audience engagement and creative-content generation, building on our legacy of leadership in innovation across the arts.
Interdisciplinary practices
We’ll bring faculty and researchers together from across our campuses to explore answers to questions facing creative industries. Nova works directly with Sheridan’s renowned Generator research centres, including the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT), a leader in applied research in storytelling and immersive technologies.
Nova projects
Priorities are informed by external advisory members who represent a cross-section of creative industries. Located across Canada and the United States, members are engaged through a thoughtful, interdisciplinary process, leading to projects that are evaluated, co-designed and executed. Then, knowledge is integrated into future projects and our programs’ curricula.
Our early-stage projects include:
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The Creative Industries Catalyst
Changing business models for creative professionals are creating an urgent need to address practical technological, production, and business skills development so they remain competitive in this evolving creative labour market.
Launching in 2026, the Creative Industries Catalyst will offer workshops and masterclasses to provide essential upskilling and capacity-building support for mid-career professionals, including those who are at risk of job loss in the creative industries.
Our programming will also foster inclusivity by ensuring historically marginalized voices engage in programming development and participation, framing original approaches to storytelling through an equity lens.
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Artist-centred technologies and frameworks
This project will develop innovative approaches to technology that empower artists and content creators while addressing concerns about job displacement, loss of creative control, and ethical challenges in the creative industries.
This project will focus on tools and systems that enhance – rather than replace – human creativity to preserve artistic integrity, protect intellectual property, and streamline creative workflows.
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Leveraging neurodiversity to generate new solutions and prototypes
Neurodiverse individuals bring unique approaches to their work, and their perspectives can drive innovation and creative design forward. This project will explore and harness these talents, positioning them as central contributors to the development of innovative solutions in the tech industry. Through collaborative, inclusive, interdisciplinary teams, students will work with design and learning specialists to create supportive spaces where creative problem solving and rapid prototyping flourishes in collaboration with designated industry partners.
Members of our advisory committees
Our advisory members bring a breadth of experience and represent thriving industries in both Los Angeles and Toronto.
External advisory members (Canada)
Gavin Alexander
Head of Business Development, Long Format
Vapor Music Group
Keith Chang
President
SenovvA
Heather Kelly
Founder and CEO
HKC Marketing
Bushra Mahmood
Senior Design Manager
Adobe
Eric McIntosh
National Higher Education Leader – Canada
Apple
Biju Pappachan
Executive Director
POV Film
Samantha Slattery
Chair & Founder
Women in Music Canada
External advisory members (Los Angeles)
Rex Grignon
Creative Executive
Freelance professional
Jon Klassen
Book Illustrator/Author
Writer’s House
Ron Martin
Aubry Mintz
Executive Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Domenic Perri
Partner
Altitude Cyber
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