PHOTOGRAPHY | Photography in Public
The CONTACT Photography Festival is an excellent arena in which to explore the public's reaction and engagement with the printed image, and the social and political roles photography plays in the daily lives of the viewer. In conjunction with the festival and the Toronto Photography Seminar, U of T opens its art centre to said public to listen in as experts engage in discussion regarding these impacts. Joining panelists Sarah Parsons, Sharon Sliwinski and Andres Zervig贸n, moderator Matthew Brower will lead the discussions on art, activism and propaganda, which will hopefully shed light on the complex relationship between photography and its audience.
University of Toronto Art Centre (15 King's College Circle) 7PM Free

BOOKS & LIT | Insomniac Press 2012 Spring Launch Party
Fiction and poetry are a fitting cure for late night woes, which may be why Insomniac Press is named so. Celebrating the launch of their 2012 Spring Collection, this small press house based out of London, Ontario introduces the poems of Natalie Zina Walschots and Marcus McCann as well the fiction Julie McIsaac, Liz Bugg and Jamie Popowich. Our favourites: Julie McIsaac's thoughtful and comedic "Entry Level," about life in the workplace, and Natalie Zina Walschots poems of villainy in "Love Poems for Supervillains."
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom (1214 Queen Street West) 7PM Free

THEATRE | Panamerican Routes
A theatrical festival about human rights, Panamerican Routes/Rutas Panamericanas examines the Latin American diaspora in 6 productions, beginning at Theatre Passe Muraille this evening. Some of the festivals' biggest productions this year are Urban Odyssey, the puppet theatre of Federico Restrepo, Parting Memories a performance art workshop with Violeta Luna and large theatrical productions about revolutionary life in Chile in Carmen Aguirre's Blue Box. Academic conferences coincide with the festival to address topics of immigration, displacement and human rights in theatre. Tickets are available for all festival events through the Aluna Theatre website.
Theatre Passe Muraille (16 Ryerson Avenue) 7PM $15-$30

PHOTOGRAPHY | Submission: Opening Night Party
Society has long assumed the female nude to be an artform while dismissing the male nude as homoerotic. Photographer Drasko Bogdanovic examines the male nude in the opening of his exhibit Submission, which features bold images of male nudity and sexuality in a way that observes the relationship between subject and artist. The images will be displayed in the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Dark Room, visible only by flashlight. This exhibit is for mature audiences only.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street) 7PM Free

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

• Canadian Tire Hosts the First BBQ of Summer
• Cavalia's Odysseo
• Bolshoi Ballet's SWAN LAKE
• PROJECT Trio (NYC) with Greg Pattillo

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

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Photo by Dan Cronin^ in the blogTO Flickr pool