AI and the Arts: A Community Conversation

Let’s talk about AI and creativity in our community.Join artists and industry experts for a round of lightning talks on artificial intelligence and the arts - how it works, how it’s being used today, and its impacts to creativity and culture. Followed by a moderated panel discussion and Q&A. Opening remarks by Library leadership.We welcome you to submit your questions for the Q&A in advance HERE. While we will make every effort to address a broad range of submitted questions, we may not be able to respond to each one due to time constraints.Emcee and Moderator: Elise Stolte - CBC JournalistElise Stolte has 20 years of experience telling the stories of her community and has been recognized for feature writing, social-impact and community-based journalism. Today she works as an editor and bridge to help communities tell their own stories with the newsroom.PanelistsDr. Soroush Sabbaghan, PhDAssociate Professor at the Werklund School of EducationSpecialization, Language and LiteracyKenna BurimaCalgary-based Musician, Songwriter, Educator, Producer, and WriterCreator and host of the ArtistSpeak YYC series and currently serving as the 2026 TD Incubator Fellow at Werklund Centre.Lucky LeggottCalgary-based Visual Artist, 2D and 3D Illustrator, Animator, and Concept DesignerDr. Bruce Barton, BA, MA, PhDProfessor, Drama - University of CalgaryBiographiesDr. Soroush Sabbaghan, PhDAssociate Professor at the Werklund School of EducationSpecialization, Language and LiteracySoroush Sabbaghan is an Associate Professor at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary and serves as the inaugural Generative AI Educational Leader in Residence at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. His work focuses on the intersection of educational technology, teacher development, and equity. He has developed multiple AI-powered tools to support inclusive and evidence-informed teaching practices which are used in K–12 and higher education settings.Soroush has led several collaborative research projects on the ethical integration of generative AI in education, working closely with educators across Canada and internationally. He has served as Principal Investigator on funded studies examining the role of co-designed AI tools in reshaping professional values in teacher education and has published widely on AI literacy, human-centered design, and educational integrity. He is also the editor of Navigating Generative AI in Higher Education: Ethical, Theoretical, and Practical Perspectives, a volume that explores critical tensions and forward-looking frameworks for responsible AI use in academic settings.Kenna BurimaCalgary-based Musician, Songwriter, Educator, Producer, and WriterCreator and host of the ArtistSpeak YYC series and currently serving as the 2026 TD Incubator Fellow at Werklund Centre.With nearly three decades of experience in Alberta’s arts community, Kenna’s work has consistently explored difficult and meaningful topics — including mental health, addiction, faith, misogyny, and social justice — through creative practice and community-centered engagement. She has toured extensively both in group and solo projects and has collaborated with Calgary theatre companies One Yellow Rabbit and Ghost River Theatre. Her music has been heard playing from Calgary Tower’s carillon with the Calgary Song Project and she has taken part in collaborative creative reconciliation with theatrical Indigenous-led sound bath creation Echoes of the Land. She was a contributing member of the Ascenti AI symposium in 2024 and the ensuing book Ascenti: Humans Opening to AI which explored AI in the work of creatives.Lucky LeggottCalgary-based Animator, Concept Designer, and 3D ArtistLucky Leggott is a Calgary-based animator, concept designer, and 3D artist. Their artistic practice is a generalist blend of all things creative, from animation to sound design to costume making, Lucky has tried their hand at pretty much every creative avenue, including a career