Stefan Christoff

Stefan Christoff is a Canadian journalist, community organizer and musician based in Montreal, Quebec.

Arts

As a social activist and artist Christoff has been involved in numerous efforts to build links between grassroots activism and the creative arts. Between 2000 and 2002 Christoff coordinated the Howl! Festival of Art and Revolution.[1] After launching in Montreal in 2000 the festival titled after the Allen Ginsberg poem Howl also took place in Toronto, Halifax and New York City in 2002.[2]

Christoff is also involved in the Artists Against Apartheid concert series in Montreal, a cultural event series that featuring celebrated artists from across the musical spectrum performing in solidarity with Palestine. Past performers include Lhasa De Sela, the Palestinian hip-hop ensemble DAM[3] and the celebrated Montreal hip-hop ensemble Nomadic Massive.[4]

Activism

As an activist Christoff has been deeply involved in numerous grassroots organizing initiatives in Montreal. Specifically Christoff has been involved in various migrant justice campaigns in Montreal, organizing with communities, families[5] and individuals struggling against deportation from Canada and for full citizenship rights for non-status people.

Also Christoff has been active with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-led movement of activists working to oppose the daily workings of the Israeli occupation in Palestinian lands. In 2003 Christoff traveled to Palestine to work with Palestinian civil society groups and the ISM but was detained and deported to Jordan.[6]

Photography

As a visual artist and photographer Christoff has exhibited throughout Canada, including a first exhibition as a visual artist at Casa del Popolo in Montreal in April 2001.

In 2007 Christoff's photo exhibition Lebanon: Open Skies of Struggle[7] on Lebanon featuring photographs from numerous trips to the Middle East, exhibited in Montreal,[8] Winnipeg[9] at the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre[10] and Saskatoon.[11]

After traveling to the Philippines in 2007, to participate in a grassroots election observation mission in Manila for the mid-term elections, Christoff produced a second photo exhibition documenting urban landscapes and social movements in the Philippines. Christoff's photographs on the Philippines opened in Montreal in the fall of 2009,[12] showing at local cafes and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Christoff's exhibition on movements in Manila features artistic photography[13] from the Philippines and was sponsored by Montreal-based Filipino community organizations, such as the Centre for Philippine Concerns contributing to local efforts in Montreal to raise awareness on the political killings[14] in the Philippines in recent years. In February 2010 Christoff exhibited the photos to positive reviews[15] and opened the exhibition[16] with a reading from Filipino author Miguel Syjuco.

Discography
Studio albums
  • Temps Libre (2013)
  • Pодина (2013) (with Sam Shalabi)

References
  1. Kellough, Kaie (fall 2001) "Montreal's Stefan Christoff Wants to Turn Art and Anarchism Into a HOWL" Archived 25 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine Broken Pencil
  2. Kellough, Kaie (September 2001) From a Whisper to a HOWL rabble.ca
  3. Hazou, Christopher (September 2009) Palestinian rappers DAM say you gotta exist before you can coexistMontreal Mirror
  4. (September 2008)Artists Against Apartheid Concordia University T.V.
  5. (2004)Struggle Against Pakistani Deportations in Montreal CKUT Radio
  6. Hechtman, Ken (December 2003) Access denied Montreal Mirror
  7. Heneway, Mostafa (August 2007) Exhibition: "Lebanon: Open Skies of Struggle" Electronic Intifada
  8. Warbanski, Misha (September–October 2007) Capturing conflict Archived 6 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine This Magazine
  9. Abramson, Stacey (June 2007) A peak behind the news Uptown Magazine
  10. (June 2007) Lebanon: Open Skies of Struggel Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre
  11. Lebanon: Open Skies of Struggle announcement Tadamon!
  12. Tim McSorley (September 2009)From Manila to Palestine Electric Pencil
  13. Nadeau, Tyler (February 2010) On movements in Manila: An exploration of resistance rabble.ca
  14. Amnesty International (March 2009) Philippines: Investigate and End Political Killings
  15. Giovannetti, Justin (September 2009) Corruption and intimidation in Manila’s last election Archived 24 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine Link newspaper
  16. Gregoire, Carolyn (February 2010) Snapshots of an urban landscape Midnight Poutine
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