Career X
Career X: Explore. Connect. Exchange.
Join a three-day, cohort-based experiential learning program that blends the best of our Job Shadowing and In the Field programs, with a special thematic twist.
You, along with a tight group of fellow students and recent grads, can expand your career exploration journeys together by visiting real-world Toronto cultural organizations as we explore careers intersecting with music, festivals, visual arts, dance, theatre and more.
In collaboration with U of T’s Hart House Global Initiatives Programming, this year we will be focusing specifically on arts and cultural organizations that see their work through a global lens. Be it through spotlighting and celebrating work specifically originating from cultures and communities outside of North America, or through the perspective of Toronto’s evolving cultural diaspora, we wish to centre the influence the wider world has on our own creative practices and careers.
Career X 2026 Schedule
This is a 3-day, inclusive cohort program. All registrants are expected to attend every session.
Please review our daily schedule for specific times and locations. Career X primarily takes part in off-campus venues and locations within the downtown Toronto core.
Where necessary, participants will be responsible for their own transportation. All locations and venues are easily accessible via TTC.
Day 1: Tuesday, October 27
9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Welcome & Workshop
Hart House – Debates Room
7 Hart House Circle
We’ll be kicking off Career X by engaging all our participants in group icebreakers, as well as an interactive workshop which will introduce our participants to some unique ways one can support their career exploration journeys.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Panel Discussion – Seeing Our World Through Our Art
Hart House – Debates Room
7 Hart House Circle
Career X will be inviting three phenomenal Toronto Arts professionals to illuminate and discuss this year’s theme; the arts through a global lens.
What does it mean to a community, to a city, and to our culture when we embrace a plurality of global artists and creative organizations? What do we preserve, or what do we risk losing, when an entire world comes to one city and strives to draw connection and meaning through its music, film, dance, theatre, visual art, and literature? We’ll explore these themes, as well as investigate how careers in the arts intersect with these investigations during the conversation.
Participants who register will also be encouraged to submit your own questions to our panel and engage in a Q&A session.
11:45 – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch
12:30 – 1 p.m.
Travel
1 – 4 p.m.
Massey Hall & Allied Music Centre
178 Victoria Street
Massey Hall and Allied Music Centre bring together one of Toronto’s most historic concert halls with a contemporary hub for live music, creativity and community. Alongside presenting performances, the organization supports artist development, music education and community engagement. The Allied Music Centre expands this work through performance spaces, recording and production facilities, and programming designed to support both established and emerging artists.
Day 2: Wednesday, October 28
9:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Small World Music
180 Shaw Street (Youngplace)
Small World Music is both a presenter and live performance venue which celebrates culturally diverse music and artists from around the world. Through concerts, festivals, artist development programs and the Small World Centre itself, it creates opportunities for audiences to discover international artists and music from our rich cultural diaspora. Small World Music is dedicated to both supporting emerging and underrepresented artists, as well as world renowned and celebrated acts.
1 – 2 p.m.
Lunch & Travel
2 – 5 p.m.
Rhythm
141 Bathurst St, Suite 101
In a unique twist, we’re bringing the spirit of our popular Job Shadowing program to our venue partner, Rhythm. Six working professionals from the Toronto Arts & Cultural sector will be joining us in-person so that you can have an authentic Job Shadowing experience in one, special location. Expect to hear career stories, gain day-in-the-life work perspectives from diverse arts-related career fields and engage in an interactive exercise where you can dip your toes into their world of work.
Day 3: Thursday, October 29
9:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Aga Khan Museum is an arts and cultural institution dedicated to fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding through the arts. Its collection and exhibitions explore the artistic traditions and contributions of numerous Islamic cultures and civilizations. The museum’s programming also includes contemporary art, live performance and education. In addition to the Permanent Collection, the Aga Khan Museum features several temporary exhibitions each year that respond to current scholarship, emerging themes, and new artistic developments.
1 – 1:30 p.m.
Travel
1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Post-Event Reflections & Lunch
Amsterdam Brewery (Leaside/North York)
45 Esander Dr
We’ll be concluding Career X with an emphasis on personal reflection and shared insights; allowing our participants to process and celebrate the career learning and connections we’ve created over the 3 days. And finally, we’ll wind down the day with a shared lunch, provided by the Career X team & Amsterdam Brewery.
Register for Career X
*The Folio link is only accessible to people who are eligible to register for the Career X program. This program is open to U of T students and recent alumni (within 2 years of their convocation date).
Who can join
- Students from all programs at U of T
- Graduate students, including Masters and PhDs
- Recent alumni (up to 2 years post-graduation)
Registration is free and first-come, first-served.
This is a three-day cohort program. All registrants will be expected to attend each session for all three days.
What to expect from Career X
Experience careers up close
Visit diverse workplaces, meet working professionals, and explore a range of different careers and industries focusing on Toronto’s vibrant cultural and artistic scenes.
Connect and exchange ideas
Make new connections and build career-minded relationships with our featured host organizations, guest speakers, U of T staff, and your fellow participants. Ask questions, learn new career insights, and experience how personal identity and values can show up in the workplace.
Gain real-world perspective
Gain “a day in the life” perspectives from current working professionals and better understand the skills and experience needed to succeed in specific roles. Reflect on your own career path with support from your fellow cohorts.
Program partner
