NICOLE TAYLOR
Nicole “Nico” Taylor is the Executive Director of Governance & Communications for the BSAM Canada Institute. Nicole is a writer, scholar, dancer, cosplayer and activist who uses feminism and critical race theory to dissect social constructions surrounding race and representation, especially as they pertain to how we make sense of the images that surround us. As a trained performer in Afro-Caribbean folk dance, Nicole has participated in many events showcasing the beauty and vibrancy of Caribbean culture, which included performing in the Opening Ceremony for the Pan Am Games Toronto in 2015. As a scholar, her interest in pop culture and designation as a proud blerd spurred the pursuit of a Master of Arts degree at Concordia University. Her research touched on decolonial practices, feminism, cosplay subculture, and Afrofuturism; specifically how cosplay can be wielded to revise and reclaim narratives about African diasporic people.
Ultimately, Nicole’s scholarly work, and her engagement and examination of cosplay subculture aims to amplify visibility for cosplayers of African descent, construct space where alternative ways of imagining, creating and being can be explored, and find ways to weave the liberation of speculative processes throughout lived experiences.
