Casey Mecija

In the mid 2000s, Mecija contributed to turning her home on Bellwoods Avenue into a community hub for young artists and musicians. In part driven by a push back against an industry driven by capital and market trends, the space was focused on collaboration and collectivity. She hosted concerts in her basement, showcasing and supporting emerging artists, many of whom have become notable musicians. She co-founded the Friends in Bellwoods music project,[1] which has raised thousands of dollars for the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto. Simultaneously, she was the lead vocalist and songwriter for Ohbijou, an orchestral-pop band which toured internationally and acquired large amounts of popularity. Ohbijou was born of the ethos of the home, foregrounding friendship with a desire to make art and music that inspired social change. In 2013, Ohbijou went on hiatus as they grappled with the reality of their own involvement in the industry they hoped to shirk. At that time, Mecija shifted focus towards producing scholarship about diaspora, queer theory, sound studies and aesthetics.

Mecija continues to make music under her own name, releasing her first solo album, Psychic Materials [2] in early 2016. A return to the DIY aesthetic that inspired her initial pursuits, the album addresses ideas surrounding queerness, diaspora, history and love.[3] She is also an award-winning filmmaker, her work being screened internationally and at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival where she was awarded the WIFT-T Award (Women in Film and Television), as well as at Inside Out Film and Video Festival. [4][5] She is also the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) program, The Doc Project.[6] She holds a Masters in Communication Studies and is currently pursuing her PhD at The University of Toronto in the Women and Gender Studies program. Her research focuses on art, media and aesthetics as they relate to immigration and diaspora. She is deeply committed to producing work that supports youth from racialized and diasporic communities.

• Psychic Materials (2016)