Leaning into the Lens is a Sheridan Research Ethics Board-approved research project that is supported through a Sheridan Scholarship, Research and Creative Activities (SRCA) Growth Grant. Led by Drs. Kathleen Cummins and Maureen McKeon, professors in the Sheridan Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design, this project seeks to better understand the experience of female identifying students at Sheridan.

The project consists of a survey, which was administered to three cohorts of female identifying students across two different film training programs in 2018, 2019, and 2020. It also includes a short educational documentary that interviews experts in the field of pedagogy and professionals in the film industry.

The study will provide current female-identified film students with a much-needed acknowledgment of their concerns and faculty can track whether any changes made result in more female students proposing themselves for leadership and/or key technical roles.

The survey results should suggest opportunities for beneficial change in several areas of the College (admissions, curriculum, and film program culture). Ultimately, it is hoped that adjustments at the educational institution level may cause more young women to enter the film industry seeking creative leadership and/or key technical roles.