Welcome to the Surrey: Take it to the Wall blog.
We are a very diverse group of people working to end discrimination and racism. What does these words mean to you? Have you witnessed or experienced any acts of discrimination and racism? Is that why you joined the project? What made you want to participate?
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Let the conversation begin!
Thanks everyone who put in the effort to make this blog look so awesome and be such a great place for us to continue to share with and learn from each other.
ReplyDeleteMy start with this project was connected with the vision of a collaborative mural. I have painted giant community murals with my parents before and so I have seen how amazing this experience can be and how it can bring people together across all kinds of usually accepted differences. What's more, I am not actually a visual artist myself and so working up the courage to put paint on a brush and put that brush to a wall was a huge experience for me (and I am sure it will be again). These kinds of experiences build community, because we learn to support each other to contribute the gifts that each of us has to make something together that will speak to our strengths.
When we were fortunate enough to partner up with the SAME project, the mural took on new meaning and new importance for me. I have had tremendous support my whole life from my family, from teachers, from friends, and I know that I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for that. Even still, I have experienced discrimination based on my gender and on my age (people always think I am younger than I am and sometimes that means they don't take me seriously - which is ridiculous, because young people are precisely the people we should take most seriously, in my opinion!)
I would categorize my own experiences of discrimination to be "mild." However, I did a master's degree in Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies and this, coupled with some amazing people I have had to joy to meet, helped to sensitize me to the ongoing discrimination in the Canadian society and the ways that this discrimination, particularly towards Indigenous peoples, is, in some ways, ingrained in the very structures of our country.
As someone who is studying clowning as an arts practice, I believe in the power of laughter to both help bring us together and help diffuse potentially hurtful and discriminatory ideas. While I recognize that this is idealistic and not always possible, I also want to say that it has been a joy to laugh with many of you over the last several months and to get to know you in this way.
I feel like I am just skimming the surface, and yet I have written a lot already. Time for some tea! I will watch with anticipation to see the insights that get shared through this space.
I can't wait to see you on April 12th!!
I came into this project alone. As the only student selected from my school, I was very nervous to begin working on the mural project. I didn't know if I would be accepted. If people would value my ideas. Heck - I hardly knew what I was doing. All I knew was that this project was founded on the idealisms of unity, diversity and anti-discrimination; the only words I needed to hear to join this project.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, we have all faced discrimination. I have been discriminated for my race (apparently, as I'm Irish, I have whisky running through my veins rather than blood. When I first came to Canada, I remember some of my "friends" were fascinated with my accent. This fascination carried further then I would have thought as other kids in the neighbourhood began to demand to hear me speak - when I didn't comply I was pushed off my bike and beaten up. I have been discriminated for my intelligence and "extended" vocabulary. The moments I spent walking down the halls feeling alone, secluded, worthless and invalidated. I have been tormented for my sexuality. Being subject to all of these types of discrimination has opened my eyes to the pointlessness of it.
In September, one of my friends, Jamey Rodemeyer, committed suicide because he was bullied for being gay. I was in denial for days - asking myself, "Could I have done something?" I took my energy from that experience, researched more about teenage suicide, and began a program to stop discrimination at the policy level, the school level, and the personal level.
I have met so many great, interesting and unique people through the mural project.
Now all I have to do is get over my nerves about actually painting on the 12th...
I know I can, I know I can, I know I can...
No need to be nervous... let go...like going down a giant slide...weeeeeeeeee..just let the paint flow...it is just paint...just colour...you will rock at it.
DeleteM
I know you can too Anthony! You and me can be brave about painting together! :)
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this project. I currently work as a secondary school teacher working with students identified as having special educational needs. This is a term I struggle with as I feel that it leads to classification, and exclusion. I am at ABD in my doctoral program at Saint Louis University, in St. Louis, Missouri. My dissertation is examining secondary general education teacher efficacy beliefs regarding education of students with SEN in their classroom. But this is not why I was drawn to this project.
As a fellow of the Community Arts Training program (CAT) in St. Louis, and former executive director of a youth arts program in North St. Louis County I am excited to be a small part of the Surrey community arts project. I know how powerful arts programs can be and look forward to the positive energy and vibes generated from this.
I am also energized to meet and talk to student participants and learn from there experiences and grow as an educator and artist.
I look forward to the time, and experience as the creative muse in all of us is awaken and shared for a brief moment in time.