SHIFT.
On Issues That Matter To Us
Special Edition
Note to Readers: Essays in this volume were written by the team and fellows of the Future Leaders Through Art Program (FLAP) during the summer of 2020. Its aim was to give youth tools for social justice, as well as help them explore the importance of and the possibilities that art could provide. Featuring a youth-centric view on current events, the magazine you have before you is a culmination of all those efforts. SHIFT focuses on the enduring, ever-present need for systems change as society evolves. As such, it is also named for the shift we wish to see in the world, and in each other. We hope that you emerge from SHIFT a little different and keep an open mind as you traverse the diverse range of experiences and ideas that we have to offer. Read on.
In Search of Our Cretive Edge
A Collaborative Artist's Book
Special Edition
The present volume is the product of a co-creative process that the contributors went through and that Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society (VACS), as editors, facilitated. This collaborative artist's notebook came from the voices of culturally diverse weavers of the ongoing intercultural weaving group organized by VACS. Searching for self-reflection and self-discovery during the COVID pandemic, VACS has initiated a collaborative artist notebook project (funded by the City of Vancouver's 2020 Cultural Arts Grants Program) in order to cultivate a peer-teaching practice as a basis for developing a community of practice where all learners and peer teachers are reflective partners who contribute to a joint enterprise, a shared repertoire, and mutual engagement. The notebook preserves the community’s soul as intimately and rawly as possible; therefore, a necessary part of the creative and generative community. This generated internal conversations that – hopefully – generated a shared value for all.
The Colloquium Special Edition: H.I.T.O.
An Anthology
Special Edition
This Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society Special Edition: Hito is an anthology showcasing the creative expressions and vernacular stories of our Indigenous and non-Indigenous neighbours, which we have been documenting over the years through our monthly e-zine, The Colloquium: Our Common Heritage. This anthology is a re-collection (with a few new additions) of mostly interview essays born out of conversations between our VACS youth interns and community members. In that sense they are genuine, exploratory, and in progress. They are an invitation to conversation as well as a means for us to build a culture of transformative thinking.
The first section, “Being A Wisdom Holder,” assembles the voices of Indigenous people and hopes to stir our imagination of what is possible if we were to connect more with Indigenous values. The second section, “Creating And Knowing,” (re)introduces three Indigenous women from K’ineix Kwaan from Yakutat, Musqueam, and Mexican, Native American (O’odham), Taiwanese, and Japanese descent, who are forming and reforming their identity through their heritage and arts. Finally, in our last section, Building A Bridge, we are showcasing the exemplary work of non-Indigenous community members on their individual journeys towards Indigenization.
Together we are paving the paths and seeking truth for future generations. We hope this anthology creates positive change in our community.
A collection of our haiku
A White Paper
Hidden Flowers: A Comprehensive Exploration of Co-Creation
The Intergenerational Art Engagement (IAE) program is a community initiative designed to combat age-related stereotypes, promote creativity, and enhance generativity in older adults, launched during the summer of 2023 for three months. the IAE program is a valuable initiative that aims to promote lifelong learning, combat age-related stereotypes, and enhance generativity in older adults. By creating a more inclusive and supportive community, the IAE program will bring people of different ages and backgrounds together to learn, share, and create.