In iCreate Cape Breton, youth, Elders, and scholars work together to strengthen youth resilience in the face of economic, environmental, and social pressures. Our first initiative will focus on environmental justice, looking at how long-term environmental destruction and degradation perpetuates injustice, inequality and community hardship. Our youth-led teams will use both artistic and scientific investigation to explore the impact of these issues on their lives and communities. Ultimately, participants will create artistic materials—visual art, performances, music, documentaries, etc—that share youth perspectives and discoveries with the communities of Cape Breton.
Starting in May, 2015 youth, Elders, and scholars from a number of communities in Eastern Cape Breton will come together to share knowledge and gain skills in aid of the project. Over May and June, the groups will meet to develop materials in their own communities, and then reconvene to share and tour their creations. We welcome the general public to join in the initial training weekend, the closing symposium, and the tour, and to follow the projects’ progress through this website and at the CBU Art Gallery, where two youth-led documentary terms will be posting and displaying their work in progress.