Refugee youth artwork reimagines the future through anti-racist lens
Abstract
The Youth and Anti-Racism (YARI) Collective, a research project by Dr. Pallavi Banerjee and Dr. Pratim Sengupta at the University of Calgary, connects racialized refugee and newcomer youth to art, anti-racism and community experiences. On March 28, 2023 YARI hosted an interactive art and technology installation titled ‘Landings: Anti-Racist Futures in Stories’ highlighting the youth’s stories of love, friendships, grief and pain through various artistic mediums (e.g. stop motion animation).
Notes
Key populations: racialized refugee and newcomer youth who now reside in Calgary
Key recommendations: Dismantling dogmatic ideas is a key part of anti-racist work, where processes of re-learning and change are needed to truly engage newcomer youth in these discussions.
Open access: Yes
Community organizations:
Calgary Catholic Immigration Society
Immigrant Women’s Association
Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth
Centre for Newcomers
Future research / gaps identified: Previous knowledge about what anti-racist means comes from institutions and the YARI project is trying to dismantle that by asking newcomer youths themselves of what they imagine to be anti-racist futures are
Integration timeline: not defined
Key findings:
Newcomer youth from around the globe engaged in various artistic mediums (e.g. stop motion animation) to share their personal stories of migration, community and resettlement through an anti-racist lens.
Location: Calgary, AB