Recently, peace and conflict studies students and sisters Cassie and Kristy Dong hosted an art exhibition at the Forks, showcasing a mural created by refugee and newcomer youth.
To create the mural, the children were given three prompts — who they are, how they get through hard times and what their hopes and dreams are. The end result was a mixed-media mural with collages, drawings and text reflecting each participant’s story.
The exhibition is a part of the Smile Flowers Project, a program created by Cassie and Kristy in partnership with the Resilia Community Wellness Centre and the Centre for Human Rights Research at U of M.
Cassie , a PhD candidate researching everyday peacebuilding, described the purpose of the project. “We [created] a series of art-based workshop where immigrant and refugee youth […] can come together and learn about how to use art for mental healthcare. So we engage with questions about identities, [hopes] and dreams and how they can take care of their mental health,” she said.
Kristy is a master’s student interested in 2SLGBTQIA+ and women’s rights. She explained that they have hosted eight workshops so far, and some of the activities have included Indigenous storytelling, beading and collage.
In addition, the program is one of the 100 projects funded by the Going Together grant scheme. The scheme is a joint effort between UNESCO and SEVENTEEN, a K-pop group, and it was created to support projects that promote the well-being of young people.
The sisters commented that the art workshops were therapeutic because they allowed young refugees and newcomers to express themselves and form connections with each other.
“Sometimes we ask, ‘Oh, why did you draw the wave?’ for example, and then the student [will] talk about their hometown and what they missed about it […] It’s a good way to be reminded of the good [memories] and things like that […] it’s healing,” said Kristy.
“It’s also [about creating] a space where they can come together. Many of them come from different backgrounds, but through the programs and through the workshops, they develop friendships and they work together on the project,” added Cassie.
The children are not the only ones who learned from the workshops. Kristy reflected on her own experience and the reciprocal relationship between herself and the youths.
“It’s been a very transformative experience for me as well because it is basically my first time doing a community-based project, and especially with my sister. So I had a lot to learn, and I feel like I had a lot to learn from the kids as well,” she concluded.
For more information on the Smile Flowers Project, visit chrr.info/current-projects-2/chrr-collaborations/smile-flowers-project/ or @smileflowers.project on Instagram.
