Inspiration Across the Nation

Last week, youth at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Quebec finished their youthLEADarts workshops with artist Deirdre Potash by completing 3D dioramas that capture the fragility of the ocean’s ecosystems and the importance of taking immediate action to maintain balance within them.

Underwater photographer and marine activist Roy Mulder visited the class remotely from Nova Scotia, providing a ream of interesting facts about our largest ocean mammals as well as some of the threats they face to inspire this phase of the workshops. Roy spoke about how the art they were creating was powerful; that it gave them the opportunity to ACT for change. This helped the youth to envision their creations and their personal roles as empowering. Their art thus took on a deeper meaning.

Deirdre shared the artwork and slogans that students in Vancouver, BC at Hastings Elementary had created.

In Deirdre’s words, “It was the powerful posters done by the students of Hastings that had a big impact on the students of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary. Their powerful slogans and beautifully rendered drawings drove the students here to act; to empathize with the plight of the whales. It focussed them on the roles they can play to bring attention to these issues.”