We’re back in Toronto, a location we’ve visited twice before. The morning was full of warm welcomes and catching up with all of the old students we’ve worked with on and off over the past four years. This workshop we’ve welcomed 19 returning student to join us for a couple days for the Beginner Workshop. It is so wonderful to see our old students again and we’re so impressed with the work they’ve done since we last left!
After we got settled in this morning, we jumped right into review and brainstorming for project ideas. The advanced workshops are structured a little differently than our other workshops. The groups focus on shooting images that demonstrate a concept and story opposed to technique and mechanics. We broke into groups with Sarah’s focusing on Gender Equality, Rick’s on Health and Wellbeing, Mike’s on Climate Action, and Aly’s group on Zero Hunger; all tough topics, and all hard to accomplish over a three-day period. The groups made cold calls and sent emails reaching out to organizations that related to their topics.
We broke for lunch and ran off on assignment. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much luck calling beforehand so we unanimously decided we’d just show up to the various locations. This tactic was a huge success and the groups were able to get all kinds of opportunities. Aly’s group combed the streets of downtown Toronto in search of situations in which the battle against hunger was evident. Sarah’s group found a female post office worker, a female fight fighter, a gardener, and a STEM Club all centered around challenging gender equality. Rick’s group ran off to a pharmacy and grocery store to capture images that represent modern-day healthcare and our interaction with it. While Mike’s group spent time at the Evergreen Brick Works, a sustainable local collective.
All-in-all it was a hugely successful day and we’re all a buzz with excitement of what we’ll be able to accomplish over these next couple days. Stay tuned to find out what’s to come for these students!