Safety, Survival, and Solidarity: Youth-Led Film Project Taking Shape

We are thrilled to share some exciting updates on IWAV’s Safety, Survival & Solidarity (SSS) Youth Series Project! Since kicking off our Safety project over the summer, we’ve been working with a passionate group of seven Salt Spring Island youths. Together, we’re exploring important conversations around safety and creativity, all while building trust and brainstorming / visioning for impactful films that reflect the voices of our community’s youth.

Building Connections and Gathering Powerful Insights

Through powerful discussions about safety, the youths began shaping the creative direction of their films. One of the first steps they took was to create a questionnaire for other youths on Salt Spring Island. This questionnaire was designed to capture a wide range of voices and perspectives on the topic of safety.

After working so hard at getting the SSS Questionnaire out to the youths of Salt Spring Island, we started receiving some very powerful responses and feedback. We’ve received an incredible 54 responses — and counting!

We are listening because youth voices MATTER.

Upcoming Event: Film Screening and Panel on Sexualized Violence

Currently, we’re in the process of completing our short films, which will be featured at our Video Screening and Discussion Panel on Sexualized Violence. We invite you to join us for this important community event on:

October 27th
Mahon Hall
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Event from 6:30-8:00 pm
Snacks and drinks provided.

This evening will be a valuable opportunity for education, awareness, and discussion. We look forward to seeing you there as we share the voices and visions of our youths.

Next Project Theme: Survival – Join Us Now!

As we wrap up the Safety project, we’re excited to announce the next theme: Survival. This new project will run from November 1 to January 15, 2025, and we are recruiting NOW!

If you’re a youth who is passionate about social change, creativity, and making your voice heard, we want to hear from you. We are seeking youth activists, storytellers, writers, filmmakers, researchers, visual artists, and performance artists. If this sounds like you, schedule an interview with us between October 28-31 to get involved!

Once we have a team, we’ll begin weekly meetings to create team connection and dive into the creative process.

What You’ll Get: Credit and Compensation

  • Credit: At the end of each project, we will host a community screening and discussion panel to showcase the work. Participation in the screenings is optional, but encouraged!
  • Compensation: Youth will receive a $50 honorarium for each video they participate in, with up to three short, 2-minute videos produced per project. Your involvement as a storyteller, activist, writer, researcher, film maker, visual artist, or performance artistt will make a real difference.

Prioritizing Safety and Support

We understand that this project tackles sensitive and potentially triggering topics, including sexual assault and violence. Safety is a top priority for us, and we have designed this project with care to ensure a supportive environment for all participants.

Our project coordinators are professional, trauma-informed, and experienced youth workers. We also have a counselor on our leadership team to provide additional support, and we are ready to connect youth to community resources if needed.

Get Involved!

We’re excited to bring this next round of the SSS Youth Series Project to life. If you’re interested in joining us or have any questions, please reach out! Let’s work together to empower youth voices and create lasting social change.

Paige and Lisana
Project Coordinators for the SSS Youth Project Series
SSSCoordinator[at]iwav[dot]org

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