Art Connecting Book Launch

On October 16th, 2019, a team consisting of the McGill Art Hive Initiative (MAHI) , the Institute for Human Development and Well-being (IHDW) and Byenvini Montréal, launched the publication of "Art Connecting: Workshops with Children of Asylum-Seeking Families", a book covering the work done with children of asylum-seeking families over the course of the summer of 2019 at McGill University. On hand, was the Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier whose encouragement at the initial stages of the project was pivotal in spearheading new forms of participation in social good through the collaborative efforts of Arts-based Education educators at McGill. The core team consisting of Élourdes Pierre of Byenvini, Professor Claudia Mitchell , Art Hive Coordinator and Lecturer Dr.Maria Ezcurra and McGill student Darshan Daryanani spoke about the collective effort it took to contact communities under situations of duress and organize the workshops for the children and their families. The publication is the culmination of the collaboration between McGill and the surrounding community, and the effect that integrated arts-based education can have in linking both community awareness and public action.

The project marks one of the first in a series of initiatives focusing on socially conscious projects within the McGill community that integrate the arts as means of expression for children and youth in marginalized communities. It also marks the beginning of a new series of publications by the IHDW and its expanding interdisciplinary network, to showcase the work connected to gender based issues of Indigenous and visible minorities within Quebec and internationally.

More details on the Project can be found on the IHDW website .

New copies of the latest edition of "Art Connecting: Workshops with Children of Asylum-Seeking Families" will be available soon. For more information on obtaining a copy or upcoming events at the IHDW please contact ihdw.education [at] mcgill.ca