PHOTOVOICE EXHIBIT

CREATION
IN ISOLATION

September 2020 - January 2021

In our annual Photovoice Exhibition, participants documented their new home during the COVID-19 pandemic. We shared virtual space to trade stories, pictures and memories representative of our unique experiences during this unpredictable year.

Flash forward

PhotoVoice
The Flash Forward PhotoVoice youth program is a safe space for newcomers youth in Scarborough to document their integration experiences and learn how to express themselves through photography, art and fitness. The program also focuses on personal development and social skills building.
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PROJECT TAKeAWAYS

photo taking process

Participants became more thoughtful in the photo-taking process by utilizing composition, angles and lighting to capture moments in their lives

fitness & health

By engaging participants with workout routines, the program promoted an active and healthy lifestyle.
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photo editing process

Participants gained experience in the photo editing process with multiple creative softwares to more effectively communicate the story of the image

Social Skills

In a safe space, participants learned to communicate, relate to, and connect with other people during the pandemic

CREATION IN ISOLATION GALLERY

Divine

flowers after the rain

I loved the contrast between the flowers and the grass, and it’s beautiful Colors (sunflowers)
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sunset in the park

Looking at the sky from a different angle  (grassy sunset)
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looking at the trees from below

The orange of the autumn trees and the blue of the sky created a beautiful contrast (trees)
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Neda

sunset in the park

Looking at the sky from a different angle  (grassy sunset)
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flowers after the rain

I loved the contrast between the flowers and the grass, and it’s beautiful Colors (sunflowers)
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looking at the trees from below

The orange of the autumn trees and the blue of the sky created a beautiful contrast (trees)
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Nuha

flowers after the rain

I loved the contrast between the flowers and the grass, and it’s beautiful Colors (sunflowers)
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sunset in the park

Looking at the sky from a different angle  (grassy sunset)
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looking at the trees from below

The orange of the autumn trees and the blue of the sky created a beautiful contrast (trees)
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Islam

The gift of combination beauty

I love sunsets! I think it’s my favourite part of the day. Combined with a photo that I took of a lake in Quebec to become a masterpiece!
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The different shades of orange

My favourite thing about fall is the coulred leaves. I think this picture has a deep meaning and talks about many different stories of autumn. The mixture of different shades of orange, yellow and red has a story in itself!


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Home of diversity

 I came to Canada when I was 12. It taught me so many things about diversity. I grew into the person I am here in Toronto. 5 years of love, care and kindhearts that taught us that family is not just blood relatives but it’s also friends that've been with you through your journey. And now as a 17 year old, I want to give to this country for all the love that it gave me.
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Haya

This photo is a winter sunset. It was very cold outside but I didn’t want to miss this beautiful view. These colours make me feel very cozy and comfortable.
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This photo was in October, I have been waiting the whole year for this month because I really like the colours of the trees, 4 colours in one photo. When I saw this view I told my dad to stop the car because I want to take a photo of this beautiful view.
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looking at the trees from below

This photo was in August, I really liked the reflection of the trees and the sky on the water. The water was very dirty but you can not see it.
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Hassan

Summer

The flowers reminds me of the memories I had with my grandmother the good time I spent with her before she passed
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Nothing but net

The basketball also reminds me of the first friend I met in Canada
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Sun Glare

The last one is a memory of my first photoshoot lesson with photovoice
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Yasser

Greenland

I went to a park beside an ocean with my family, and I liked how there were lots of things everywhere so I just took a picture of it because I was kind of bored and it looked nice.
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TreeSea

These were two pictures that I took in the summer break when my family and I went to a “virtual zoo”, and a place where there was a sea, I took the picture of the trees when we were in the “virtual zoo” because I was sitting in the car for more than an hour with nothing to do, so I decided to take pictures of trees, and also because nature can be very cool 


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Chilling Flamingos

In the summer break my family and I went to another zoo (an actual one this time) and we saw some flamingos, so I said to myself, “well you don’t see this every day”, so I took a picture of that and most of the cool animals that were there too, I also took it to remember the good old days.
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Rami

Flower

This is my favourite flower. It reminds me of my home in Syria. I also like the sun
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Mercedes

One of my favorite cars, My goal is to buy one of these in the future
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Shawarma

This is a Shawarma plate, my favorite dish and a famous middle eastern meal. Looking at this photo makes me proud of the middle eastern culture
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Natalie

Christmas Day

Holidays are a special way to spend time together
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Piano for mice

Listening to music and playing it has become more important during the pandemic
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Fall

As the leaves change color the weather does too
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Majd

Evening Tea

This pot is from back home, and has lasted so long that we had to repair it’s handle
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Movie Night

Eating popcorn and watching shows with my family is a fun way to pass the time
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Elisa

New Beginnings

 I chose this photo because it sets a positive mood. The morning of New years day I captured this photo. The raw beauty of nature reminds me that light is always near even in the most difficult times. This photo was taken from the balcony of my home and helped me feel more connected to my surroundings. 
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Life in pixels

I chose this photo because it was a reminder of my experience at the Van Gogh exhibit here in Toronto. Van Gogh is my favourite artist and the immersive experience of walking through his art was unforgettable. Although artists may be long passed, their works can still connect with us in the present time because creativity brings people together. The room was staged beautifully with lights and music as though mimicking theatrics.
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Welcome

I chose this photo because my family places deities in our home to set a peaceful tone. This deity is called Ganesh ji and we place him at the entrance of our home as a blessed greeting to our guests. Each day, the deity is accompanied by a plate of flowers as offering and a lit candle. I aspired to share the beauty and simplicity of my culture with others through this picture. 
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Jenny

Church

I went to church for my baptism, this photo was taken for that. The Church has helped us a lot when we moved to this new place. They help in some difficult things like assisting you in home things like vouchers to collect food stuff in the salvation army.
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Baking

 I love baking when I am bored, I also bake snacks like meat-pie, fish roll and egg rolls, puff-puff. Sometimes I add too much butter, and this makes it rough, but I learned that it depends on how much you are making. I also want to learn how to make more snacks like chin-chin, cookie.
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My bro

My little at his day care he is 3, he is smart handsome funny and caring.  My favourite thing to do with my brother is play, watch videos, play hide and seek
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PROJECT TEAM

It was fantastic to work with our newcomer youth, and I am honored to have their trust as we created art together!
- Ali Javeed
Photography Instructor
Passionate about supporting vulnerable newcomers and leading impactful community-based programming.
- Marwa Khobieh
Program Director
Facilitating the FlashForward PhotoVoice social skills development workshops was a great learning experience for me. The newcomer youth participants inspired me by taking the courage to come together virtually
- Hanen Nanaa
Social Coordinator
I’m very passionate about working with refugee youth because I feel like it’s a critical time for them to form a strong and confident identity. I’m here to provide them with the life skills to help facilitate that growth.
- FLG
Fitness Instructor

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