The COM-Unity project partners represent different sectors of English-speaking Quebec. They have come together in this exciting new initiative that will highlight and amplify a sense of belonging for English-speakers in Quebec. Read about each of their Year 2 COM-Unity projects below.
Previous Projects
YEAR 3
Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC)
Where They Stood: The Animated Series
In Year 3, five English-speaking Black youth will create a five-episode animated series, based on the book Where They Stood: A Historical Account of the Evolution of Black-Anglo Montreal produced in Year 2. The series will explore the themes of the book, which delve into the evolution of Black English organizations created in response to settlement and development challenges facing Black communities in Quebec. The series will then be screened in 5 schools (with a high population of Black Anglophone youth) across Quebec during Black History month. An accompanying series of workshops will introduce Black anglophone youth to animation as a career. The project aims to increase media access, representation, and employment-related opportunities in English-speaking Black communities, with the hope of solidifying their sense of identity and increasing their sense of belonging within Quebec.
Find out more about BCRC's project
Blue Metropolis
NEXT – The NETWORK
Blue Metropolis will collaborate with community groups and members to deploy NEXT’s Network initiative, highlighting the next generation of Quebec’s English-speaking literary artists and community cultural leaders. This project proposes various networking and skills-development activities as well as the exciting opportunity to be part of the programming of the internationally renowned Blue Metropolis Literary Festival. Collaborations with community groups and cultural organizations are also an integral part of this project in order to help foster a solid sense of identity among young and emerging literary talents in English-speaking Quebec.
Find out more about Blue Metropolis' project
English Language Art Network (ELAN)
The Language of Belonging
The third year of ELAN’s Belonging project will continue to explore the diverse facets of Quebec’s English-speaking communities through filmed conversations and interviews. ELAN will produce a 60-minute TV documentary, which will feature some of the people interviewed for Year 1’s “Waves of Change” as well as new material. In Year 3, ELAN would like to connect with Francophone opinion leaders, who would articulate their fears for the survival of French, their resistance to English influence, and would share their answers to the question “What will it take for English-speakers to belong in Quebec?”
Leading English Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
I Belong
Year 3 of LEARN’s project will continue to empower students to explore their pluralistic identity within Quebec society through the arts and to take positive actions within their communities. Each “I Belong” activity aims to foster a stronger sense of belonging and acceptance within Quebec society through guided discussions among students, teachers and artists that anchor the creation process, the development of intergenerational relationships and/or acts of community service. In Year 3, the LEARN team will also explore avenues to sustain the project into the future in partnership with organizations like ELAN and through the integration of pedagogical resources throughout the English-language school network.
Find out more about LEARN's project
Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN)
Belonging and Identity in English-Speaking Quebec
In Year 3, the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) is continuing its partnership with member organizations in several regions of the province to develop cultural and heritage projects that highlight the diverse history of Quebec’s English-speaking communities. Projects may include such activities as workshops, conferences, performances, local history podcasts, museum exhibitions, and/or others. Activities, which may take place either in person or online, will help build awareness of Anglophone heritage among Quebecers of all ages and backgrounds. The projects aim to bolster English Quebecers’ sense of belonging and contribute to their personal and collective well-being.
Find out more about QAHN's projects
Seniors Action Quebec (SAQ)
Je me souviens: Portraits of Who We Are
The first two iterations of SAQ’s project featured a series of personal reflections on what “belonging” means to English-speaking seniors across Quebec and on how community organizations can support the senior population in their area by encouraging their sense of belonging. The third year will see the development of a 30-minute documentary, combining existing interviews and new footage. The expanded documentary will provide a greater space for reflection and discussion on what it means to be an English-speaking Quebecker, what it means to be a senior in Quebec, and how our communities can work together to battle isolation and loneliness among this vulnerable group.
Find out more about SAQ's projects
Youth 4 Youth (Y4Y)
You Are Here: The Belonging Project
With the help of Youth Cultural Ambassadors, Y4Y is heading back into different Quebec regions to further investigate how to better connect English-speaking youth to the province they call home. Through intergenerational conversations and community events, You are Here carves out a place for youth to celebrate people and places, while exploring the culture and history that define the increasingly diverse circle of English Quebecers. Project activities in Year 3 also aim to offset the impacts of prolonged isolation and disconnect and to facilitate meaningful exchanges amongst participants through exposure to unique local facets (cultural, historical, educational, etc.).