Voices from across B.C.’s Interior will be heard at an upcoming exhibit.
The Stories of Resilience: Williams Lake Community Exhibit will showcase an inspiring collection of narratives from people across the region. It will explore diverse expressions and perspectives through stories and artwork that represent personal and community resilience in an era of climate-induced disasters.
The community event will take place at the Williams Lake Visitor Centre on Saturday May 4 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be an exhibit in Kamloops two days prior, on May 2 at Kamloops United Church from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The exhibit will also feature a transformative performance from Jay Goddard and the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Playback Theatre Troupe. Admission is free, as Stories of Resilience is billed as a community event.
Stories of Resilience: Voices from across British Columbia’s Interior is a community project by the Resilience Institute (TRI), in collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross. TRI is a national, charitable organization in Canada, and works locally and globally on education and research initiatives that address climate change.
Tina Elliot, regional partnerships project lead of the Resilience Institute, says that the exhibit initiative is unique and adapted to suit the each individual and community involved.
“Stories of Resilience brings people together in dialogue and creativity to explore diverse notions of resilience in the context of climate change,” she said.
Elliot explains that the exhibit has worked with the theatre troupe before, during a multi-day workshop last fall where storytellers gathered to explore diverse ideas of resilience.
“Jay Goddard and his group of Playback Theatre performers were absolutely wonderful to work with and see perform,” she said. “The troupe drew ideas and stories from out workshop attendees and then played back those ideas and stories.”
The troupe was thoughtful, inclusive and expressive in the performance that Elliot called a “deeply moving experience,” as they used music, movement and dialogue to tell stories back to the audience.
Elliot goes on to say that the Playback Theatre pairs well with what TRI aims to do, as they facilitate reflection and dialogue about complex issues like climate change.
“We invited them back to join us at these events so that the community can take part in the experience,” she said. “We hope that together with the TRU Playback Theatre troupe, we can connect with people in both Kamloops and Williams Lake to share more stories and reflections about resilience.”
Elliot also adds that community exhibits such as this one will continue to help address climate change on a broader level.
“A foundational concept behind Stories of Resilience in that by identifying the attributes and values that make us personally and collectively resilient, people will be better able to adapt to climate change and reduce risk to future disasters.”