The Mural Project: Art in Hard Times
In June 2020, as we were looking for ways to hold space for creative expression and community-building in this time, we launched The Mural Project : Art in Hard times. Led by social artist Melanie Schambach and an amazing team of local artists and social support workers, the Mural Project aimed to amplify the voices of those who identify as: newcomers, LGBTQ21+, Black, Indigenous, people of colour, street engaged, adults with developmental exceptionalities, and/or youth struggling with mental health and addictions, as well as do the work we love to do: collective community-making through art.
Over 65 hands and hearts from diverse backgrounds in Guelph and surrounding areas came together to create this digital mural, while building community across differences and distances. Through an eight week online community-engaged arts program, under the visionary leadership of social artist Melanie Schambach, participants listened to stories about how community members were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, co-created a vision for a large-scale digital mural, played with new art-mediums, and learned some new skills while working with local artists. The virus brought the world to a halt in a way that we never imagined possible.
This time has prompted us all to think deeply about the world we want to live in, and The Mural Project created a forum and community for participants to speak and act against injustice of all kinds, and create new visions for our shared future. The final digital mural was made by a remarkable community and now belongs to the community, and it is a poignant expression of the times, embedding themes of racial justice, food security, mental health stigma, police brutality, the pandemic, social action, disability advocacy, and love.
SOCIAL ARTIST LEAD: Melanie Schambach
"Societies and the environment are facing extraordinary challenges while the speed of change is faster than ever. New methods of engaging people, radical collaborating, and courageous processes that uplift the spirit through self-discovery, are some of the ways to contribute to positive change. I aim to challenge and re-discover the narratives of who we are, how we belong on the earth, and what is our shared responsibility."
For more on Melanie's work, visit here.
Joni NehRita
Musician Joni NehRita has been witnessing this whole community process behind the scenes and creating MUSIC in response.
She describes herself as infectiously soulful, socially charged.
Jamaican-Canadian artist Joni NehRita writes songs about unity, hope and social justice. Her jazz-tinged brand of soul is infused with rhythms & sounds from her Afro-Caribbean background. A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and arranger, she has a gift for writing infectious, well-crafted songs that are deeply personal.
NehRita a seasoned performer known for her ability to touch an audience and leave them feeling changed.
This year NehRita releases her 4th full length album, Love & Protest which is a marked step further toward global roots/world music but keeps her distinctive gift for writing accessible songs that groove in tact. Love & Protest explores the juxtaposition between love being the answer and fire/anger being the fuel to protest, to question, to be the change.
Joni is also a music educator & facilitator who has taught workshops in improvisation, performance & vocal technique at Wilfrid Laurier University, Seneca College, Folk Alliance International, The Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival as well as at countless other schools & community events.
Song: It May Never Be the Same
I constantly record little song ideas (melodies and/or lyrics) into my voice notes on my phone. On the last night of the project I was going through my voice notes and came upon one entitled “It May Never Be the Same” for AIHT (Art in Hard Times). I had totally forgotten that I had sung a little melody that I meant to revisit for the project. I felt compelled to explore that title and the little hummed melody and eventually molded it into a song that I quite love. I’m glad I didn’t erase it or leave it unfinished! It’s about being brave or bold enough to let the things/systems/structures/beliefs that don’t serve us go.
Was it even real or was it all just an illusion?
We’ve broken the seal and it may never be the same
Stuck in the space between hope and desperation
Together we’ll face that it may never be the same
Ripped apart and flung into the ocean
Some of us won’t mourn the loss
Now there’s space to dream of something better
Fertile ground for change…
Was it even real or was it all just an illusion?
We’ve broken the seal and it may never be the same
Stuck in the space between hope and desperation
Together we’ll face that it may never be the same
Let it die, it’s nothing to hold on to
I for one, won’t mourn the loss
Now there’s space to dream of something better
To find a whole new way
Was it even real or was it all just an illusion?
We’ve broken the seal and it may never be the same
Stuck in the space between hope and desperation
Together we’ll face that it may never be the same
We re-write the stories. We sing a new song
We dance ‘neath the moonlight. We know we belong
Song: It Will Be Done aka Generations
I wanted to create something that felt breezy and hopeful and that incorporated my Caribbean roots. A lot of the participants spoke about how important it was to them that we take better care of the earth and that we do a better job making sure the most vulnerable among have what they need to survive. One spoke about their Indigenous roots which made me think about the believed to be Iroquois 7 Generations teaching that urges us to think about the impact of the choices we make on generations that come after us.
Chorus:
Generations depend on us
to choose well for a brighter tomorrow
Rooted feet, arms stretched to the sun
Fuelled by love, it will be done
Verse 1:
Deliver us the strength to fight for our sacred Mother Earth
And for each of us to have a place
where we feel safe and loved and heard
Drum break (over which I hope to put participants’ sentences about their stories)
Generations depend on us
to choose well for a brighter tomorrow
Rooted feet, arms stretched to the sun
Fuelled by love, it will be done
Verse 2
There’s far too much at stake
To leave any stone unturned
To repair the harm, we must lead with love
And a willingness to learn
Repeat Chorus
Song: Where You Make It
I think of this as a musical meditation. It’s an instrumental I created with vibe-y delay on my electric guitar. I was thinking about how the pandemic has kept so many people away from their loved ones, whether because of travel restrictions or because of say a family member who’s health is vulnerable.
Song: Remake
As I read through the answers to the questions we all filled out at the beginning of the process, I made notes on things/phrases that stood out for me. One such phrase was that society needed a “remake”. This title helped inspire me to write a song about what things could/should be remade. It’s about resilience and building anew.
We’ve heard it said before-
well now it’s coming in spades
If you weren’t quite sure- things will never be the same
Is this our chance for redemption?
A call to build with intention?
We’ve taken quite a blow. One thing has been shown:
It’s time for a remake. Let’s imagine something new
We can tear it down to build it up
after all that we’ve been through
It’s time for a new take
Time for power to shift hands
We won’t back down, won’t sit it out
This time we’re gonna stand!
..remake….remake…remake….remake
Felt fast & furious / how quickly things changed
And some folks really needed someone to blame
When we needed to listen / there was fear & derision
The only seeds we’ll grow. Will be the ones we’ve sown
It’s time for a remake. Let’s imagine something new
We can tear it down to build it up
after all that we’ve been through
It’s time for a new take
Time for power to shift hands
We won’t back down, won’t sit it out
This time we’re gonna stand!
It’s the remake. Time for a new take. It’s the remake. Yeah
It’s the remake. Time for a new take. It’s the remake.
Evaluating the Impact of "The Mural Project: Art in Hard Times"
This report presents the findings of the program evaluation for The Mural Project conducted by CESI’s Research Shop in collaboration with Art Not Shame. The purpose of this project was to evaluate The Mural Project, which created a digital mural to bring people together, encourage creativity and better understand the impact of the pandemic on a range of individuals. A survey was distributed to participants to better understand the successes and lessons learned from the six-week workshop.
Read the Article here: Evaluating the Impact of "The Mural Project: Art in Hard Times"
Author(s):
Kelly Hatt, Karen Nelson, Brianna Wilson
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