This project brings together the Press Start youth to work on anti-racist and environmental justice initiatives. Working in collaboration with community members and utilizing the tools in Bâtiment 7, youth will develop programming that seeks to educate, agitate and organize their communities around issues of racial discrimination and environmental sustainability.

During the first part of the project, youth will engage in participatory discussions about the issues as well as ongoing social movements working towards a more equitable future (e.g. Black Lives Matter). The format of discussions will vary from workshops that seek to deepen our collective
understanding of the principles of anti-racism and climate justice, to collective evaluations of the role of Press Start in advancing these values in our communities. The second part of the project will move from discussion to action. Youth will work with members of the B7 community to develop three community art projects that explore these concepts through an artistic medium. The exact format of the projects will be determined by the youth in collaboration with the PSEI mentors. In the preliminary discussions here are some of the ideas explored:
• Developing a curated exhibit with multimedia art inspired by Press Start’s Hip Hop as Resistance event.
• Hosting an online video game tournament for youth in the neighbourhood. This event will have a creative component that engages with issues of sustainability and climate justice.
• The production of a short film focused on the importance of leisure in the lives of Black individuals to counter toxic expectations and norms of productivity in our capitalist system.

Finally, the last component of the project will be the implementation of these community art projects.