Diva Girls March Break Workshops: A collage with meaning…

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Earlier this week I facilitated a workshop with young participants of FOCUS in regards to their hopes for the future and thoughts on their heroes. With materials such as paint, glue, bristol boards and writing materials the girls were asked to currate a multi media piece that answered and expressed a particular set of questions set out for them. Within these questions were inquiries such as what the girls hoped to be when they were older, why was this their choice of career, who was their hero and what had this individual done that held such significance to them.

Majority of the girls worked on the set of questions relayed to what they hoped to be when they were older.  Some of the answers to these questions included doctor and curer of cancer. Among those that chose to do their work on the hero collage was a little girl who created a work of art dedicated to her hero. This hero, also her best friend, had lost her brother in a shooting in Regent Park last year. Some of the statements on this piece included quotes such as “you are beautiful and don’t let anyone ever tell you different!”.

The intelligence and articulate tendencies’ that arose from the girls when they began working on their pieces was brilliant. They each got extremely excited and eager to show off the works they were building. Once all pieces were complete, after about an hour or so, we formed a circle so we were able to present our posters to one another. With eruptions of confidence and huge smiles, each girl stood in front of the group and divulged their masterpieces. These little girls, at the age of 9 and 10, were more mentality in tune and proud of themselves then most individuals are at the age of 40. They stood tall and spoke loudly as though nothing could ever knock them down. And really, for what some of them have seen and been through, all those things that could have knocked them down until this point have only made them stronger and more sure of who they are and where they want to be when they grow up.


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