Hate
May 16, 2024, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Dates and times:
*On May 17 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., we will host a mask-only reception, screening and discussion group on the Inquiry findings.
Cost: Free
Where: Beban Social Centre (2300 Bowen Rd, Nanaimo), Lounge C, V9T 3K7
Territory:
This event takes place on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
Protection against illness:
We ask that all visitors to the exhibit wear masks to help protect all attendees—and particularly members of vulnerable populations—from COVID-19 and other illnesses. We will provide #3 level and N95 masks on site, available on-request for anyone who does not have access to them. We will also provide hand sanitizer.
We also ask that you stay home if you exhibit cold or flu symptoms.
These illnesses disproportionately affect those who are immunocompromised, older, Indigenous and racialized, disabled, and low-income communities. Many of these are protected characteristics under B.C.’s Human Rights Code.
Please note that the Beban Recreation Centre is large space (63ft x 46ft with a 12ft ceiling) and outside air is circulated through the space via a ventilation system.
Accessibility:
The Beban Recreation Centre is one floor and accessible from street level (no stairs). The immersive exhibit is accessible to those using mobility devices and there is seating available. The presentation is closed captioned and includes sound and flashing lights.
We ask that attendees refrain from wearing perfumes and scented soaps to prevent causing allergic reactions for other attendees.
Inclusivity:
The Beban Recreation Centre has several gendered washrooms including stalls for accessible for wheelchairs. We encourage visitors to use whichever washrooms they feel most comfortable in.
Getting there:
The Beban Recreation Centre can be accessed easily via the #25 or #40 busses. The #30 bus also stops nearby. Parking is available for those who choose to drive, including accessible parking spaces.
Contact:
For any questions, please contact engagement@bchumanrights.ca
Immersive exhibits envelop the viewer in a sensory space. The viewer is meant to be “overtaken ” by the experience, with the everyday world falling away while the immediate art and sound fill the moment. This format was selected to bring the mural project to life because, as large works of art, murals communicate ideas on a monumental scale. The sheer size of a mural not only creates visual interest but can hold a viewer’s attention, call up memories and feelings and move the viewer towards understanding.
The exhibit blends a soundscape (the voices of community painters, knowledge holders, speakers, evocative music and moving sound) with visuals from the four murals. It shares the engagement, excitement, emotional depth, lived experiences and the transcendent spirit with which British Columbians engaged with the inquiry. Bringing the four large works of art together in conversation with one another reflects the ongoing discussions in communities across the province. Using spatial sound technology and projection, the exhibit creates an interactive space for viewers to experience the murals and the inquiry report. From the voices and brushes of our fellow B.C. residents, we see and hear that there is work to be done and we take inspiration from the many youth and other community members who designed this mural journey from hate to hope.
This exhibit was developed by BCOHRC to share its mural project, raise awareness of the inquiry’s findings and recommendations and to facilitate a deep understanding of how people and communities in British Columbia are thinking about change.
In August 2021, B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, launched an inquiry into the rise of hate in B.C. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the inquiry, BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC) heard from many British Columbians about their experiences with hate in the province. But we also heard about their hope that, across the province, we can all realize our responsibility to treat each other with respect and dignity and to create a sense of belonging and acceptance. That hope is reflected in the inquiry’s final report, From Hate to Hope, released in March 2023.
Following the release of the report, BCOHRC worked with community partners, artists and youth to bring that message of hope to communities. Four community groups in B.C. designed locally relevant murals that share their hopes for their region. Each mural serves as a reminder of the importance of unity and understanding and the need for communities to come together to stand up against hate This exhibit celebrates the hope in each of these communities.