ARTFUL IMMIGRANTS
A club that helps immigrant students and their families get involved in the community, based at Lord Byng secondary, will spend the early months of the New Year preparing for a drama production to be staged in May.
The group, known as Byng Inclusion Project 3B, is three-and-a-half years old- 3B stands for bridge, bond and build. "We are a team whose aim is to go together and volunteer in the community," explained Janet Chung, a settlement worker at the high school. "Our goal is to take immigrant students and parents and go out into the community and bring the community into the school- so bridge, bond and build."
Members organize performances and take part in other projects such as the City of Vancouver's dialogue circles, which helped create ties between aboriginal and nonaboriginal communities.
"I thought that was a fantastic opportunity for the newest people in this land to meet the oldest people in this land, so I arranged some youth engagement projects with the Musqueam Nation. Taking [immigrant students] to visit them and to have a bit of a culture exchange," Chung said, adding, "The group started in 2008 and since then we have had a lot of activities in schools, as well as the community and sometimes we go out and perform."
The club's latest project- a performance planned for May 24 in the Byng auditorium-saw 65 immigrant students from six high schools including Byng, Britannia, Kitsilano, Point Grey, Prince of Wales and University Hill, along with some from the adult education centre, Capilano College and Langara College, audition for parts in early and mid-December.
Chung said about 16 will be selected as leaders of the group, while others will take part in various aspects of the production.
Organizers are working on the script. Two focus groups were held, one with students and one with parents. Participants talked about their struggles and difficulties. Scriptwriters are extracting the highlights, which will be incorporated into the dramatic performance.
The drama night project is sponsored by the Vancouver School Board Settlement Workers in Schools program in partnership with S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Art Plus (Sacrificium Society of Production) and the school district's KidSafe program.
Aside from empowering immigrants, the object is also to increase public awareness of immigrant students and their families and to fundraise for KidSafe-a program that provides services to vulnerable inner city students. Chung expects more than 100 families will be involved in the production. Between 3,500 and 4,000 students, mostly newly arrived immigrants, register through the VSB's District Reception and Placement Centre annually.
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