For Iqmat Iyiola and Munachiso Nwanisobi, civic engagement is about more than political awareness, activism or involvement. It’s about celebrating the place you live in, and creating a sense of belonging there.
“A lot of people view civic engagement like, ‘Oh it’s democracy, it’s voting. Well, I’m not interested in being a politician, so I’m not going to do that.’” explains Iyiola. “But civic engagement is really about the connection you feel with your community.”
As the co-founders of Dear Future YEG, the two are hoping to inspire other young Edmontonians to celebrate the city they call home. As one of their first major initiatives, they’re organizing an art exhibition of young local artists, running from March 14 to 28 at CO*LAB arts community hub.
“Dear Future YEG started off by wanting to create opportunities for youth to be more involved with their community,” explains Nwanisobi, adding that they landed on creating an art show as a creative way to spark youth involvement. “Art is not just something you enjoy, it’s also something that can tell (a) story, it’s something that can drive change, that can create opportunity.”
The exhibition, Love Letters to YEG, showcases young, emerging artists from historically marginalized racial and ethnic communities, with works focused on what it means to be Edmontonian.
“We can’t talk about Edmonton’s identity, without bringing up diverse perspectives,” says Iyiola. “We wanted to explore youth perspectives on life in Edmonton, and from there, bring all those together to discuss belonging, community wellness and also ultimately resilience too.”
The exhibition kicks off on Saturday, March 14, with an opening reception that includes food from Dyronn Kitchen, a local Nigerian caterer, as well as live spoken word performances and music from Melafrique. The exhibition itself includes poetry, visual art, sculpture and video, as well as a participatory element where visitors can fill out postcards and add them to the exhibit.
Despite the event’s celebratory name, the young curators promise more than a surface-level love letter to the city they call home. Instead, they say, it’s an in-depth examination of the wide range of emotions and experiences of young Edmontonians.
