In honour of World Oceans Day, we are hosting an Ocean Defenders “Virtual Festival” on June 8, 2020. We are so excited to share this vision with you!
How to join: send us your idea for a simple, personal action that honours the ocean and can be documented by June 8th. The action can be artistic, scientific, personal, physical, spiritual… follow your passion! Whatever you choose, please adhere to the Health Canada recommendations on physical distancing, personal health and safety, and avoidance of travel.
SOME ACTION IDEAS:
- dance, art, poetry, theatre, song
- an educational activity
- a practice like yoga or swimming
- call-to-action
- photography or video
- writing and research
If you feel inclined, we encourage you to connect your work to an ocean-based issue. In these times, we have an opportunity to reflect on the future world we want to live in and the essential role that biodiverse, healthy ecosystems play in our lives.
POTENTIAL ISSUES TO EXPLORE:
- herring conservation: https://pacificwild.org/campaign/protect-pacific-herring/
- salmon and fish farms: https://www.facebook.com/alexandramorton.wildsalmon/
- acoustic pollution and southern resident orcas: https://georgiastrait.org/
- fossil fuels and marine shipping: https://pull-together.ca/
- freighter anchorages in the gulf islands: https://nofreighteranchorages.ca/
Submissions should be converted into a media-friendly format: photo, writing, video, visual art, blog, etc. Your submission can be simple and does not need to document your entire process. We encourage you to get creative and to reach out for support if you need – we are happy to help with formatting ideas! All submissions will be publicly displayed on our Ocean Defenders website (coming soon!) and social media channels beginning June 8th.
Finally, we will have an additional visual art category where we will showcase ocean-inspired artwork for sale by-donation in an online gallery. All proceeds will go to one or a few non-profit environmental organization(s) (TBC by contributing artists) working to protect the Salish Sea. Given current funding cutbacks and restrictions, many non-profits doing critical work would be grateful for any support. If you are interested in donating artwork or photography to the cause, please let us know!
We would love to hear from you! Please email Anna to express your interest: aka14.at.sfu.ca / (or direct message Hannah or Anna on Facebook)
Deadline for formatted works: between May 15 and June 5
~~~~~ Looking forward to celebrating this beautiful ocean together ! ~~~~~
Ocean Defenders 