10 years since “Olivia Saves the Circus” stop motion animation project at Keith Lynn!

September 15, 2020September 18, 2020 | Kat Thorsen

Dolls and stuffed animals make me happy. Very happy. They always have. Some of my faves are hand-sewn little pig characters… but I will get to that.

I am 58 years old and I still have dolls, still rescue dolls, make dolls. love dolls, receive dolls.

I still have the first one (“Lisa”) I received from my parents in the early 60’s:

I also collect sock monkeys and crafts made by me and those made (and given to me) by my past students (of all ages) and friends:

I just dusted, aired out and re-organized my giant collection of old dolls and stuffed animals… Including a treasured basket of props from 2009-2010 school year at a school I worked at in North Vancouver:

I just realized it has been 10 years since that very special stop motion animation project at Keith Lynn Alternative Secondary School!

During the 2009-2011 school years, I had the pleasure of co-facilitating (along with my colleague, Ian Powell) an animation course at Keith Lynn Alternative Secondary School.

In 2009-2010, the students recreated (with incredible ingenuity) the story of OLIVIA SAVES THE CIRCUS by Ian Falconer:

A few years later, I rescued the collection of props from the project that were mixed in with items to throw out when the school had moved locations to become Mountainside Secondary.

Much love to past Keith Lynn students and staff and to all my present colleagues at Mountainside. Thank you for enriching my life!

The Trout Lake Youth Council owls! @HELPPBP outreach project #education

December 9, 2017December 19, 2017 | Kat Thorsen

Last night, I had the pleasure of facilitating an introductory session to the Trout Lake Youth Council as part of the HELP YOUTH CANADA Outreach Project. I am using creative engagement in order to dialogue on EDUCATION with youth and program leaders at a variety of organizations in the Lower Mainland- to learn from the participants, gather data and to build connection and awareness about HELP YOUTH CANADA’s bursary program.

My main creative engagement tool for this project continues to be sock monkey making as a means to create safe space for dialogue– but last night, as it was a short intro session, we improvised and using only felt pens and crayons, speed-drew OWLS and then wrote answers to pertinent questions. I will be transcribing the outcomes, but needed to share these images right now! The owls from last night are absolutely charming.

The youth will be signing up for three different projects:

• Project Backpack

• Sock Monkey Workshop

• In-depths youth forum on education

I obsess about the power of drawing, the mark making by any of my participants and the beauty of the results. ALWAYS.

Huge thank you to Bernie Dionne and the council for hosting me and to my friend, Beverley, for assisting me!

TROUT LAKE YOUTH COUNCIL:

HELP YOUTH CANADA:

The Alpha Secondary School heART Project Sessions 1-4 of 6

April 28, 2015April 28, 2015 | Kat Thorsen

The Alpha Secondary School heART Project

Youth-run initiative using the vehicle of street art to address social and emotional intelligence and life- and transferable skills, while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction and community connections

I am delighted to be working with Yasmin Tayob and Michele Lopez and extraordinary students and volunteers on a wall installation at Alpha Secondary School in Burnaby BC. The heart of the project is to encourage youth to project plan around a theme and produce an art piece for a particular space, all the while addressing social and emotional intelligence and personal empowerment.

The image of the anatomical heart has invited both personal and group exploration around the issues that churn in our hearts. As a group, we celebrate the power of connection and creative expression.

Here is a random gallery of our last 4 after school sessions: