Much of the beginning of this project took place virtually over Zoom, through email threads, and on Google Docs. When working on the content of the panels, a few groups of two educators met in person to collaborate. It was not until the content was finalized and we started working on the layout and design of the text on the panels that we had put so much thought into that we really came together in a physical space. Gen, an educator at the Family Centre has extensive knowledge and background in graphic design and met with committee members to offer her expertise on this piece of the project. Working on the physical design of the panels with Gen was so much more than expected. It was invigorating seeing it really come to life in a visual way for the first time. We were excited for what it could be and anxious to get it done, trying to meet the deadline we had set for ourselves for an outdoor exhibit in a Canadian autumn. This resulted in a number of days of a “newsroom” type feel around the staff spaces in the Family Centre. There was a certain buzz in the atmosphere; there were committee members set up with laptops wherever there was space, sounds of disappointment when the software did not work with our intentions, sounds of joy once we felt we had achieved something, and the printer was running what seemed like every few seconds with new drafts. We got to a place where we felt that there was equal beauty in the ideas and representations of the children, and the panels representing them. Once we saw it all come together, there was a feeling of doing justice to the thoughts and emotions of the children.
The Gift of Togetherness: 