The Docuseries

“Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art,”

To explore the role of art as an agent of change, Reverse the Trend commissioned Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective to bring a series of creative workshops for interested young participants. As a group, they will engage their concerns about climate change and radiation contamination from nuclear legacy sites into stories that bridge scientific / historical evidence and personal anecdotes. They will also have an opportunity to experiment with two modes of art-making: creative writing (journaling/short nonfiction and poetry) + collage / zine-making.

SPRING 2021: FIRST DOCUSERIES WORKSHOP WITH
MARSHALLESE YOUTH IN ARKANSAS
"A JOURNEY HOME”

Screen Shot 2021-07-08 at 11.08.33 PM.png — In early 2021, Reverse the Trend partnered with **Marshallese Educational Initiative** in Springdale, Arkansas to bring the first Docuseries workshops to a group of Marshallese students. They published their final art piece — the community poem, “A Journey Home” — which also will be featured in an animated video to debut in the Fall of 2021.

SECOND
DOCUSERIES WORKSHOPS
(FOR CANADIAN YOUTH) - FALL 2021

SELECTION FOR PARTICIPANTS IS CURRENTLY LIMITED TO STUDENTS IN CANADA THROUGH REVERSE THE TREND’S IN-COUNTY PARTNERS. IF YOU ARE A CANADIAN STUDENT INTERESTED IN JOINING, PLEASE CONTACT US DIRECTLY.

We seek students (high-school and college undergraduates) to participate in our Docuseries workshops! We are especially interested in engaging youth who are part of frontline communities affected by nuclear weapons legacy  (i.e., mining and testing) and/or climate change.

WHAT WILL PARTICIPANTS DO?

Attend virtual workshops to engage in creative-writing! Participants will explore artworks critically examining nuclear legacies and climate change, and will have an opportunity to express themselves through writing and collage prompts.

ARE THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS?

Commitment to attend workshops (workshop 1.5 hours long),
Provide input into the final art piece

You do not need advanced knowledge about nuclear issues or climate change, or have prior experience in art-making!

These workshops are meant to be an open, supportive space to explore these topics and skills without judgement.

WHEN ARE THESE WORKSHOPS?

We are in the process of developing the second Docuseries cycle for the Fall of 2021 (August or September). Please note that schedules may move due to participant / facilitator availability. For specific dates, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

IS THIS FREE?

Yes! Just come as your full-self on Zoom ready to learn!

DOCUSERIES FACILITATOR

Lovely Umayam of Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective
Lovely’s creative work has been published in The New York Times,
3 poetry anthologies, and featured on CNN and The Atlantic: Shriver Report. Lovely also has 7-years’ experience working on nuclear policy, which includes research in academic, government, and non-governmental settings. Her policy research and creative work can be found on Newsy, Vice, the Associated Press, MoMA, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientist, SxSW and others.

Read Lovely's Essay on Anti-Racism and Nuclear Policy

WRITING PROMPTS

Docuseries workshops begin with a writing exercise to encourage
participants to connect with their creative voice.
We encourage you to do the same!
Below are some writing prompts that can help you get going whenever you are feeling stuck or need inspiration:

PROMPT # 1
Point of view exercise

Think about a memory or a fictional scene (in a classroom; at a rally), and challenge yourself to write from a point of view other than your own (your classmate; teacher; a bird in the sky!)

PROMPT # 2
History lesson

Choose a point in history that shaped your understanding of climate change and/or nuclear weapons. List all the questions you have about that moment in time (what were the people like? who was in power?). Then write a short story from a perspective of a young person living in that period.

PROMPT # 3
Reflecting on the word “peace”

Write about a thing or a place that brings you a sense of peace. Is it a thing or a place you’ve known all your life? Or is it a new discovery?

What’s on the Bookshelf?

Need more inspiration? Here’s a list of our favorite
artists who use their creativity to tell stories about
nuclear weapons legacies and climate change: