Can participatory art making re-conceptualize landscape as theatrical stage in order to address contemporary ethical questions we are facing as a result of the Anthropocene? How can such acts of making be harnessed for teaching and learning in community contexts? In this workshop, Montreal-based artist, researcher, and educator Jacob Le Gallais demonstrates the power of art-led inquiry to provide new and innovative ways of examining and imagining the world around us. Guiding participants through acts of participatory/collaborative making with puppetry and light-based collage, this workshop seeks to mobilize and enhance environmental stewardship in the age of global climate breakdown. 

Using a variety of paper-based media, found/existing objects, and other provided/recycled/up-cycled materials, participants will create a collaborative collage landscape and shadow puppets. They will then bring their work to life with the aide of projected light and digital documentation. This workshop is inspired by ongoing doctoral research in art education incorporating studio-based research-creation, public pedagogy, and community art teaching practices in order to examine urban landscapes as shared habitats for human and non-human lives. 

This workshop also draws inspiration from Jacob’s life long interest in folklore, fairytales and imagination, as well as notions of nostalgia, and the aesthetics of childhood. Overall, this workshop seeks to foster communities of collaborative engagement and collective teaching (especially for children and youth learners, through discourse, experience, and most importantly, through collaborative, participatory, and performative making.