I am a rising U3 McGill student, studying psychology. I am originally from Boston, Massachusetts, in the US, where I grew up the only child of a pair of divorced self-identified intellectuals who worked to ensure that I would grow up surrounded by reading, writing, and critical thinking. It was through this mindset that I approached university, and that I hoped to expand upon this summer through my internship with the Participatory Cultures Lab (PCL).
When I began my internship at the PCL, I was not entirely sure what my project would be. In the interview, as well as several informational emails that followed, I had been informed about the goals of the PCL’s summer projects, and even what these projects would be, but not to which project I would be assigned. In these informational meetings and emails, I had learned that the PCL’s primary goals involved using participatory visual art as a method of research into social issues and social change. There were several projects, each in a different phase of implementation: those in the beginning phase which were in need of participants and organization, those in the middle phase which were in need of organization and maintenance, and those in the latter phase which primarily needed an archivist to organize the products of the research.
When my internship itself began in earnest, I learned the project I had been assigned to was to assist in the implementation of the International Cellphilm Festival (ICF), a festival run by the PCL that was proceeding into its 12th iteration. Over the course of the internship, my primary responsibilities were managing the social media side of the ICF, assisting preparatory workshops for the ICF, attending related meetings, and of course organizing the run of the festival itself. As I progressed through these responsibilities, I learned about many diverse subjects: the nature of participatory visual art, creating graphics for social media, communicating with NGOs and other participants in the festival, working with academics on event planning, and more.
I formed many fond memories during this internship, but most of the happiest ones were the result of the warm, friendly community that the PCL created. The office was staffed with two administrators, one graduate student, one professor, and the seven interns who were staying for the summer. The four full-time employees made sure to cultivate an inviting atmosphere from
During one particular week, this balance was put to its first test. This week was a gathering to create the foundations of PCL’s newest project: TRANSFORM. This project is staffed with researchers and NGO/nonprofit workers from across the globe who seek to advance a political program of gender transformation and equity in their communities. Over 30 participants attended, and us interns were responsible for being at the lab 8-10 hours per day, which was unusual for us. During this week, we were the grunt work for the usual event-planning tasks: getting and laying out food, taking photos and videos, helping guests, etc. This week was both one of my favorites, and least favorites. However, we found that when we were put under stress, we were able to work well together. For this, I was incredibly grateful. I felt very lucky to be in the group and place that I was, even just for a little while.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to David Tarr and Gisele Chevrefils for their generous award, which allowed me to have such a fruitful and enjoyable summer!
