Enhancing Children's Voices


Date: Jun 2
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Where: Theatre
Coffee & Culture

For the past two years, Dr. Anne Burke and Dr. Diane Collier from Memorial University have been co-researching innovative teaching, language, culture and identity. Alongside primary teachers and children from two multicultural elementary schools in St. John’s, they have worked together to enhance ways to listen to young children's perspectives, to talk about artifacts and engage in various ways of making art to tell stories.

Please join the researchers, teachers and children as they talk about this rich project looking at experiential learning that honours the voices of children. Through working with artists and partnering with Memorial University and The Rooms, their research is part of a larger project called  ADVOST that includes projects in Finland and the United Kingdom.

Most recently, they completed an identity mapmaking project with the support of educator Anne Pickard-Vaandering at The Rooms. Children came to The Rooms to interact with the exhibition "Helping Hands: 30 Years at Kinngait Studios". They experimented with mapping and drawing their interests and identities, and then returned to their classrooms to create their own art. Their artworks are featured in the MakerFaire event at The Rooms on June 3.

Events & Programs

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Indigenous Rising, the first roller derby team to represent multiple Nations at the Roller Derby World Cup, unites players across continents to claim space in the sport they love.

Rising Through the Fray follows this groundbreaking team as new generations join, determined to change the face of roller derby—an inclusive, female-empowering sport still lacking diversity.

With candid intimacy, filmmaker Courtney Montour blends energetic gameplay and tender daily moments as skaters from 30+ Nations find strength in each other. Through portraits of Sour Cherry, Krispy, and Hawaiian Blaze, the film reveals displacement, reconnection, resilience, and belonging beyond the track.

Director/Writer: Courtney Montour
Producer: Jason Brennan
88 mins | Canada | English
Q&A with the filmmaker to follow

This film will be closed-captioned.

Tickets: $12 plus HST. Free for Rooms members. Get your ticket online or by calling (709) 757-8090. 

Free with SJIWFF Screening Pass (ticket must be picked up in person with your pass).

For more information and the full festival lineup, visit SJIWFF Rising Through the Fray