Chinatown Futures : 168

About The Project

168 is an upcoming new Youth-Forward Magazine created by the community, for the community. This collaboration between re:Naissance, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre & their artist-in-residence Blake Abbie will realize a publication bringing attention to and archiving Chinatown’s present moment, its history in the 100 years since the implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and its hopes for the next 100 years.

The special publication will be spearheaded by Blake Abbie, a Chinese-Scottish Canadian artist & editor based in Vancouver & New York Chinatowns, and created by a team of highschool students in Vancouver. The magazine will include Letters to the Future of Chinatown written by youth and community members; a call to action to engage with the neighbourhood; exposés on its unique architecture and iconic spaces; dialogues on the multicultural and intersectional identities in Chinatown; and reflections on the future of the community, its spaces, and its collective identity.

168’s written content, photography, art, and design will be the work of local youth in grades 9-12, and will include diverse perspectives that have contributed to the rich tapestry of the Chinatown area. The project will be an outstanding opportunity for diverse youth to gain skills in journalism, art & design, storytelling, and media production while receiving mentorship from industry professionals.

This new initiative will culminate in it’s first printed issue in the Fall and the stories collected by the youth will be presented at IndieFest 2023!

Getting Involved

Supporting THE PROJECT

If you would like to make a monetary donation, provide in-kind support (such as printing, photography, design), or volunteer your time to contribute a story, please contact Stephanie Wong at stephanie@reopera.com

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Co-produced by re:Naissance Opera and the Chinatown Storytelling Centre