The Dream Project was a pioneering initiative in Richmond that offered a two-week youth filmmaking workshop centered around the theme of ‘dreams.’ A one-time project held in 2010, the program was a platform for participants to cultivate their creativity and explore the convergence of imagination and reality.
The workshop met with overwhelming interest under the mentorship of award-winning filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns, attracting twenty participants and a long waitlist of youths interested in animation. Following the success of the initial workshop, animator Elisa Chee joined as a mentor for the second installment, infusing her expertise in digital storytelling. Her approach, which incorporated photographic imagery, found objects, and audio recordings, elevated the storytelling process to new and captivating heights.
The 10 student films created through the program were showcased alongside works by veteran animators from Vancouver in a beautiful community screening and celebration of creativity. Bolstered by this success, we embarked on a new collaboration with the Richmond Winter Festival. Elisa, who had delved into the realm of digital mapping during her time at Global Mechanic Studio, proposed an innovative concept: transforming the short films produced in the Dream Project into a public art installation with this cutting-edge technology.
Using the Richmond Olympic Oval as a canvas, the student films were projected onto its façade through digital mapping to create a mesmerizing display for the Richmond Winter Festival. This spectacle not only served as a fitting conclusion to the Dream Project but also heralded a foray into new media and public art for Cinevolution.
The Dream Project became an important milestone that inspired many iterations of programs for youth and adults alike. One of the most important legacies of this project was the establishment of the Richmond Media Lab inside the Richmond Cultural Centre, where we held many media and technology workshops for the community.
The Dream Project’s impact reverberated far beyond its immediate success, inspiring a multitude of programs catering to both youth and adults. Among its enduring legacies is the establishment of the Richmond Media Lab within the Richmond Cultural Centre, a hub for media and technology workshops catering to the community at large.
Reflecting on the journey, the Dream Project epitomizes a pivotal shift within our organization, underscored by a commitment to democratizing access to media and digital literacy, particularly among new immigrants and visible minorities within the community.