Call for Imaginings

UPDATE: Submission deadline extended until April 16th!

The world’s largest mining convention comes to Toronto each year, hosted by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC). This year, however, PDAC 2021 will move entirely online. But don’t be fooled — just because the Metro Toronto Convention Centre will be empty this year doesn’t mean that mining has stopped. Mining projects continue in full force and workers continue to travel to remote mine sites around the world, risking the health and safety of local communities.

We at the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network (MISN) and our allies have a long history of intervening in and disrupting the convention, giving echo to the millions of voices around the world who say “YES” to life and “NO” to mining. People have long imagined and fought for a world without extractivism, and the systems of violence and oppression that sustain it. And with the pandemic disrupting an in-person convention this year, we’re using it as an opportunity to continue these imaginings in an artistic form. What if the world’s largest mining convention never happened again?

Here’s the invitation: What would a world without extractivism look like for you? This can take many forms. We’d love to see your drawings, paintings, collages, or other pieces of art; murals; poems and songs; short videos; or any other response you can think of. New and old work is welcome, and all skill levels are appreciated. ***

Here are some additional prompts and examples of what we’re thinking about.

We will share what you send us on our website and social media pages. But that’s only the start. We see this as the beginning of a larger project of imagining alternative and non-extractive futures. We want to engage with your submissions and spark conversations within our communities. More details to follow!

You can share your imaginings with us by email ([email protected]) with the subject line “A world without extractivism” by Wednesday, March 31.  April 16, 2021.

Please include a short description (50-200words) about your creative work, and tell us how it responds to the question “What would a world without extractivism look like for you?”

Please email [email protected] with any questions.