Twenty-eight Bachelor of Education students with undergraduate degrees in a variety of subjects (ranging from Mathematics, Physical Education, and Human Ecology, to History, Drama, and Music). Most students have created their digiCOVERS in groups.

COVID-19 has had an incredible impact on theatre across the world. What will be left of the physical infrastructure as the cost to rent spaces, pay property taxes and maintain buildings greatly outpaces the income earned from free (or low priced) digital performances? More importantly, what will be left of the human infrastructure? In the image, the audience is shown in black and white, fading in and out of existence. Are they a ghost of audiences past? Will they be back? The financial impacts of COVID have been significant for many families.

Will theatre, a more expensive entertainment option, be something that is left behind? Of course, there is also theatre’s most important asset: the artists. Many have been on standby for too long, and now find themselves pursuing different opportunities for work and education. Will they return? In this image I use the element of contrast: contrast between the theatre before, during, and after the pandemic; contrast between the vibrantly coloured dilapidated setting and the faded black and white audience; and contrast between beauty and decay, as seen in the peeling ornate patterns on the walls, and the bright red of the scaffolding revealed in the ceiling. In this image I ask the viewer to consider the overall crucial question of what will be left of theatre when the pandemic is over?

We depict symbolic contrast within our artwork of a world out of whack. This digiCOVER represents effects that COVID-19 has had on the environment and our society. Depicted is The Forks in downtown Winnipeg. In the past it was an important meeting ground for the Indigenous; in the present it is a vital hub for Winnipeggers. Masks depict the increasing waste/pollution in spaces within our lives. The main tower appears to be unstable, portraying a world out of kilter. The crowns (corona ironically means crown in Spanish) are flowing freely in the air infecting people: some are tied down by chains to represent the restraint the virus has put on human lives. Here, they are enjoying the space they have taken from people as they are having a social gathering in a world contrasted by shades of greys to show the bleakness at times during this pandemic, yet the bright colours of the trees illustrate rejuvenation of our environment during COVID-19.

This project, a digital collage, is meant to reflect the calm before the storm of global warming due to the reduction of aerosols and CO2 that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought. We thought about the Himalayan Mountains and how the pollution reduction due to Covid had finally made them visible after being hidden under smog for decades and sought to illustrate the emotions of the mountains in order to communicate how our emissions are affecting our planet.

While viewing, please listen to the “Star Blanket: Dyed Waves” audio clip.

This piece originates from minds which stem from three educational backgrounds: human ecology, music, and physical education. Together we have merged our vision to bring together this piece for you as the viewer to reflect on textiles in your life. Combining the traditional techniques of fabricating a quilt, we also incorporate digital photography, music, and life story. The digital quilt is a real quilt researched, planned, patterned, cut, and sewn with a sewing machine. While this real quilt does not provide the same physical warmth- this quilt is about a critique and reinvigoration of traditional practices in textile art.

(Note: To view this image: please start this story reading from the middle moving outward. Each level represents the transition from textiles issues to resolution within recycling. The middle layer illustrates the problem- the impact on climate degradation and pollution. The next layer illustrates the textile artists illustrating revolution and leading social justice initiatives. The last, outside layer, represents the solution- a move towards recycling, reclaiming and reusing textiles. This is especially the case, given the COVID-19 pandemic where new hobbies and crafting had caused us to slow down- has revolutionized the social justice impact and a move in the right direction).

In this triptych a dystopian apocalyptic world is depicted using a narrative structure in which animals rule and humans are the endangered species. We are working with concepts of propaganda, war, and liminal spaces. The first part of the digiCOVER is a depiction of a planet in which a take-over of humans is undertaken by animals. We envisioned this digiCOVER and the one with the skulls, almost as warnings for humans in our dystopian society. The third part of the digiCOVER is a depiction of a main figure, who is now the overlord of North America named ‘Charles the Cheetah’. Ultimately, we are illustrating a fictitious world in which roles are swapped and where death is more imminent for humans. We perceive the possibility of these covers being plastered in a multitude of locations in our new animal dominated countries.

Grass-Fed Greed describes the effects of factory-farming and animal products on our earth. While eating animals has been around for innumerable centuries, our current demand is unsustainable largely due to the supply harvested for the profit of fast-food companies. On the left, we have our cow and chicken in a clean environment with a functioning earth and on the right, we portray destruction and fire representing a chaotic environment. We are cognizant of the meat industry being funded by fast food corporations and so we are portraying a sequence of the life of an animal raised for slaughter. The now cooked meat of the cow has an earth in trouble.

We hope to provoke curiosity of comparisons regarding the formal (i.e., grocery store) and the informal (i.e., street market) players in the food sector. In our image, we have juxtaposed imagery from the informal food sector inside of the formal one. What we ask you to consider:

1. What do we as North Americans perceive as important when it comes to buying food?
2. Are you educated on connections between culture, tradition, and food in existence?
3. Are you aware of the misinterpretation of street markets by the media?

This artwork was created to demonstrate hope in the current context of our world. Our vision is for people to look at our artwork and feel comfort and optimistic about the future. We used different elements of handmade and digital images to offer counter-opposition to feelings of despair with hope and inspiration. All elements are meant to engage audiences in both a personal and shared experience, lending to an underlaid theme of interconnectedness, interdependence, and hope.

This work was inspired by my grandparents and our frequent ‘window visits’ during the COVID-19 pandemic. It encapsulates the longing and emptiness an entire generation feels, as they in particular are cut off from the outside world and made to feel like less than valued members of society. The image is distorted by the varied levels of transparencies as the layers are built up, making it appear as if the figure is fading or disappearing slowly.