BC Human Rights Commissioner bringing ‘From Hate to Hope’ exhibit to Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A new touring exhibit from BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner is set to stop in Fort St. John next month.

The office has announced an “audio-visual exhibit” called From Hate to Hope that will tour the province beginning next week. 

The announcement says the exhibit is a 25-minute mixed-media experience with a combination of animations, projections, interviews and audio.

The tour arrives in Fort St. John on May 10th and 11th.

The exhibit is meant to showcase a wave of hate that was reported to the commission during the COVID-19 pandemic and the large-scale works of art created in several communities, including Fort St. John, in response to that hate.

According to the announcement, the exhibit “amplifies the voices represented in the inquiry” and expands on the artistic contributions of the people who made the murals.

“The murals represented a step forward in helping community members process their experiences of hate, inspire connections that can fortify the community against disinformation and fear, and catalyse conversations about how to create change in our province,” the announcement reads.

“In the ‘From Hate to Hope’ report, released in March 2023, I called on all people and communities in B.C. to work to understand hate and acknowledge its harm,” said Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender. 

“As we continue to see a rise in hate, it is important to remain focused on addressing these issues in our communities and fostering spaces for dialogue, including through the power of public art.”

Govender hopes the touring exhibit will allow people to engage with the murals and the report’s findings in a new way.

The tour officially begins in Vancouver on April 23rd. Other stops include Kelowna and Nanaimo.