'We Still Have Hope,' 2020. Acrylics on wood. 8 ft. x 8 ft. Innovation Works, London, Ontario.
Where community voice becomes shared knowledge.
We Still Have Hope
Lived experience shaping collective understanding.
Visitors are invited into a collective story of displacement, resilience, and belonging—co-created by 25 Syrian youth who resettled in Canada.
Across 12 panels, the mural offers multiple entry points into lived experiences of migration. Developed through storytelling, theatre, visual arts, and shared meals, the process created space to reflect on what “home” means as it evolves over time.
As viewers move through the work, they encounter both personal and social dimensions: moments of connection, tensions shaped by media narratives, and reflections on settling on Indigenous land. The mural holds these complexities, inviting deeper consideration. The final panel, where two youth stand on a turtle making reference to Turtle Island, opens a reflection on land, identity, and relationship.
This work functions as both artwork and community-based inquiry, surfacing lived knowledge and diverse perspectives.
Social Artist Lead & Facilitator: Melanie Schambach
Project Director: Yasmin Hussain
Funder & Partner Organization: Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Inclusion
