The Changemakers Cohort

This experimental pilot project was rooted in emergence. RAIL identified a cohort of artists who were deeply embedded within their own communities making change.

This project supported artistic ‘process’ over ‘project’. RAIL provided funding directly to these leaders. This allowed each artist to create meaningful relationships within their communities and track their process over time.

Meet The Changemakers…

meeka noelle morgan

Meeka Noelle Morgan was born and raised within Secwepemc and Nuu-Chah-Nulth lands, traditions and culture, but is also part St’atimc, and N’lakapamux.

Her Master’s thesis: “Making Connections with Secwepemc Family Through Storytelling: A Journey in Transformative Rebuilding”, further developed her work, focused on retelling history, and processing this experience through creativity. She also founded The Melawmen Collective (Indigenous music festival) and is Artistic Director of 2 Rivers Remix Festival (an All Indigenous Music and Arts Festival).

Nasra adem

NASRA is an artist who believes that Black art is a brilliant and sustaining language of languages. Proof that we have and will exist, everywhere, even while Black lives, joys and dreams are actively being erased.

NASRA is currently exploring their creative languages through DNAPLAY; a veneration of Black queer routine as ritual. Channelled through poetry, film, dance and the genre-bending, bass driven sounds of their ep "Salve". No matter the form it takes NASRA’s heartwork honours the spectrum of freedom for Black/Indigenous Peoples everywhere.

shayna jones

Shayna Jones is an award-winning professional performance artist specializing in the Traditional Oral Storytelling of African and Afro-Diasporic Folklore.

As a Black woman living in Kaslo, BC, a rural town of 800 people with less than a handful of souls who share her heritage, Shayna’s aim, fueled by her own sense of isolation, is to seek out other Blacks in rural settings to record their stories of Belonging (or lack thereof).

shaihiem small

Shaihiem Small is an artist currently based in Edmonton Alberta, originally from Toronto Ontario. Shaihiem is a MacEwan Fine Arts graduate and has participated in multiple pop-up art shows across the city and the group show Five Artists One Love hosted at the AGA.

His art explores themes concerning the ethos of cultural identity and the sublime nature of expanding universal consciousness in connection with an individual.

This artist is currently balancing a fine art and tattoo career in his community.

Lhasa yallop-ryan

My name is Lhasa Yallop-Ryan I am from Nelson BC. I describe my art style as an abstract representation of the world around me. I like to paint and draw with all the colours In the rainbow. I use my art as an emotional and spiritual outlet. Art is a passion of mine and I’d like to share my passion.

SAMUEL DONKOR

Artist bio coming soon

jerome morgan (curator)

Jerome Morgan is an innovations expert and change agent who uses the unique blend of design thinking, purpose-driven strategies, and his life experiences to shape social, entrepreneurial and economic change.

Selected as a 2018 social innovator and changemaker, Jerome is a champion for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and leads work around BIPOC, low income and rural communities.