HUBBUB ★ WINNER – THIRD PLACE

Colour, Kits, and Connection is an emergency preparedness event designed to increase the proportion of emergency kits owned by individuals and families living in Vancouver while incorporating artistry and community engagement. We were tasked to develop a project to engage the artistic community in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for the City of Vancouver. Of the four pillars of emergency management, we chose to focus on preparedness.

Our project consists of two major branches, both including an art component, described below:

1. A Kit Drive: Depending on the status of COVID-19, the Colour, Kits, and Connection kit drive is an event that will encourage community members to contribute monetary donations or emergency kit supplies that will be used to assemble kits to distribute to BC Housing Residents. Attendees at the event will be given a colouring book designed by local Vancouver artists. Along with fun pictures to colour and promote creativity, the colouring book will provide emergency preparedness information to help families plan for emergencies.

2. A Social Media Campaign: We will utilize social media to reach a broader audience to disseminate information in hopes to raise awareness about emergency preparedness. Working with local artists to help develop creative and interactive content, this campaign will include preparedness information (e.g. what to include in a kit drive) and content to promote emergency preparedness discussions and community online.

Our next steps include connecting with local artists to develop the colouring book for the kit drive and content for the social media campaign. Additionally, we plan to connect with BC Housing to discuss a partnership, as well as to apply for funding through RADIUS SFU’s Seed Fund. We hope that this project will create meaningful connections within the community, foster creativity, and raise emergency preparedness awareness, while also providing emergency kits to households in need.