The Collective Agency Project

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Judith Snider, "Tender Moments," 2021

Participating Artists: Oonagh Berry | Ann Daskal | Annemarie Etsell | Verena Foxx | Greg Helem | Schula Leonard | Keith Anthony Martin | Mickey McCaffrey | Judith Snider

As a society, we are just beginning to understand that agency and decision-making have been the privilege of only a few; that more voices need to be invited to this table of power and independence. Seniors are usually overlooked when thinking about diversification and inclusivity. The Collective Agency Project, a group of senior Vancouver artists, counters this, giving voice and presence to a group often relegated to the fringes of society with their time of usefulness deemed over.

The Collective Agency Project was formed in January 2020 through an open call of the City of Vancouver Public Art Program. The proposal was straightforward, yet complex: seniors were invited to join a two-year project introducing them to photography as a multifaceted art practice to produce work resulting in an exhibition and public art project. Led by curator Ann Pollock and artists Christos Dikeakos and Birthe Piontek, with expertise from Barrie Jones, the aim was to turn art into an agent of change.

Through joined artistic voices, this Project takes agency through art, plus a counter position on the boundaries and stereotypes of ageing and fading senior artists. The work engages with complex cultural, political, and environmental ecologies, while examining inspirational sources of place, both real and imaginary. It recognizes and showcases the powerful, layered visions emerging from years of varied experiences both personal, as well as political.