In May 2023, CERC Migration launched its third multimedia storytelling collaboration WhereWeStand. Graduate and undergraduate students from across Canada were invited to apply to participate in a project where they would be supported to co-create expressions of identity on the colonial construct of Canada, situated on Turtle Island. Participants were invited to reimagine their relationship to the Land that sustains and shelters both Indigenous peoples and newcomers.

A cohort of 14 participants were selected. Pairs, consisting of an Indigenous and a newcomer participant, were created to co-create work that could be in any form of expression – such as dance, music, film, theatre or installation. Pairs were mentored to develop a story that could be widely shared with a public audience. The resulting creative work delved into themes such as the connection to home, the relationship to the Land, the experience of truth and reconciliation for newcomers, resiliency through grief and the unseen struggles faced by minority groups in Canada.

WhereWeStand is the third iteration of digital storytelling projects produced by CERC Migration. The inaugural i am… project explored experiences of identity and belonging through 28 short films. The Under the Tent project looked at Canadian multiculturalism through 17 creative projects.