Summer camp: United We Play and Resist
We ran a drop-in workshop space during the Toronto Anarchist Bookfair, making the connection between the exploitative practices of Canadian mining companies and the 2015 Pan Am Games (including the fact that Barrick Gold was supplying the games with the medals). In the workshop we created radical sports paraphernalia. Four different stations were set-up for screenprinting posters, pennant felting, foam hand sculpting, and mascot assembly.
Fun fact: sports paraphernalia has been historically used by sport fans to express their support for specific teams.
RDS wanted to play with this idea by encouraging workshop participants to think and express resistance to problems that are created by mega sporting events. These included: heightened police enforcement that displaces homeless people and people of colour, gentrification, and corporate looting. Some of the materials made were used as props for street performances organized by the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network and others for a friendly match organized by Reclaim the Beautiful Game.