Students talk to strangers

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This article was published 04/12/2017 (3109 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A group of local students is putting Winnipeg people in the spotlight in an ongoing book project.

Last year, a group of Tec Voc students, led by teacher Jeff Lomas, talked to friends, family and strangers on the street to collect photos and stories for their book, People in Winnipeg. The book is inspired by Humans of New York, a photography project that is famous for showcasing the subjects’ most personal and striking stories.

“It was part of a take action project where you’re supposed to get the students inspired to give back to the community,” Lomas said. “The idea was to make this book, and they picked four charities to give back to. Any proceeds made, we donate them.”

The first book is out now, and Lomas and his class are currently working on collecting more stories and hopefully creating another book in the future. Bea Clark was part of the project last year, and as a new mom, she used it as a chance to talk to other parents.

“One of the people is a single mom. I mean, she loves her kid, I love my kid, so that’s the only thing we had in common, but that’s a lot,” Clark said.

She said everyone has a different strategy when it comes to approaching strangers.

“We had a photographer, so they came in and we went out as groups,” she said. “We just all kind of weirdly huddled around a stranger and said, can you do an interview?

“When people talk, they’re iffy about you, so they might give some information, and some people will be all out… You’ll just choose the small snippets to piece together what you think, your first impression of them.”

It was an opportunity to learn more about Winnipeg’s demographic, Clark says.

“It’s pretty obvious that a lot of Winnipeggers are immigrants, or we have some people that were just visiting and happened to be in Winnipeg.” 

Lomas says that the second time around, he’s finding new ways to encourage the students.
“Especially though follow-up questions, because you have to listen to their answer and think of another question,” he said.

For more information on the project, visit winnipegsd.ca/schools/TechnicalVocational/Pages/default.aspx

The book can be purchased at McNally Robinson or online here.