05/28/2026
🎬 BlockStar Collective by Nala Haileselassie
✨ A 2026–27 PEERS Public Project ✨
“How can we learn from each other’s homes, families and blocks?”
BlockStar Collective is a collaborative film workshop series (July/August 2026) inviting youth ages 14–18 from Toronto’s priority neighbourhoods to experiment with filmmaking through radical film education, hands-on production workshops, and the creation of a collective short film.
Through storytelling, collaboration, and filmmaking, participants will reflect on:
📍 What stories live inside our apartment buildings, plazas, parks, and neighbourhoods?
📍 How do our homes, families, and communities shape the way we see the world?
📍 What can we learn from each other’s blocks, memories, and everyday environments?
Led by Toronto-based artist, researcher, and curator Nala Haileselassie, BlockStar Collective offers an experimental and collaborative space for youth to create, connect, and share perspectives through film.
Participant Criteria
🔹 Open to youth ages 14–18 based in Toronto priority neighbourhoods
🔹 All levels of arts and filmmaking experience welcome
🔹 Priority given to Indigenous, Black, racialized, Deaf, Mad, Disabled, and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and other equity-deserving communities
🔹 $500 honorarium provided for participation
🔹 Transit fare, materials, and meals provided
🔹 Additional screening and panel fees may be available pending funding
🔹 Must be available to attend all in-person sessions
🗓️ Apply by June 29, 2026: www.whippersnapper.ca/peers, or at the link in our bio!
BlockStar Collective is part of PEERS Public Projects, produced by Whippersnapper Gallery.
Poster designed by Moe Pramanick
🙏 With gratitude to for supporting this work.