Faces of Antyx: Noor
Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting the amazing artists that are joining us for our upcoming Loop Genesis Sculpture Project! Up first for this Faces of Antyx segment is one of Antyx’s own Arts Facilitators, Noor! In her interview Noor discusses the Loop project, female empowerment and more!
Q: What advice would you give to women about their careers?
A: Be assertive and keep trying! Even if you get overlooked or passed over many times, or even if it seems like the better option to go with the flow, just express yourself, be yourself and you'll be far more successful in the end.
Q: What barriers have you faced, as a woman, in becoming successful in your field? How did you overcome them?
A: No real barriers based on being a woman in the arts or social work field that I've seen or experienced with me or with others. It's pretty equitable and female dominated actually, but I know that's not the case for women in other fields.
Q: Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired your career or your life in general?
A: I honestly learn something about myself and about the world from every single person I meet but that feels like a cop-out to say that haha.. so I'll say Richard, our current Executive Director. He's taught me a lot about being patient, kind, thoughtful, open-hearted and open-minded with myself and with others just by being himself. I've definitely grown exponentially under his care since I started at Antyx a couple of years ago.
Q: You are part of Antyx's new Loop Genesis Sculpture Project! What do you hope to accomplish by being a part of the Loop project?
A: As part of the research stage of the project (Year 1) I hope that through the sessions we're holding with our community that we can all find bridges between each other and find meaningful connections during a time of disconnect, because of the pandemic, because of our differences, because of our histories. It feels like we see a light at the end of the tunnel, and launching this project now feels right to help us all heal together and connect with each other again and create something beautiful out of it!
Q: What does the Loop project mean to you?
A: It means, again, connection, true integration, putting our differences aside and sharing and celebrating our similarities. It means learning about the land we live on together so we appreciate it, treat it and its original peoples right, and feel like we're really a part of it and a part of this country, and not just lost or displaced immigrants who just happen to exist here.
Q: What connection do you have to your art and/or work?
A: My work is super important to me! I wasn't treated well as a youth by most of the adults in my life, and I don't want youth to feel as alone or unheard as I once was. Youth often get told they're just kids and that their opinions don't matter, so I want to offer up spaces and opportunities for them where they are on equal grounds with the adults, and where their say and their opinion about social justice, about the world, about their futures and what happens to them, is the #1 priority, and where they feel empowered and brave enough to be whoever they want to be.
Q: What has been one of your favourite projects/events that you’ve been a part of?
A: I really enjoyed helping build the old Genesis Centre sculptures that hang in the glass pillars! I was there for the cloud-building part and the end of the project where we were assembling everything and hanging it up. It was so awesome to see how many youths were working on it all at once and then to see it go up the scale of the project was incredible! I couldn't believe we'd done this all together.
Q: What is your biggest motivation?
A: Wanting to make the world a better place for others to live through self-empowerment.
Q: What is your dream project or goal?
A: I would love to travel the world and bring the Antyx "leadership and empowerment through arts" model to youth in other places, especially in countries where human or civil rights aren't as much of a concern to its governments and citizens. It would definitely also have more of a social services lean to it where we would help youth continue to be leaders in their communities even after we leave so we're not just painting a wall with them for the gram (lol). I have a lot of thinky thoughts about this!