VISUAL VOICES 2026
MARCH 2026
9 Youth discovered the power of photography as a tool for self-expression.
Through hands-on guidance and creative exploration, they learned to create compelling portraits that communicated their personal narratives.
The workshop offered a space for self-discovery, helping youth reflect on their identities and perspectives while developing their visual storytelling skills.
Presented by
StepStones for Youth and Golden Child
StepStones support youth involved in the child welfare system. They work to improve educational outcomes, secure stable housing, and build long-lasting support networks. Learn more here.
LORI DESANTIS
She shaped me to be resilient
She shaped me to be strong
She taught me love even when sometimes I didn’t feel love from no one else at times
She taught me everything in life
She taught me how to cook and bake
She taught me responsibility
She taught me to be loving
She taught me to be brave
She taught me to be caring
She taught me to be grateful
She taught me to be respectful
She taught me everything
She is my strength
She is my everything
She is my grandma/stepmom and Nonna
MARY KHALIL
I used to call it living—
the noise, the blur,
the way nights swallowed mornings whole
I don’t remember most of it
just flashes—
a laugh that wasn’t mine
a mirror I avoided
everything was always almost enough
until it wasn’t
until my body started keeping score until silence got louder than the music
so I stopped
not all at once—
more like learning how to stand
after forgetting I had legs
now it’s quieter
and yeah, sometimes it aches
but I can hear myself again
and for the first time that feels like something worth keeping and living for.
FAHAD
Fahad, The Runner, 2026
I am Fahad from Uganda. When I was 12 years old, I moved to Hong Kong, where I studied and discovered sports.
I joined a running club, trained hard, and started racing.
Running changed me.
It helped me become creative.
It made me an active person and gave me the confidence to talk to people.
Running made me who I am today.
Because of running, I became a leader and a president in school and outside of school.
Running didn’t only change me, it changed my family’s life. It opened doors that helped me make it to Canada.
I joined a private organization that held running training once a week. That opportunity brought hope to everyone and made me believe that one day, I could become a great athlete.
That’s when I realized I was truly a talented runner.
I started competing in races, and now I am proud to be a member of the University of Toronto, training with the team.
I love running.
SHANIA
Quietly sulking in the dark, happiest in my sorrow
My back against the ground, darkness submerges
My eyes fixed on the sky, I see shine
Shiny glitter with stellar mass
Formations of dotted lines
Celestial beings like the soul
Each one telling a story like mine, carrying a weight so powerful
A light was there to guide me
So why did anything else matter? It carries it all
The patterns in the sky spoke meaningfully
So that I can rest, and adhere a beauty that is a reminder
Stories carry power that time holds truthfully
That the light within us is shining somewhere, a star would know
That love is not only magical, but revolutionary
JOHANNA MINGA
Art is a common theme throughout my life.
I fill moments of silence with music. Dozens of playlists fill my ears with melodies that move me and lyrics that touch my soul. I sing along to them passively, the vibrations in my voice soothing me.
I write out words too painful for me to say aloud. Filling notebooks, journals, and the notes app on my phone with poems, diary entries, songs, and stories.
I stare at screens for hours, agonising over the most minute details on Adobe Lightroom and replaying clips over and over again on Premiere Pro until I’m almost sick of the project I’m working on.
It’s everywhere I am. Music playing in my room as I sit back and relax or in my head as I commute through the city, paintings put up on my walls, doodles lining the margins of my school textbooks, and small scars on my hands from attempts at pyrography and sewing accidents.
It helps me feel and process my emotions, remember pleasant memories, and beautify even the ugliest of situations. Creativity is a central part of my character. Throughout my life, it’s always been what connects me to myself. My biggest passion, my favourite hobby, and my first love.