A sidewalk dance party for one; the voices of friends and family; a make-believe island; and a dog named Dexter.
These are some of the happy places — real and imaginary — that Canadians have embraced as we head into a very challenging second year of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Finding joy and creating happiness was at the heart of series of personal stories, art projects and short films produced in collaboration with CBC's Creator Network, which works with independent producers to tell their stories.
In December 2020, CBC Manitoba and CBC East Coast called on Canadians to show us their happy place. There were no rules — we wanted their imaginations guide them. A happy place could be a person, place or thing, and something in the past, present or future.
Seventeen projects — including audio essays, short films, a comic, illustrations, photos and personal essays — were produced by 28 storytellers in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia, and released over the past several months.
The final project, a short video that celebrates the Canadian landscape through dance, poetry and film, was co-produced by artists in Manitoba and Nova Scotia. You can see that by following this link:
Caption: 'Occupying a big chunk of my heart, Dexter has kept me very sane the past year, in my otherwise anxious and stressful life,' says Yogi Sundaravadanam. (Carolina Andrade for CBC)
Caption: Dancer, DJ, choreographer and teacher Maribeth (Kilusan) Tabanera has turned to dancing outdoors in Winnipeg during the pandemic. She was featured in a recent Creator Network video in Manitoba. (Submitted by Maribeth (Kilusan) Tabanera)
Caption: 'These animations are a way for me to play, and merge all the different parts of the art that I make,' says Briana Corr Scott. (Briana Corr Scott)
Caption: Photographer Jessie Redmond tells Michelle Hébert's story in this photo composition. 'Sitting in an intimate yet dark, baron room, Michelle focuses on the light and butterflies. She has opened a box that has always been with her, carrying the happiness she has within,' says Redmond. (Photo composition by Jessie Redmond)
Caption: Anna Quon is on the right in this artistic version of her magical space. 'Celebrating with friends in the little loft apartment where, for a brief time in my late 40s, I reclaimed my healthy, happy, hopeful life deferred by madness/mental illness in my 20s.' (Anna Quon for CBC)